Edible Cutlery Just Might Save The Planet

Imagine finishing a meal, then biting into your fork and washing it down with your spoon. Thanks to Indian groundwater researcher Narayana Peesapaty, this odd scene is now a reality—and one that might even help save the planet.

Peesapaty is the mastermind behind a line of edible cutlery called Bakeys, which sells spoons, sporks and chopsticks made entirely from a combination of millet, rice and wheat flours. Millet is the primary flour used in the utensils, because it needs much less water to grow than rice, Peesapaty explains.

He invented Bakeys in 2010, but when a video about the company appeared on the Facebook page of website The Better India on Tuesday, word spread fast. The video has gotten 3.2 million views in two days. Bakeys has sold more than 1.5 million pieces of its edible cutlery so far, according to the video.

Bakeys come in a variety of flavors: plain, sweet (with a little added sugar) and spicy (with rock salt, black pepper, cumin seed and ajwain, an Indian herb). They "probably taste a little bit like Grape Nuts," Gizmodo says. With about a three-year shelf life, they're also built to last.

The cutlery is biodegradable, making it waste-free even if you don't eat it. A used Bakey will decompose in less than a week, Peesapaty tells the Telegraph. Sure, the utensils may not be as sturdy as your stainless steel cutlery, but Bakeys' "spoons are firm enough to get you through a cup of hot soup without it wilting."

With food waste stepping into the spotlight in recent years, waste from food packaging and plastic utensils is an obvious companion that merits just as much discussion. That's where Bakeys comes in, and why, even though it's been around for a while, the company may finally be getting the attention it deserves.