This project is part of ENSEMBLE, a gastronomic experience that brought together five designers to create a short film and a dish addressing key issues in today’s food system. As one of the contributing designers, we collaborated with Imene Missoum to shine a light on a lesser-known subject: bumblebees and the vital process of buzz pollination.
To Shake a Flower
Task
To design a gastronomic experience and a short video that highlights the invisible work of bumble bees and the key role of buzz pollination
In a world increasingly shaped by monoculture, pesticides, and climate disruption, the survival of pollinators has become fragile—and with them, our food systems. While the honeybee (Apis mellifera) dominates the conversation, much of the pollination we rely on is silently carried out by wild bees and bumblebees, like Bombus terrestris. These solitary, often invisible workers don’t live in hives or produce honey, yet their role is crucial. Through a unique process called buzz pollination, they use powerful vibrations to release pollen from specific flowers, making possible the very existence of many of our foods.
Our project is a fable in the form of a bite: a dish composed of ingredients that depend on buzz pollination. By making this often overlooked natural choreography visible we aim to honor Bombus terrestris and farmers alike, while inviting reflection on the fragility of their ecosystems. This dish is not only a tribute, it is a question. What happens when we depend on just one pollinator? What flavors are lost when diversity disappears? Framed as a sensory fable, the dish invites diners to experience the unseen work of buzz pollinators, and the urgency of designing food systems that protect them.
This project is part of ENSEMBLE, a gastronomic experience that brought together five designers to create a short film and a dish addressing key issues in today’s food system. As one of the contributing designers, we collaborated with Imene Missoum to shine a light on a lesser-known subject: bumblebees and the vital process of buzz pollination.
Our recipe was a tribute to both bumblebees and farmers, both invisible along the food supply chain, but whose work is indispensable for many of our dishes. To do this, we came up with a really fresh recipe that combines three of the main ingredients requiring buzz pollination to thrive: tomatoes, eggplants and blueberries.
Specifically, the dish consisted of a caviar d’aubergine representing the ‘ground’ on top of which our confit tomatoes grow. On top, we added some blueberry molasses caviar and some edible flowers. Once at the table, guests had to finish the dish by shaking a tea infuser with some dried and pulverized yellow flowers, resembling the buzz pollination of bumblebees. Both the ingredients and the dish (caviar d’aubergine, confit tomatoes…) celebrated the intertwined story of bumblebees and farmers.
Our recipe was a tribute to both bumblebees and farmers, both invisible along the food supply chain, but whose work is indispensable for many of our dishes. To do this, we came up with a really fresh recipe that combines three of the main ingredients requiring buzz pollination to thrive: tomatoes, eggplants and blueberries.
Specifically, the dish consisted of a caviar d’aubergine representing the ‘ground’ on top of which our confit tomatoes grow. On top, we added some blueberry molasses caviar and some edible flowers. Once at the table, guests had to finish the dish by shaking a tea infuser with some dried and pulverized yellow flowers, resembling the buzz pollination of bumblebees. Both the ingredients and the dish (caviar d’aubergine, confit tomatoes…) celebrated the intertwined story of bumblebees and farmers.
Instead of simply landing and collecting it, bumblebees vibrate their flight muscles at a specific frequency, shaking the flower until a cloud of pollen bursts out. To recreate this moment in our dish, we invited diners to shake a tea infuser filled with pollen-like yellow powder over the recipe—just like a bee vibrating a flower. It provided a playful way to experience how many plants depend on these tiny pollinators to thrive. And of course, shoutout to chef Jasper from Creative Chef Studio for bringing our recipe to life!
Instead of simply landing and collecting it, bumblebees vibrate their flight muscles at a specific frequency, shaking the flower until a cloud of pollen bursts out. To recreate this moment in our dish, we invited diners to shake a tea infuser filled with pollen-like yellow powder over the recipe—just like a bee vibrating a flower. It provided a playful way to experience how many plants depend on these tiny pollinators to thrive. And of course, shoutout to chef Jasper from Creative Chef Studio for bringing our recipe to life!
The video projected before the meal was created as a short fable, rather than a documentary, to communicate our concept in a more imaginative, wholesome and engaging way. We wanted the story format to capture the spirit of the project and prepare diners to experience the dish with curiosity, hope and wonder. And it worked!
The video projected before the meal was created as a short fable, rather than a documentary, to communicate our concept in a more imaginative, wholesome and engaging way. We wanted the story format to capture the spirit of the project and prepare diners to experience the dish with curiosity, hope and wonder. And it worked!
