Chef André Chiang Has Launched an Edible NFT in Taiwan
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) have taken the world by storm, but it’s rare that they are combined with food. Recently EchoX, an NFT curating and management platform which aims to integrate crypto art into immersive, real-life experiences, joined hands with chef Andre Chiang VR director Hsin-Chien Huang and contemporary artist Billy Chang to create an edible NFT titled ‘We Are What We Eat’.
Three editions of the NFT were created. The most exclusive is the Genesis NFT, of which only three pieces were minted and these were exclusively collected by the three artists.
Eight Origin NFTs were created, derived from Chiang’s Octaphilosophy with each one unique and corresponding to his eight elements: Unique, Pure, Texture, Memory, Salt, South, Artisan, Terroir. Collectors of the Origin NFTs were invited to a Creator’s Night at Chiang’s restaurant Raw in Taipei on 21 December 2021 to enjoy an immersive, sensory art journey.
The event invited collectors to explore the connection between soil, food and life through performance, a VR experience and culinary art presented in-person by the artists. Each NFT included two seats and two set meals, including a special ‘We Are What We Eat’ dish.
The collectors also took home a bundle of physical collectibles including an artwork, an HTC VIVE Focus 3 VR headset, and a CoolWallet Pro (a crypto hardware wallet), as well as other privileges including the right to allocate five Seed NFTs to others or for personal use, a 1% creator bonus on Seed sales, and Origin Tree naming rights in the We Are What We Eat VR (the Origin Tree grows organically with VR irrigation).
On 10 January 2022, 512 Seed NFTs were released to the public comprised of generative art blind boxes. The visual art of each Seed NFT is only generated after minting. Each Seed NFT also offers a portal to Raw, one of the hardest reservations to get in Taipei, as collectors can enjoy priority booking as well as the special ‘We Are What We Eat’ dish and the VR journey, just as the Origin NFT collectors enjoyed on the Creator’s Night. During the VR journey, Seed collectors can vote for one Origin Tree to water. In additional Seed collectors were given the opportunity to purchase a HTC Vive Focus 3 VR headset at a discounted price.