Andrea Ponti’s creativity never runs out as he has ideas for almost everything. Even the seemingly trivial item like a food container, he can make it more interesting. While the rest of the world is still being encouraged to practice social distancing, some communities are trying to live in the New Normal and that includes holding house parties or hosting dinners at home.
In some countries, public gatherings are now allowed while indoor parties are proceeding but with minimum health and safety protocols. For those who want to start meeting up with family and friends in a safer way, you may want to consider bringing home-cooked food. It is time to rediscover the joy of sharing meals in a convenient, secure, and hygienic manner.
Designer: Andrea Ponti
The Hyobodo Fiume is a modern take on the traditional Japanese food container called the ojubako. The latter is an important symbol of Japanese culture. It is a set of tiered boxes that hold food to share with people during special occasions.
The new design by Andrea Ponti takes after the urban landscape of Kyoto. Notice the shape of the Fiume is based on the map of the city. The square grid shows the Kamogawa river, which is also an important landmark in Kyoto. It is a unique mark for the climate and seasons in Japan.
Each Fiume set features four stacked tiers, and each tier shows one of the four seasons in the country: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each season is demonstrated by how the lines are placed. The “lines” are for the divisions of the square-shaped food container that comes with rounded corners.
The Hyobodo Fiume is specially handcrafted from cypress wood. It is convenient to handle, which is just what we need when there are family gatherings. You can choose from either the black or red version in two sizes. The traditional colors are used but are accentuated by a bright blue line which refers to the Kamo river.
Hyobodo Fiume is all about food sharing and food organization. To host the perfect family gathering, you need to be prepared which means it goes beyond cooking. It includes planning, organizing, and even presentation. With Hyobodo Fiume, we hope more people will be inspired to plan for on-site or physical gatherings. It’s about time you and I open up to the world.
This Hyobodo Fiume isn’t the first kitchen or food-related design introduced by Andrea Ponti. We remember the Dune sand-inspired flatware and the Ommo series of tea brewing kits from years ago. This 2022, the Hyobodo Fiume enters the frame with a more chic yet convenient style that can remain a classic.
