Asahi opens online store to sell their edible cups, aims to reduce plastic waste

The brand will launch a brand new nutty flavor to round out the line.

Last year, Asahi Breweries and Marushige Confectionery combined their forces: namely, Asahi Breweries’ knowledge of the drinks industry and Marushige Confectionery’s ability to turn plates and other eating implements into edible alternatives. The fruits of their labor were tested in limited restaurant and work settings, and now it’s time for their brainchild—the edible cup—to hit the market.

March 10 heralded the opening of the Mogu Cup Shop. Mogu is the Japanese onomatopoeia for munching, which is apparently what you’re expected to do to the cup after you drain the last sip from it. The cups are made from locally-sourced potato starches and baked at high heat under severe pressure and can be purchased in a range of sizes and flavors.

▼ The menu presented at the online store.

Sizes are ranked by who is likely to use them in a hypothetical set of siblings; the smallest, the S size, is nicknamed the “eldest daughter”, with the M size represented by the second son and the eldest son standing in for the L size. The cups are divided again into salty or sweet flavors. Savory fans can choose between plain or shrimp cracker flavors, while those with a sweet tooth can pick between chocolate or nuts flavors.

▼ Left to right: plain, shrimp cracker, chocolate, and nuts.

The cups are sold in packs of ten: 1,150 yen (US$10.60) for S size, 1,200 yen for M size, and 1,400 yen for L size. As mentioned earlier, the products were initially tested in restaurants but customers expressed a desire to use the edible cups at home, use them as a way to reduce plastic waste, or even present them to friends and family as gifts.

Customer feedback is similarly what determined the cup’s fourth flavor. The nuts flavor, made from blending hazelnut powder with the potato starch, is a response to those who requested a nuttier flavor to pair better with their drinks. The website also recommends using the cups to serve broths, curries, and desserts too!

While the price and the small number of cups in a box may be daunting, it’s undoubtedly a more ecologically friendly way to sip your beverage at a party or barbecue when compared with the usual batch of plastic cups. If enough people make the switch, who knows? It could become customary to finish off your tipple with the container it was served inside!

Related: Mog Cup Shop
Source: PR Times via Entabe
Images: PR Times
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