“Discovering the sound of somebody eating was a fetish for me,” says photographer Enzo Tonati. “All of the crispy sounds made while eating were very fascinating.” Tonati began watching mukbang videos two years ago. As someone who finds great pleasure in food, he was drawn to the feasts being consumed by creators like minimalist artist Muk Sna and the access it gave him to foods from everywhere in the world. “Eating is a fetish for me because I deeply adore it. It greatly influences my mood and I can feel elated after a superb lunch,” he says. “Mukbang allows me to experience eating without physically consuming food.”

Originating from South Korea, mukbangs involve people filming long videos of themselves feasting on large quantities of food. They’ve develop into hugely popular as a part of the ASMR universe of online content, with thousands and thousands of individuals tuning in for the sensory enjoyment of watching people slurp, chew and crunch their way through meals. It’s extremely satisfying and, for some, hypnotic and erotic.

“Mukbang is a trend that speaks to everyone because all of us should eat to live. It’s something our bodies require,” says Tonati on why the content has develop into such a giant phenomenon. “The influence of varied lockdowns can have affected our relationship with food as we needed to cook more and seek for recipes online. Today, with the societal pressures of beauty standards and body control, eating massive amounts of food could be seen as disruptive.”

Inspired by his obsession, Tonati created a shoot that reimagines the mukbang through a fashion lens. Teaming up with hairstylist Bastien Zorzetto, make-up artist Lauren Bos, nail artist Alex Feller and stylist Benoit Paquet, he desired to showcase the wealthy textures and colors of food while elevating and pushing the boundaries of the mukbang aesthetic. “This series is made for food lovers, for individuals who can’t resist a juicy snow crab or a sweet bubble tea. Red, purple, shiny or crunchy, nobody can resist a superb meal!” he says. Taking food as the place to begin, the style and sweetness looks took inspiration from the shiny, juicy, jelly culinary textures, in addition to the Y2K aesthetic of Britney Spears looks from the 2000s and natural textures like pearls and glitters.

When it got here to the food itself, Tonati desired to ignite people’s curiosity concerning the potential of food by creating their very own dishes for the shoot. Food designer Alice Malaret joined the team to assist construct the artistic and sensual universe across the mukbang trend. “We wanted to include elements of Korean food, reminiscent of ramen, noodles, boba and seaweed. Maintaining consistency between the food and the looks was crucial,” she says. “It was a challenge because we wanted to make use of radiant colors like deep blue and flashy green, which aren’t naturally occurring in food.”

Blue udon noodles, jelly noodles and dyed colored eggs and matching soups were created by the team, all of which were 100 per cent edible and vegetarian. “I incorporated jelly so much because its shiny and glassy texture matched the make-up and nail looks. I also played with slimy textures using coconut jelly and soaked chia seeds. Edible flowers were used for a ‘kawaii’ twist, and various kinds of seaweed were included to keep up the vegetal and natural vibe that is a component of my food identity.” 

While the shoot celebrates the multitude of pleasures related to food and eating, it was also a way for Tonati to explore the themes of desire, addiction and excess which loom so large in our culture. It’s a warning, in addition to a feast for the senses. Food, as something which provides pleasure, can develop into an addiction and so we eat even once we don’t have an appetite, he says. And mukbangs are content which we view on social media and our phones, which also create dependence.

“I feel the mixture of each can develop into a trap: continuously scrolling through unlimited food videos, which stimulates appetite, while getting stuck in deep scrolling at the identical time,” says Tonati. “Moreover, some mukbang artists deal with consuming massive amounts of food and interact in calorie competitions. This will impact the body, and in Korea, the federal government has decided to control mukbang as a part of their plan to handle obesity rates within the country.”