Fungus Born of Yellowstone Hot Spring Makes Menu at Le Bernardin
The healthy, fast-growing meat alternative from startup Nature’s Fynd is facing its first major taste test—from Michelin-caliber diners.
Chamomile ice cream made with Fy cream cheese, on the tasting menu at Le Bernardin.
Photographer: Clay Williams for Bloomberg Businessweek
It isn’t often that a niche food item will simultaneously appear on a SpaceX mission and at one of the world’s best restaurants. But that’s Fy for you. The word is an acronym for “Fusarium of Yellowstone.” It’s created from a microscopic fungus that NASA-backed scientists discovered at a Yellowstone National Park volcanic hot spring while taking samples in 2009.
Fy, the product grown from the microbe, is nutritionally dense with all nine essential amino acids and protein plus fiber. A company called Nature’s Fynd has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to produce Fy commercially, promoting it as the future of sustainable food.