Plant-Based Seafood Innovation: My Visit to AQUA Cultured Foods

Recently, I had the exciting opportunity to visit AQUA Cultured Foods, a Chicago-based company making waves in the innovative protein space. AQUA specializes in creating plant-based seafood using a fascinating fermentation process. It aims to offer sustainable and delicious versions of popular seafood that reduce pressure on our oceans while providing the same culinary experience people expect from captured or farmed fish. 

I was excited to see how AQUA is reimagining seafood and transforming our food system towards sustainability. After touring its facility and sampling its plant-based tuna, I came away with a renewed sense of how innovative solutions like AQUA could shape the future of food. 

Behind the Scenes of Making the Fish  

While touring the facility, I learned about the unique process of how AQUA creates its fish-free products. The production starts with a carefully crafted nutrient-rich broth that is combined with a specific mix of microbes to kick off fermentation. This controlled environment allows the team to grow fibers that form the structure of its seafood products. 

The fibers are then shaped into filets in a sterile environment and seasoned to create the flavors and textures people associate with fish. The result is a product that mimics the flaky texture of seafood while remaining entirely plant-based! This ground-breaking process is a clear reminder of how science and creativity can come together to tackle big challenges. 

The Taste Teste 

Of course, the real question is: how does it taste? AQUA’s plant-based tuna had a texture and fresh taste that felt remarkably close to how I remember the real thing. I sampled a tuna crudo, pictured below, that if I was served at a restaurant, I would thoroughly enjoy.

It’s easy to imagine AQUA’s tuna working in a variety of dishes, from poke bowls to sushi rolls. In fact, it recently partnered with a local Chicago restaurant that swapped out its traditional tuna crudo for AQUA’s version. This shift signals a new horizon where innovative and delicious plant-based products are the default, not the “alternative.”

A Solution That Matters 

Industrial fishing causes immense suffering, with trillions of fish killed each year in painful and often prolonged ways—suffocating, crushed in nets, or gutted alive. Beyond the staggering number of fish killed, countless other marine animals, like turtles and dolphins, are caught as bycatch, further disrupting ecosystems and threatening biodiversity. 

Shifting to plant-based seafood offers a way to reduce this harm. By moving away from fishing practices that exploit and devastate marine life, we can spare animals from suffering while protecting ocean ecosystems. These culinary creations allow us to enjoy familiar foods without contributing to a system that treats sentient beings as expendable resources. It’s a step toward a food system rooted in compassion, not cruelty. 

AQUA’s work is part of a larger movement to expand the world of proteins and address the damage of modern diets. While plant-based burgers and sausages have become mainstream, the seafood category is still in its early stages. Companies like AQUA are proving that innovation can go beyond imitation to create entirely new ways of producing food that is better for the planet, animals, and people.