8 of 107 Attribution: Facebook

March 13th, 2020:

While people around the world react in fear and panic to the ongoing spread of the novo coronavirus (COVID19) amid mixed messages about how to deal with it, it seems a few people at least are seeing the funny side. It's the 'you've got to laugh… or you cry' attitude that I love.

We're already seeing irreverent ads popping up for Corona beer in New Zealand (click through the slides for that one) and even controversial calls for KFC's famous 'finger licking' slogan to be pulled over concerns it goes against all current hygiene advice, but my favourite creative outlet is the 'corona cake' phenomenon. It seems cake bakers everywhere—both domestic and professional—are turning the magnified view of the virus into cakes. Birthday cakes, cake pops, chocolates… you name it. If it's round, edible and can have a halo of red nodules added to it (to look like the virus through a microscope lens), then et voila! it becomes an edible virus treat. Virus cake. There's even an Instagram hashtag #coronaviruscake with a few images, which I can only assume will gather momentum in the near future as we all panic buy flour to make said cakes while we're in lockdown.

My favourite case in point so far is the French chef, Jean-François Pré (above) who is making corona virus Easter egg chocolates in his shop in Landivisiau, western France. The treat is made of white chocolate that is coloured back and covered in a halo of red coloured almonds, according to reports, and the pâtissier was simply trying to find humour in these dark times.

Click through to the next slide for another example from a Gelato shop in Italy.

But that's not the only coronavirus influenced food doing the rounds. In Vietnam it was reported that a bakery cashed in on all the red and pink fleshed pitaya (dragon fruit) that could not be sold because of virus fears. The fruit has a startling pink hue and they turned it into bread, buns and even filling for cakes to great results. The treats went viral (pun intended) and we salute them for their ingenuity.

I might have a go myself on the weekend. Both with the pink food and the corona themed cakes, because there is always room for more cake.

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