Lotao's philosophy

Lotao: Philosophy of an everyday non-everyday thing.

From Rice to the Book of Lotao

Turning away and turning towards – the new consciousness

The beginning of the third millennium brings with it the abandonment of unreflective excess. More and more people in the Western world are tired of industrial products that stand for arbitrary taste at the lowest prices. Food scandals, revelations relating to factory farming and production conditions all contribute to this. The longing for the intact product, the curiosity about the original and the desire to experience stimulation of the mind and body through the enjoyment of a food are phenomena of an ever-growing movement. Approaching other cultures is expressed in taste preferences. What was previously just a matter of eating is now part of an individual's sign language. It symbolizes his position towards the world's cultures and their values.

Lotao represents this attitude: Lotao's rice specialties are not just food but a cultural link. Lotao wants to promote fair production conditions and convey well-being and a consciously moderate attitude to life through the exquisite selection of products and their stories.

Lotao rice lives in cultural context
Each variety of Lotao rice is encompassed by a cultural bracket that addresses an archetype of humanity. This cultural and philosophical background is based on the original origin of the respective rice specialty. Each variety tells its own story about its meaning and its special properties. The rice specialties are each accompanied by a sponsor who symbolizes these characteristics.

The Oriental Smoked variety stands for the wise man who gains clarity and knowledge from the ritual of smoking and makes his judgment. Through traditional rituals he acquires higher knowledge, which he uses for the benefit of his fellow human beings.

Sparkling Volcano Terra is the rice of the warrior and the elemental forces. It owes its existence to Indonesian volcanic soils. His godfather, the warrior, symbolizes strength, strategy and toughness. He has to assert himself against forces of nature and appears to fight for what is good and what is true.

Rising Sun Orange is the rich man's rice. There are different understandings of wealth. Here wealth is discussed as an immaterial state of happiness, which we encounter as optimism and joy of life. We experience this state in the moment of silence or in those moments when we can enjoy the first rays of the rising sun. Anyone who lives their life with a positive attitude experiences abundance in many ways - far beyond material prosperity.

A Chinese ruler is the godmother of Royal Pearl Black , a type of rice that was only enjoyed by rulers of dynasties. Royal Pearl Black – according to the opinion of the time – gives insight and brings the solution to avert a threatening situation. Because it was believed that black rice gave a person power, it was withheld from the people.

It borders on magic, symbolized by the magical box, when plain black and white rice changes its color to a majestic violet when cooked. Because of the powers said to be possessed by the Wizard of Laos , rice represents transformation and magic. This is also symbolized by the motif of the phoenix, the mystical bird that burns and rises again from its ashes.

The theme of Spirit of Bamboo Green can be traced back to the Asian myth “the three friends”: Bamboo, plum and pine form a trinity of plants, which include Lao Tzu (born under a plum tree), Buddha (died in a bamboo grove), and Confucius (buried under pine trees). The origin of bamboo itself is the source of various myths. A Japanese creation myth tells that the first bamboo grove grew where Izanagi - one of the creation gods - threw his fine-toothed comb onto the earth. The “Adame” of the bamboo were then resurrected at the impact site. Harmony with nature and the five elements The big questions of life and the questions about origins are symbolized in the sponsors of the Lotao rice varieties. In this context, the rice specialties meet the 5 elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water from Chinese nutrition. The elements represent the cycle of nature and must be in the right balance with each other. Lotao was inspired by this and assigned the “Rice Secrets” to these elements based on their characters and colors: Each element represents feelings and moods that can be found in the rice specialties.

The Book of Lotao
Stefan Fak, founder and managing director of Lotao, looked into the archetypes that manifest themselves in the rice pates in his search for exceptional rice varieties. “During my travels through Asia, I gained a deep insight into the culture of the local people. I realized that every culture finds its own expression for the issues that concern humanity." Since ancient times, these topics have been written down in books to pass on and preserve knowledge. What does power mean? What is starch? What does wisdom mean? What forms can these primal themes have? Lotao investigates these questions - the answers are condensed into a (for now) virtual book, a book that begins to emerge with Lotao.

About Lotao ( www.lotao.com )
The Austrian Stefan Fak (38) founded Lotao GmbH in Berlin in 2010. Lotao brings exquisite Asian rice varieties to the German-speaking market and wants to convey its own attitude to life through the stories associated with it.
Lotao's high-quality products are in the delicatessen segment and are primarily aimed at discerning connoisseurs who care about the quality and origin of food. Lotao products are available via the online shop (www.lotao.com) and selected delicatessen retailers (including Käfer in Munich, KaDeWe and Galeries Lafayette in Berlin, Oschätzen in Hamburg).
By refining them with perfectors and elixirs, Lotao's rice specialties spark new culinary experiences. Perfectioners develop in the rice when added shortly before serving. The loose structure of the rice is retained and is refined by the bouquet of the spicy mixtures. Elixirs are rice oil-based compositions that give the finished rice a smooth consistency and a stimulating shine. They are enriched with selected notes and give the rice a fragrant fullness.

If you would like an interview or would like further information and images, please contact the press office. You can find more information about the products and the company philosophy at www.lotao.com.

Press contact: Contact person:
Press office Lotao Lotao GmbH
c/o Katja Weinhold Stefan Fak
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 397 944 06 Anna-Louisa-Straße 9
10178 Berlin
Email: presse@lotao.com Email: stefan.fak@lotao.com
www.lotao.com www.lotao.com