Spice up your veggies this World Vegetarian Day
JOBURG – World Vegetarian Day is marked today, 1 October, add more veggies to your supper meals tonight.
As people are becoming more conscious about what they eat and how it is made, a growing number of people going vegan and more restaurants are adding more vegetables to their dishes, it makes sense that foodies and chefs alike say that vegetarian food is not just a tossed up salad.
Mozambik founder and executive chef Brett Michielin said he has seen a growing number of conscious eaters, with his own menu providing more vegetarian-friendly dishes over the past few years, with just under 10 per cent of all the meals now vegetarian.
A study done by The Economist magazine in the United States found that 25 per cent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 35 identify themselves as vegan and vegetarian. This year was declared by both Forbes magazine and The Economist as the year of veganism, and 1 October is World Vegetarian Day.
Michielin said vegetarian food is not a fringe movement as it was about 10 years ago, “There has been a real upward trajectory in requests for vegetarian meals. But vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes do not have to be boring. In fact, quite the opposite as it fuels creative thinking in the kitchen.”
Jack fruit, known as ‘vegan meat’ by some, has great health benefits, such as wrinkle reduction, benefits eyesight, is conducive to healthy hair and aids digestion and muscle build amongst others. Michielin added, “It is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C with a host of other essential minerals. Most of all, it tastes really, really good.”
Some might say the vegetarianism and veganism movement is a trend for now, but Michielin disagreed, ” Chef’s Pencil South Africa ranks amongst the top 25 nations in the world that have embraced the movement. It is beyond being a trend.”
He concluded that jack fruit dishes make a steak and chips look rather dull.
Related articles:
https://sandtonchronicle.co.za/203287/take-care-of-animals-and-switch-to-vegetables-2/
https://sandtonchronicle.co.za/219528/veganism-list-food-trend-items-rise-south-africa/
