Author: Syril Arachi
Veganism and the vegetarianism are no longer eating trends — they have become mainstream food choices around the world. Gone are the days when the search for plant-based foods required much research and a trek across another part of the city. Consumer trends have clearly indicated that vegetarian and vegan (hereafter referred as just vegetarian) options are here to stay — something witnessed in the growing diversity across restaurant menus and supermarkets shelves.
The reduced ecological footprint, the ethical dimension of consuming more mindfully and the increased search to live a healthier life have turned the most faithful meat-eaters into occasional “part-time” vegetarians. A plethora of websites list many good reasons to take the plunge and try more sustainable consumption patterns that are animal-, environment- and human friendly.
In summary, the pro-vegetarian arguments can be broadly reflected through the HEARTT concept:
- Health regeneration
- Environmental sustainability
- Animal protection
- Religious and cultural customs
- Trusted consumption
- Taste
In this post however, I take the liberty to deviate a little from the more well established and commented mainstream observations and instead focus on the concept of food variety.
Variety, variety and more …variety
There are five basic taste senses: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Packaged foods commonly are only adapted to serve us sweet or salty non-natural preparations. Why deprive yourself of the other tastes? Across Asia and East Africa, vegetarian cooking and consumption is the norm. I am always amazed by the sheer range of dishes that can be prepared in fun and diverse ways. The famous cooked lentil range, for example, is often prepared as both savoury (sometimes bitter) and sweet alternatives and act as both a main meal as well as a dessert. The concept of incorporating greater food variety (or a rainbow-coloured plate) in essence offers a luxurious treat for our five basic taste senses.
There are an estimated 1,000 vegetable species cultivated globally, mostly categorised into salad, fruiting, squash, shooting, leafy, seed , bulb and root vegetables. If we had access to all categories of vegetables it would imply, we could eat 2–3 new vegetables every day for every single day of the year. Similarly, there are an estimated 2,000 fruits in the world, yet most developed countries are only aware of around 10% of this food category — a huge missed opportunity for the consumer and the palate.
