Food: Vegan Tips for Meat-lovers

Vegans get a hard time for doing something pretty awesome. Many of them chose to put the needs of animals and the Earth above their own – something we can all appreciate if not emulate. Now we’re not going to convince any carnivores to give up meat for good but with World Vegan Day coming up on November 1, there’s never been a better time for meat-lovers to be brave and try out some of London’s sensational vegan food.

Tofu

Tofu is a mixed bag for many; some love it, plenty loathe it. If you’re not a fan, it’s not your fault. You’ve probably had badly-done tofu or the wrong kind for your palate because there are plenty of types to choose from.

This China-via-Japan bean curd comes in different densities: from soft or “silken” tofu that’s perfect for recreating scrambled eggs and substituting dairy, to extra-firm tofu that can be cooked like halloumi or meat.

There’s fried golden tofu that’s popular in Japan (and arguably mujh tastier than the familiar white stuff), pickled tofu that’s like a rich ripe cheese, dried tofu and even frozen tofu. Then you have flavours; sesame tofu, peanut tofu, egg tofu and almond tofu. In short, if you don’t think you like it, you ain’t tried nothing yet.

Tofu is high in protein and phenomenal at absorbing whatever flavours it’s cooked in.

Head to Mildred’s in Soho for the hearty smoked tofu, fennel, apple and white bean sausages with cider jus (top) or Marylebone’s The Gate for the marinated tofu tikka starter and Malaysian tofu curry with sweet potato.

If you’re a fan of Chinese, Zen Buddha in Edgware has tofu takes on the usual faves like sweet and sour while Mien Tay has a whole menu of Vietnamese dishes that proves tofu is anything but bland.

Itadakizen in King’s Cross is London’s Japanese veggie and vegan restaurant: head there for the warming kitsune udon (above) with fried tofu or the tofu bibimpab set.

Seitan

Seitan is the Japanese word for what’s commonly known as “wheat meat”. Seitan has a mild savoury flavour but its texture is its strength: it’s a lot more meat-like than tofu, making it a popular substitute. Seitan is also packed full of protein but it doesn’t soak up as much flavour as tofu.

This means it creates great taste and texture combinations rather than a single flavour. Seitan is also totally versatile – soft seitan is great for forming burgers or slicing like meatloaf while firm versions are for skewering or frying like a pork chop.

Good seitan should be like a steak; crisp and chewy on the outside but tender and moist on the inside. If it’s done badly it can be either rock-hard and dry, or mushy and flavourless. You can get your hands on superb seitan at the Black Cat cafe in Hackney.

The menu changes regularly so seitan isn’t always guaranteed but there’s always something else mouthwatering. Recent specials include herb-braised seitan in a rich sauce with silky polenta (left) and seitan sandwiches.

 Cafe Van Gogh in Brixton’s sticky seitan ribs on colcannon will have you drooling but don’t dawdle – Van Gogh also updates its menu often so these ribs might not stick around for long. London’s seitan crown, however, goes to the Temple of Seitan, London’s first vegan fried chicken joint. Chicken is replaced with crispy, deep-fried delicious seitan – enjoy as a burger, hot wings (above) or in a wrap.

Jackfruit

You might not know it but jackfruit is what you’ve been waiting for. The lesser-known star of the vegan world, unripe jackfruit is remarkably similar to pulled pork – if only we’d known that getting our five a day could be so damned delicious.

From the outside this Asian fruit certainly doesn’t look tempting or even edible; it’s a hulking great green mass that can grow to almost a metre and is covered in spikes. You’d protect yourself if you tasted this good too.

Jackfruit is slowly making its way west with a few places starting to realise its potential. Cafe Van Gogh’s does an incredible jackfruit rendang, bringing one of the world’s best dishes to the vegan stage.

Sweet, spicy and relentlessly good. The Burma King pop-up brings pulled jackfruit buns to Broadway Market every Saturday, infusing the fruit with spices and serving it up with pickled mango, sweet potato shoestring fries and a secret sauce.

Last and certainly not least, Biff’s Jack Shack pop-up travels around London bringing vegan junk food to the masses. Biff’s shows what jackfruit can really do, in chicken style wings (top) or towering burgers (above).

by Jo Davey

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