If I can use a cliché, then this month’s edition of The Vegan View is jam-packed. Vegan jam, that is. You’ll find a number of stories from fungi that eats clothing waste, to new vegan cleaning products, to vegan daytrip ideas here in Victoria, new snacks and treats to try plus a couple of vegan recipes. Dive in and consume all the vegan goodness in this edition.
Pana packs frozen desserts into bigger tubs
The delicious Aussie chocolate and frozen dessert maker Pana has now released 950ml sized tubs. You can now get these bumper sizes of your favourite frozen dessert flavours, plus three new ones – Burnt Fig & Caramel, Peanut Maple, and Salted Mango & Macadamia.
If you prefer your Pana on a stick, then check out these brand new flavours including Coco Crunch, Hazelnut and Almond. Plus, each pack now contains four sticks. All Pana products are vegan and gluten-free with a Coeliac Australia endorsement.
Chase the waterfalls in the Gippsland region
Gippsland in Victoria is, sadly, known more for its dairy industry. But you can get away from the non-vegan slant to the area and head straight to nature.
Let’s make Gippsland more known for its natural beauty by taking in a roadtrip to local waterfalls. Plan your roadtrip around these eight stunning waterfall spots.
Also, don’t forget that Gippsland is famous for its Strzelecki Koalas. You can visit Mullungdung State Forest for possible sightings.
Fungi and Fast Fashion are a Flashy Match
I was saddened to read in Matters Journal that “Australians dispose of a whopping 23 kilograms of clothing per person annually”.
But there may be a solution to tackle this issue. Matters Journal has shared this story about an ex-designer’s story of feeding her clothing waste to fungi. “Certain species of fungi such as basidiomycete loved eating cotton, linen and also regenerated cellulose fabric waste such as rayon.”
Another cleaner breaks through and it’s vegan!
Cleanery is now available in supermarkets in Australia. According to a report from The Vegan Society, “40% of respondents want more vegan household product options.” So, Cleanery has launched to meet this demand. The range of bathroom and multi-purpose cleaners is sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free.
Veggies do taste great. Just ask Hetty Lui McKinnon
Hetty Lui McKinnon is a famous vegetarian chef who has released her latest book Tenderheart. While this is a vegetarian cookbook, there are many recipes that could be veganised. There are recipes that are heroes of their own, and not necessarily veggie versions of meat-based dishes. You can read her story at the Good Food website.
SBS Food celebrates aquafaba
Vegans are well-aware of the power of aquafaba. Now, SBS Food is celebrating its power, too. You can use it to make meringues and mayonnaise to name a few. Learn more ways to use it here. Just make sure you keep your aquafaba rather than getting rid of it.
Rutherford and Meyer from New Zealand brings vegan snacks to Australia
Rutherford and Meyer are famous in New Zealand for their vegan-friendly and gluten-free snacks. Now, they’ve arrived in Australia. They go perfectly with hummus and other vegan dips, or on a vegan cheese platter or just on their own for a quick snack on the run. They come in three flavours – Beetroot, Chickpea and Garden Veg. You can find them at Woolworths.
Vegemite and dim sims were invented in Melbourne!
My love of Melbourne runs deep so I enjoyed reading this article about nine things that were invented here. According to Time Out, Vegemite was invented here. Yes, Vegemite is vegan and you can even get a gluten-free version.
Another thing that was invented in Melbourne was the humble dim sim. Dim sims are a bigger, thicker-skinned version of a dumpling called siu ma. However, dim sims are not vegan. Though, you can get vegan dim sims at Woking Amazing when they’re at the Dimmy and Dumpling Festival at Welcome to Thornbury. You can also get vegan dim sims every other day at Lord of the Fries.
Melbourne just got cooler, too.
The Brag recently reported on the coolest neighbourhoods in the world. Australia has three of them. One of them is Fitzroy in Melbourne. Fitzroy is Melbourne’s vegan heartland so it’s no wonder it made the cut. It made due to its dining prowess among other things. If you’re in Melbourne, then Brunswick Street is the place in Fitzroy to go.
Take a plant-based foodie tour at Queen Victoria Market
The Plant-Based Food Fanatics Tour is a regular vegan event at Queen Vic Market, Melbourne’s most famous food market. The next one is being held on November 5. You can book here.
Need some vegan recipes for your month?
There is a bag of vegan and veganisable recipes out there in the internet world, many which are popping up in the mainstream media.
One of my favourites from my travels to Egypt was Ful Mudammas (Egyptian fava beans) and now you can make it at home using this recipe from The Daily Good. Or, how about a cruciferous Veggie Mac & Cheese from NutritionFacts.org?
