Adventures for the veg-curious
After being inundated with reels of Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli promoting The Green Market on my feed, I did check out the plant-based market at G Studios beside Landers Alabang, which ran from March 23 to March 24.
The celebrity couple had a stall called Plant Forward, which sold plant-based versions of some items on their Da Gianni Cucina Italiana Manila restaurant menu, like mozzarella sticks, tofu and mushroom rigatoni, eggplant parmigiana and pizza. They use In a Nutshell, a local vegan cheese brand. According to their staff, the couple is not vegan, but they are exploring the lifestyle with these offerings.
Their booth had samples of focaccia with spinach dip reminiscent of that flavor I missed during my prevegan days so I bought a container (P325). The carbonara (P350) was made with cashew cream. It could have used more black salt for an eggier flavor and nutritional yeast for a cheesier taste. The tiramisu was pretty good but pricey at P350/cup.
There were other sustainable and interesting products from vendors who banded together to advocate for a kind lifestyle for the animals, our health and the environment.
New to me was Uncle Bob’s wild-crafted sea moss wellness potions, available in ready-to-drink bottles (P180) or jars of spoonable concentrate (P728). This vegan source of collagen also claims to boost immunity, balance hormones, maintain a healthy colon, tummy and thyroid, enhance muscle rejuvenation and clear mucus to facilitate breathing. The mango sugarcane and calamansi variants were delicious and tasted like regular juice.
The cold-pressed pineapple, spinach, apple and lime juice blend from The Good Good Juice Co. was refreshing. They keep well refrigerated for up to four days but can be frozen longer. Plant-based specialty coffee was also available courtesy of Odd Café.
Plant-based viands
Laguna-based Grace Forest Farm offered irresistibly fresh produce such as romaine, iceberg and green ice lettuce, Carolina Reaper, Aji Charapita, habanero and labuyo peppers, calamansi and ube. I bought bagfuls of gorgeous lettuce for only P50/bunch.
Other finds were banana crunch and naughty brittle snacks from Greg’s PH, sourdough, baguettes and pretzels from Brioche Bakery, kombucha from Blessed Gut and vinegar and preserves from Corrsy’s Kitchen. There was Vietnamese banh mi made of tofu, portobello and shiitake. There were nonfood items, too, like plastic-free personal care essentials from The Eco Shift and Zero Basics.
La Verde Selections is another store from Laguna that resells ready-to-eat plant-based viands from Makati-based Greenery Kitchen like sisig, adobo and beanuguan. They also have vegan kimchi and ready-to-cook items such as tonkatsu, cordon bleu and samgyup meat in kalbi or gochujang.It was comforting to see familiar brands, too, like Berde Eats, which featured Vegan Bytes pizza, Vegains protein powder and grocery staples like Oatside milk and Vegetari snacks. One could take home Alt Scoops dairy-free gelato at 10-percent off or enjoy a scoop for P120. I love all of the oat milk-based brand’s flavors, especially their Alt Pops covered in Auro chocolate!
Aigoo Café showcased its best-selling drinks, donuts and pastries and introduced its new no-sugar-added vegan mousse cake in a can (P439).
Convenience food
Most of the vegan sweets from Mindful Indulgence were sold out by the time I arrived. Best known for their faux Twix, they also offered matcha and truffle salt peanut butter cups for visitors to try. Wholemart may not be a purely plant-based online grocer, but it is a reliable one-stop destination with a dedicated vegan section. Their booth sold goods from Beyond Meat, Nature’s Charm and Prime Pacific at 10 percent off. I wait for their sales when Beyond burgers and OmniPork are deeply discounted, and stock up on tasty Daiya cheese shreds or New York Cheezecake and Nature’s Charm condensed milk and whipping cream made from oat milk or coconut cream. They offer free delivery for a minimum purchase.
The Green Market also had talks to educate the veg-curious. Founder and editor of Mesa ni Misis Juana Manahan-Yupangco shared how to properly wash vegetables among other helpful hacks during her session on plant-based eating made easy.
Nikki Sevilla, cofounder of AKO Packaging, EcoNest Philippines and the Philippine Alliance for Sustainable Solutions, discussed the circular economy pathways for biotechnology and organic waste management in the Philippines.
Chef Veda Resurreccion of PlantBased&More (PB&M) demonstrated two ways to make vegan bibimbap, bulgogi and samgyupsal, while PB&M marketing and content officer Bianca Eustaquio gave tips on how to make the switch to a plant-based lifestyle. PB&M manufactures and distributes vegan convenience food. I have tried the flavorful recipes they’ve posted on YouTube using Greenery Kitchen products with much success.
The Green Market was a more intimate incarnation of the annual Vegfest Pilipinas, a welcome haven for incubator concepts of southern Metro Manila merchants. Here’s hoping it can be a more regular weekend affair to help normalize vegan living. —Contributed INQ
