Issue 103: Foodie August / September 2019 - Chefs Predict the Future of Food

ISSUE 103 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 | WWW.AFOODIEWORLD.COM

Chefs Predict the Future of Food

TOP CHEFS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE CONTEMPLATE A BIG QUESTION Going Green

The Think Tank

Companies making changes for the greener good

Hong Kong’s first cellcultured fish

INTRODUCTION

CHANGING THE WAY WE EAT, AND THINK, ABOUT FOOD When thinking about the future of food CEO

and how the way we eat is changing, there

Lily Ng

are plenty of wise ones to tap for answers.

CTO

Industry leaders, tech innovators, venture

Derek Kean COO

capitalists, and we've found out some

Shirin Ong

amazing things, all of which we've shared

E D I TO R-I N-C H I E F

over the past issues of Foodie. This issue,

Alicia Walker

we decided to seek answers from those at

E D I TO R-AT-LA RG E

the top of their game, spending each and

Celia Hu

every day cooking from the heart. Some

D I G I TA L E D I TO R

chefs spend much time discovering what

Stephanie Pliakas DESIGNER

their customers love to eat, others cook

Miho Yawata

the food of their homeland, while still others innovate new flavours to

I T S P E C I A L I S T & D PO

keep us evolving. So what are chefs seeing from their perspectives that

Dale Foo

will become our food's future? What do they think we will be eating?

D I R E CTO R O F B U S I N E S S D E V E LO P M E N T

How do they think we will be sourcing? Will it be vastly different from

Jason Strickland EVENTS & CO M M U N I CAT I O N S A S S O C I AT E S Jeniffer Chiat, Angela Wong INTERN Georgia Cadoret CO N T R I B U TO R S

what we eat now? And is the future of food bleak or full of possibilities?

We talked to bunch of world-class chefs, and for such a huge question, the answers came easier than you'd imagine.

So, what do chefs think is the future of food? We'll tell you

this, we really like the direction they believe we're headed.

Cindy Lam, Laura Williams, Tom Burney

Alicia Walker, Editor-in-Chief alicia@afoodieworld.com

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Laura Williams

Cindy Lam

Chef Tom Burney

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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18

12

02

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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18

28

THE THINK TANK

GOING GREEN

MEATLESS MONTHLY

The founder of Avant Meats has

These companies are making great

Cindy Lam makes our vegetarian

created Hong Kong's first cell

changes to be greener, no matter

days super easy

cultured fish food tech company

the cost

30

12

24

CHEFS PREDICT THE FUTURE OF FOOD

LITTLE HONG KONG KITCHEN

Alicia Walker asks a big question

Laura Williams with this month’s

new protein source. We'll give you

to internationally renowned chefs

wholesome recipes to make

a hint, they're small, have many

to find out where they think our

at home

legs, and are abundant everywhere

eating habits are headed 03

GREEN KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS Chef Tom Burney introduces us to a

PROMOTION

All About the Oats The hot new trend in milk alternatives comes from the goodness of oats and continues the plant-based coffee lifestyle with a whole new flavour profile

Going plant-based is a trend that's

and the ASCA Australian Vitasoy

customers to request plant-based milks

gaining steam around the world,

Barista Championship in 2019 was

when ordering their favourite drinks at

and there is an especially loud call

also a good opportunity for Vitasoy

cafés in Hong Kong.

for it in the world of coffee. Coffee

to communicate with baristas. With a

Vitasoy Café for Baristas – Oat Milk

shops are increasing their choices of

mild and balanced flavour, low sugar

is getting popular in many cafés around

milk alternatives, which traditionally

content (only 0.9g per 100g) and less

Hong Kong. As a plant-based milk

comprised soya and almond milks,

in calories than whole milk, Café for

expert, Vitasoy provides a full range

to now include the widely popular

Baristas – Oat Milk froths with a silky

of Vitasoy Café for Baristas including

oat milk.

micro-foam and provides an even and

soya, almond and now oat milk to

natural taste that makes a wonderful

help cafés provide a tasty and healthy

complement to any cup of coffee.

lifestyle by incorporating more plant-

Oat milk is a favourite of baristas for the texture that froths just like regular milk. Vitasoy has launched

In April 2019, Vitasoy was proud

their Vitasoy Café for Baristas – Oat

to be a part of HOFEX, Asia’s Leading

Milk made from 100% Australian oats

Food & Hospitality Tradeshow, where

proudly supporting Aussie farmers

they introduced Vitasoy Café for

from only the highest quality farms.

Baristas – Oat Milk to Hong Kong

Vitasoy Café for Baristas – Oat

baristas, receiving overwhelmingly

Milk is endorsed by the Australian

positive feedback. Later, this event

Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA),

was part of a campaign to encourage

based drinks or food into daily life.

Have you tried oat milk yet? You might just switch your coffee topper for good!

04

FO R STA RT E RS

f or starters T HE HOT T E ST NE WS B I T ES DELICIOUS PROTELICIOUS

THE FUTURE FOOD OF BBQS

Looking

for

a

The revolutionaries at

and

Hong Kong's greenest

gourmet whey protein

caterer, Invisible Kitchen,

option?

are

sustainable Hong

Kong-

challenging

the

based Protelicious has

traditional

launched their gourmet

a BBQ by replacing at

concept

of

protein line, sourced as a by-product of the cheese

least 25 percent of its responsibly-sourced meat menu with

manufacturing industry from the most reputable

plant-based alternatives that mimic their meaty-counterparts.

grass-fed dairy farms in the world. With four classic

Burger and sausage loving die-hards will still be able to delight

flavours to choose from, including Valrhona cocoa

in juicy, fleshy bites but without the impact on the earth from

and Sencha green tea, Protelicious boasts a creamy

Impossible with their latest 2.0 bleeding soy protein burger

texture improved greatly upon chalky industry

and Beyond with their pea protein sausages. Of course, there

standard whey. Browse their catalogue of recipes

will also be the meat for the barbie with home-made pork

for inspiration to keep your daily protein intake

sausages from Wickes Manor 'Red Tractor' certified farm in

interesting and tasty.

the UK and natural pasture-raised beef burgers from farms in

WWW.P ROT E L I C I O U S.CO M

Australia and Ireland. The future has begun, fire up the grill!

WWW.I N V I S I B L E K I TC H E N.CO M

SUSTAINABLE SUPERMARKETS Here’s a helpful study towards your daily grocery decision: WWF has released a sustainable seafood scorecard rating Hong Kong’s supermarkets on their actions around seafood procurement including: ‘avoid selling threatened species’, ‘no harmful chemicals’, and ‘proper labels with detailed information’. AEON made the most progress for the second year running, with YATA making the biggest jump from 5th to 2nd place, with 759 store having implemented seafood labelling on frozen seafood products with detailed information in order to ensure customers are purchasing seafood from reliable, safe and sustainable source. Kai Bo came bottom of the chart for another year. City'super, Dairyfarm and Vanguard all ranked in the middle with some staggeringly low scores on proper labelling and harmful chemicals. Our choices at the supermarket, and which supermarkets we choose, all have an impact on the industry and what they choose to supply. For the full study, head to WWW.WW F.O RG.H K 05

FOODIE CLUB

foodieclub Discover all the fun from our Foodie Club events.

Join us by signing up on www.afoodieworld.com. It's free!

foodie club events Our Foodie Club members have been kept busy the last

Riesling as well as other lesser known German varietals.

few months! We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to

Each pairing dish included another favourite German

host our beloved members in some truly fabulous venues,

ingredient - asparagus. With tickets priced at just HK$300,

filled with exciting entertainment, fine wines and, of

this was a deal many couldn’t refuse, and tickets sold out in

course, amazing food. Joining our Foodie Club is super

under 24 hours! Both tours included free entry to the wine

easy, completely free and means you’ll be the first to hear

months’ annual tasting exhibitions.

about the coolest new Foodie events as well as getting an

impressive discount for each and every event.

Iberico & Co in partnership with Marqués de Riscal winery.

Recently, we hosted two wine tours in

Master of Wine Andrew Caillard flew in from Australia

celebration of South African Wine Month and Riesling

to guide us through a hand-picked selection of whites

Weeks. Our South African Wine Safari was our first wine

and reds from Spain’s famed winery. What ensued was a

tour. We traveled all the way from Central to Wan Chai

festive night full of excellent free-flow wine and Spanish

and Causeway Bay to sample some of South Africa’s finest

tapas - including a jamon carving station! We even had a

wines and try out exciting pairings from a range of cuisines.

live flamenco performer. When you end the night off with

Our second wine tour was Foodie’s Riesling Ride, during

freshly baked churros dipped in chocolate, how could you

which we ventured from TST East to Admiralty and Wan

possibly go wrong?

Another spectacular event took place at Soho’s

Chai. Our guests were able to try both Germany’s popular

> Left: Chocolate dipped churros at Iberico & Co, Brasserie on the Eighth at Conrad Hotel 06

* DINE IN ONLY - OFFER NOT FOR SHARING - CONDITIONS APPLY

T H E T H I N K TA N K

THE THINK TANK DALE FOO meets the brains behind Hong Kong’s cell-cultured fish food tech

Carrie Chan is the co-founder of AVANT MEATS, a Hong Kong-based food tech that’s bringing the first cell-cultured “clean” fish maw to market. In case you’re newer to the terms (which are still heavily being debated around the world), cell-based meat are grown in a lab, outside the animal. They are not vegan, as they are produced by taking a small sample of animal cells and replicating them in a culture. “Cultured” is also often associated with fermented

areas of this technology being explored, which include GMO plant-based foods where yeasts are cultivated and combined with proteins. There is also exploration into plants (rather than yeast) for growing cultured meat. For instance, the veins in a spinach leaf are akin to blood vessels and serve the same purpose of supplying nutrients to the growing protein. > Left: Carrie Chan, co-founder of Avant Meats 08

P H OTO G R A P H Y: A N N A KA M I N O VA / U N S P LA S H

foods, which adds to the confusion as and there are many

T H E T H I N K TA N K

It’s a realm still very much finding its feet (or

for health. I learned more about the environmental impact

fins) and the current hurdle lies with the enormous cost to

of animal agriculture, and my spouse and I dedicated quite

produce clean meats. But it also isn’t futuristic technology,

a bit of our time outside the office doing volunteer work –

it’s here now. As soon as regulations and certifications are

out organising meet-ups, going to vegetarian restaurants

in place for this brand new class of food, whether or not the

and showing educational videos to passers-by.

terminology is agreed upon, we’ll all be getting some of our

I found that I don’t want to really push people to,

protein from a petri dish.

you know, turn to a plant-based diet, but the consumption

When we discovered a homegrown Hong Kong

of meat is growing so fast, especially in China. So I began

version of this staggering new technology applied to fish

to explore some entrepreneurial ideas and attended the

maw, the cherished Cantonese soup ingredient, we were

Berkeley conference organised by the Good Food Institute

eager to meet with its founder, Carrie Chan of Avant Meats

and met a lot of people who were in the early stages of

to find out all about it:

alternative proteins. Exciting start-ups like Memphis Meats were there, and the common theme was why do we not have something in China, where there will be the

First of all, what is fish maw?

most impact?

It was there that I met my scientific adviser, Dr Steven Kattman, and some potential investors. On my return I spent a lot of time touring China’s different lab facilities and meeting different people with a view to

Fish maw is the (usually) dried swim bladder of large fish

finding a CSO (Chief Science Officer).

like croaker and sturgeon.

It is prized as an ingredient in Cantonese soups for its high collagen content, as well as its rich proteins and nutrients such as phosphor and calcium. Fish maw is said to nourish one’s “yin” and is believed effective in improving lung and kidney health.

Fish maw is the source of isinglass – used mainly for the clarification or fining of some beer and wine (that’s right – most of our wines are not vegan). Isinglass is also considered a superior ingredient for the formulation of glue and has even been used since the 18th century as a dressing for wounds.

Due to the limited (and reducing) supply of suitable large fish, fish maw is expensive and counterfeit

And that’s when you met your co-founder, Dr. Mario Chin?

fish maw is common.

Yes, we decided to collaborate and began working on our

How did you come to be a co-founder of Hong Kong’s first

business idea, particularly for Asia. Food is very related to

cell-cultured meat start-up? I have been vegan for about

our culture, and what we eat is totally different from what

four years, primarily because of the environment and partly

people eat in the West. > Above: Fish maw 09

T H E T H I N K TA N K

Together, we talked a lot about the length of time

“The animal body is magical – it can grow all of this naturally – but in the lab it takes a lot of trial and error to get these things right.”

required for research and development before we could have a product, and we needed investors to understand and commit to that too.

Why did the two of you decide on fish maw? Before I understood the technicalities, I did not understand why

is now a threatened species that’s still sometimes traded

there were clean-meat companies that had already been

illegally. With the high price of fish maw, we are confident

doing R&D for three or four years. [I thought] why is it

we are able to compete with traditional sources.

taking so long?

Can you grow fish maw from the endangered bahaba cells?

In layman’s terms, a piece of steak is made up of

Yes, but we are unable to get the cells at this time. There

lots of different types of cells – muscle, connective tissue,

was a bahaba farm in the Dongguan area, but they were not

fat. There are many different types of cells at different

successful and we have been unable to track them down.

proportions, and they grow at different rates and require

We are working with cells from the croaker. The

different nutrients, temperatures, PH levels and scaffolding

swim bladder of this fish is very thick and contains a lot

to bring them all together. This is a matrix of variables, with

of collagen.

very complicated interactions.

Fish maw is made up of one cell type. So we don’t

What are the reasons to choose cell-cultured over

need to work with fat or muscle cells, and we only need to

traditional fish products? Fish maw is sold on a grade, like

work on growing the cells in the right environment for one

diamonds. The very expensive investment-grade fish maw

type of cell. This will reduce our R&D time.

is shown in the windows of shops but rarely sold. They

Then, as you may know, fish maw comes from

must be intact, a certain size, a certain species, a certain

large fish that are becoming fewer and more expensive.

dryness level. We don’t wish to target this level, but rather

Bahaba has become critically endangered, and totoaba

>Above: Dr Mario Chin, expert in medical genetics and genomics 10

T H E T H I N K TA N K

Talent is quickly snapped up. If we find good talent from overseas, we will have to make them an offer, but the market rate is often not enough to cover the costs of living here. So that’s a hurdle.

There are a lot of very interesting companies to watch in this space. Any one you are keeping a close eye on? JUST has a clean-meat chicken nugget ready, and we have a great interest in that process of regulation in the States. They’ve just completed a debate on who will regulate, and it will displace the ordinary consumption base. Our product will

be regulated at the federal level, which is good – it means

be the same as what is traditionally used in soups.

there won’t be different rules in each state.

My mother used to make this soup, and it takes

Imagine you are ready to launch but cannot

some time and care to rehydrate the dried fish maw. Our

because of regulation. It is a very expensive bottleneck

process ensures the product will not be contaminated, so

to maintain your operations, waiting for the regulations

there is no need to dry the fish maw, which is usually done

to catch up. So we will watch what everyone is doing in

to stop it from degrading. It can be sold in more convenient

the next 12 months or so; our timing is advantageous

packaging as an ingredient to use immediately.

right now.

Our process also ensures the fish maw is free

You mentioned you have been vegan for some time. Will

from the pollutants, antibiotics and microplastics that are

you eat your own fish maw? Yes, I will eat it because I know

common in seafood now.

that it is clean. There are no antibiotics or hormones. One of

Are you able to describe the process of growing fish

the health benefits of becoming vegan is a reduction in skin

maw in the lab? At first, the cells are almost invisible.

conditions. This is definitely sustainable, with no additives,

When they grow in number, they are loose and require a

so I will definitely eat it.

scaffold to hold them together. One of the methods we are researching is using a bioink made from algae to bioprint a scaffold for the cells to grow on, and our nutrient feed is vegetarian also. The cells will grow on the scaffold inside a sealed bioreactor.

What are your upcoming milestones? How about the main hurdles at the moment? We are looking to have a tasting product ready in three months. We are then able to apply for a HK Government grant subsidy to help to cover the R&D team costs.

We are also concurrently researching muscle cells and will look to evolve our products to sea cucumber

Avant Meats will be at our Food’s Future

and eventually fish fillet.

Summit on October 11th and 12th 2019.

Mario and I are both from Hong Kong, and we

Head to foods-future.com for tickets.

would love to hire someone from here, but it’s difficult.

>Above: fish maw soup 11

FUTURE OF FOODS

CHEFS PREDICT THE FUTURE OF FOOD Top chefs from around the globe contemplate the question: What is the future of food? B Y A L I C I A WA L K E R

It’s a big question and there is no easy answer.

what is the future of food, was almost ubiquitously “That’s

We put it to some of the world’s best chefs to

a BIG question.” But we were bolstered by the almost

see if their insights into the eating habits of their guests

unanimously easy responses that flowed from these chefs.

can give us an indication of what is happening, and will

Their passionate responses flew from their mouths as fast

happen, in the global food consciousness.

as plates on the pass as they answered a question they

clearly felt strongly and full of hope about the answer to.

The initial reaction from chefs to the question,

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF FOOD? The first-ever number one winner to come from France was Mirazur at this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards.

Chef Mauro Colagreco says, “That’s a huge question. I love the future.

[It will be] more local, more

organic. And I think the capacity to change, or method of production over the last 20 years already changed a lot.

Unfortunately, we lose the tradition, we lose the nature of how we cook our meals and feed our family. So I think the

Mauro

Colagreco

restaurants need to become like a great mother.”

Illustrious Taiwanese chef André Chiang of Sichuan Moon in Macau and The Bridge in Chengdu says, “In the future, food is probably the last thing that keeps the connections between people. Everything can be replaced by technology, even communications, so I think that

food in the future will be

André

the only thing that still remains as a

Chiang

craft of human beings."

12

FUTURE OF FOODS

James Sharman, chef of travelling restaurant One Star House Party who created a pop up restaurant on Mount Everest, among other exotic locations around the world, says, “I have felt the same way about this for a long time, I think the future of food, or restaurants in particular,

should be

individually-owned restaurants. And I think that more and more people get kind of well versed with how a restaurant that is run by somebody, who knows what's in the fridge, and knows the ins and outs of that restaurant, I just think those restaurants have a certain feel to them. And more and more people are able to walk in and just feel that straightaway, rather than like big chains or big groups of restaurants, even if they try and kind of hide from it. So I think individually-owned restaurants are the way forward.”

James

Sharman Fabrizio Fiorani, of Il Ristorante Luca Fantin in Tokyo, newly crowned Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, says, “The

future of food is

the taste. We need to focus on the taste, ingredients and philosophy. Some people think we can save the world with the food in our job, I say maybe yes, maybe no, but my

Fabrizio

goal is to give happiness. If I give 20 minutes

Fiorani

of happiness with my dessert, then I’m happy.”

Shinobu Namae of L'Effervescence in Tokyo, won the inaguaral Sustainable Restaurant Award last year at Asia’s 50 Best for his unfailing commitment to the environment and caring for natural resources when producing his renowned cuisine. Chef Namae says, “I think food is all about care. Care for somebody or care about nature and society and culture, and everything that connects us all into one pot and make it beautiful. Food is the act of someone caring for someone else. Now the world is getting more and more complicated, but through food I believe that many problems will be solved over nice food and sharing happiness and making peace.”

13

Shinobu

Namae

FUTURE OF FOODS

Shane

Osborn Asia’s Best Female Chef 2019 and the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star, Garima Arora of restaurant Gaa says,, “If I may say so myself,

I think India. For

me, I

think the focus is going to be on that part of

Garima

the world, and rightly so.”

Arora The winner of the Best Female Chef award of the dynamic Mexican restaurant Cosme in New York, Daniela Soto-Innes says, ”That's a very hard question, but

hopefully introducing more

vegetables to people's diet.

To be able

to have the balance that if you do eat meat and seafood, you only do about 30 percent of your diet.

And the future of food is also

Daniela

getting to know

Soto-Innes

the people behind the culture.”

14

FUTURE OF FOODS

Shane Osborn, our resident Hong Kong celebrity chef of Arcane and newly launched casual eatery Cornerstone, appeared on Final Table and gained more acclaim for his down-to-earth nature combined with expert technical skill, says “What it should be, is that

we all take responsibility for sustainability and ethical

sourcing. I mean, there's grave issues facing the planet and people in the spotlight in this industry need to set an example for where our food is going to come from. You know, there is good fish farming and there is bad fish farming.

Wild fish stocks are being depleted; we need to look at other options in the amount of beef that we're eating and other meat proteins that aren't as detrimental to the environment. Where are we going to get all this food from to feed the 9 billion people that are going to live on this planet in the next 20 years? I mean, it’s scary times. We all really need to stop not just talking about it but putting a plan of action into place. Some people don't see the value in eating vegan, if you put a plate of beautiful asparagus on at the same price as a plate of scallops, people are always going to think the asparagus should be cheaper, and the mindset is wrong. So I think we need to change that and show people there is value in beautifully-produced vegetables.”

Famed chef de cuisine, Luca Fantin of Il Ristorante in Tokyo says “We

need to respect nature. This is something

that needs to be a trend for the new generation. Not creating a molecular plate, or only a beautiful plate, but some sustainability of ingredient. At the moment, chefs have a big responsibility, much more than before. We need to respect all the ingredients on our menu. You can make outstanding dishes, but if you are not doing it ethically, we’ll destroy the world this way. The season is

Luca

our guide to create dishes. If I want to make an asparagus dish

Fantin Chef

Kim

Dae-cheon

but we are in August, I’ll keep this idea for Spring. This is very important. And, the wait is beautiful.”

of

innovative

Seoul

restaurant Toc Toc says, “For protein, instead of beef we can actually use Korean bug larvae. For example to make a bun, you can substitute the flour with a more natural tree root that contains a lot of starch.

Everything can be edible:

bees, bugs, larvae, and roots, everything can be used to make food.”

Kim

Dae-cheon 15

FUTURE OF FOODS

Chef-owner of Boragó, Latin America’s most sustainable restaurant winner, Rodolfo Guzmán says “The

future

of food is related to knowledge. I feel at the moment, we humans don’t have much knowledge, because it’s been changing. The world is badly changing the climate and we’re going to have to adapt, especially in terms of agriculture, especially in terms of fishing. Now we are going to have no choice but to rethink food. Probably ingredients that we never took out of the water for human consumption before, but can be very delicious. Within the near future, we’re going to have to do that. Countries are very different. We cannot set a statement for all the countries in the world because it’s very different from one country to another in terms of geography but also socially, and economically. Knowledge is the thing as humans we have to bring together to share with the rest of the world.”

Rodolfo

Guzmán Maverick celebrity chef Bobby Chinn is best known as the exuberant host of Discovery's World Cafe. Chef Chinn says, “Make

food be thy medicine

and medicine be thy food. Your diet is killing you. China went from being a very healthy nation, to being 50% pre-diabetic; they have a very scary health crisis coming up. You have seven of the leading

Bobby

causes of death are food-related. And I think that with

Chinn

technology, they're gonna figure this out and all of us will need something different.”

Three-Michelin starred chef Yannick Alleno of Pavillon Ledoyen has held his illustrious stars since 2007. Chef Alleno says, “I

think the

future of the food will be the next generation.

I think they have in mind now

Yannick

to take care about the planet more than us. They

Alleno

learn that in school and they really appreciate what they have. So, the future will be that.”

16

FUTURE OF FOODS

The French chef, behind the best restaurant in Asia this year, Singapore’s Odette, along with Hong Kong’s new restaurant Louise, names his restaurants after his mentoring grandmothers. Julien Royer, says “I think people want to come back to authenticity. I think people want to come back to something true and

real food cooked with the heart

and with a very genuine approach of hospitality.”

Julien

Royer Well-respected Austrialian chef Neil Perry owns many restaurants with his flagship being Sydney’s Rockpool.

Chef Perry says, ”I think it's a

balanced diet so

that we can get the planet to survive and sustain. So lots of vegetables, a little bit of meat, a little bit of fish and basic respect for the planet.

Neil

So I think we do that through food and the way we eat.”

Perry Lido 84 on Lake Garda won the One To Watch award at World’s 50 Best this year for their reimagining of classic roman dishes like their theatrical rigatoni pasta cooked inside a pig’s bladder. Chef Riccardo Camanini says, ”The most important parts of restaurants in the world is

a lot of personality and very, very passionate points of view around gastronomy. So imagine what we can do, there's the possibility to try to give our point of view because behind a true gastronomy, we can discover a culture.”

Riccardo

Camanini

The answer is clear: the future of food will be about traceability, sustainability, and eating appropriately for the environment we are in; the future of food will be about conscious, mindful choices and appreciating the culture behind them; the future of food will be about understanding everything we eat, and where it comes from. In this, we will discover a new way to eat and delight in every morsel.

17

GOING GREEN

GOING GREEN Companies making changes for the greener good

GOING GLASS When Genie Juicery arrived on the scene, their goal was

search too far to find a supplier. The change has been on

mainly health-oriented. Offering fresh juices made from

our radar for years and glass bottles were always our goal

wholesome ingredients. With branding of wood and grass,

— we just needed the right team in place at the right time

the ethos of the brand looked earthy and premium. Slowly

to make it happen. There are plenty of options out there for

their goals evolved and morphed to include a further

businesses willing to put in the time and effort.”

environmental aspect to their business that would be a

bit more costly, a bit more time-consuming, and a bit more

responsible choices with a deluge of misinformation

difficult in most ways, but also ultimately one that wouldn’t

in terms of “biodegradable packaging” with much of it

cost the earth. They’ve recently changed from disposable

able to be processed in Hong Kong. Melanie says, “It is

plastic bottles to all glass bottles, have paper bags for their

still a minefield, particularly regarding 'biodegradable'

snacks, and completely compostable packaging.

plastics. We know for sure that our packaging is made

Melanie Barnish, Founder of Genie Juicery says

up of the most sustainable and eco-friendly options

“It was logistically tricky and quite costly to buy the stock

in Hong Kong. More and more people are becoming

in the beginning, but moving over to recyclable packaging

aware

has undoubtedly been worth the effort. We didn't have to

psuedo-eco-friendly products.”

18

of

brands

green-washing

themselves

with

P H OTO G R A P H Y: G E N I E J U I C E RY

Difficulties abound when it comes to making

GOING GREEN

And does it cost more to make the switch?

use plastic cup. It’s only fitting that the originators of the

Should other companies do it? “Initially yes, but in the long

ubiquitous craze, Taiwan, will also be the ones to fix it, by

run, no as we are able to reuse the bottles and have about

changing the way we actually drink bubble tea.

an 80 percent return rate. Definitely do it and quickly. It

is so important. I wish we had been able to change our

2020, an aggressive stance that is powering innovation by

bottles sooner. Both our in-person and online customers

companies like Float. Traditionally, bubble tea pearls sit at

are extremely conscious and it has made a big difference.

the bottom of a plastic cup with ice on top and milk tea

We made the change to improve our environmental impact

poured over. Float has created a purpose-built cup made

and lower waste. Genie Juicery wants to lead by example

from recycled glass (in collaboration with Spring Pool

and encourage people to make conscious choices. Our

Glass) with a tapioca pearl holder (much like a tea filter)

bottles can now be fully reused and recycled, but they

and a small drinking hole that allows individual pearls to

also preserve the nutrients and flavour of the juice much

escape with each mouthful, much like the straw delivers.

better. There are only positive things to say about making

By re-thinking bubble tea drinking, the need for single-use

the change.”

plastic has been removed in one swift step, along with the

www.geniejuicery.com

billions of plastic cups and straws generated from bubble

Taiwan has mandated that all plastic be cut by

tea drinking each year.

CHANGING THE WAY WE DRINK BUBBLE TEA

”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan

states that as Taiwan’s largest glass recycler, Spring Pool Glass recycles about 100,000 metric tons of glass per

Hong Kongers adore bubble tea. However, this promotes a

year, accounting for 70% of all glass recycled in Taiwan.

woefully plastic-prolific drinking culture of a big-tunnelled

Taiwan’s glass recycling rate is the second highest in the

plastic straw poking through a plastic wrapped-top –to

world, behind only Sweden. It is a core value of Spring Pool

allow for smooth boba pearl passage– all in a big single-

Glass that “everything we do is for the next generation.

> From left: Genie Juicery, Float 19

GOING GREEN

The company launched the The W Glass Project two years

back in 2009, passionate about sourcing and distributing

ago to promote continual innovation with companies like

only sustainable seafood products to Hong Kong and

Float to enable a circular economy to thrive in society and

Macau. In an infamously opaque industry where 1 in 5 fish

make an impact. The Chairman of Spring Pool has over

samples worldwide are mislabeled, M&C Asia carefully

50 years experience in the industry, his son T.A. Wu, also

monitors its supply chain to ensure transparency right

works at Spring Pool and says, “Through cross-disciplinary

from the docks. Every fish, clam, oyster and langoustine

cooperation and creating market demand, we will enable

can be traced back to the shores of Brittany, and even the

these masters to find heirs to their craft, so that it can be

fisherman who caught it. The founders say, “To ensure the

passed down to the next generation.The circular economy

traceability of our products, we try not to use intermediaries

should produce value at the end of the chain if we are to

and we deal directly with the source. For fresh seafood this

close the circle.”

means that we have direct contact with the fisheries on

Giving bubble tea a new lease on life in the

the French coasts who receive fish directly from the boats

modern world through glass recycled from a previous life,

before they go to auction. This way for each product we

seems a pretty fitting start. The bubble tea cups are to be

buy from our suppliers, we know the name of the boat, as

unveiled to market in winter of 2019. We have high hopes

well as the catching method and area, and there are no

Hong Kong will be one of the first purchasing markets, so

unknown factors. If you deal with big seafood brokers, the

we can all continue to have our tea and drink it too.

product has been handled by multiple intermediaries and it can be very difficult to know where your seafood product actually comes from, if it's been tampered with, or if the

MODERN FISHMONGERY

product was caught in a sustainable manner. We are both

Less of a step in the right direction, and more of a

lovers of nature, we care about the environment and the

celebration of a decade in the business doing things

future of our planet, and we both believe we are ethically

responsibly, is M&C Asia. Morgan Cousin and César De

responsible to operate our business with as little impact

Sainte Maresville established the fishmonger business

on the environment as possible. As a player in the seafood

> From left: Genie Juicery, M&C Asia 20

GOING GREEN

industry, we want to be among those who are actively

consumers can ask the chef for the origin and catching

pushing for positive change, and we are constantly looking

method of the fish - line caught is the most sustainable

for ways to improve our business.”

method as it selectively targets fish species and does not

When asked if they have seen the tides turning

damage the seafloor. When shopping the easiest labels to

in the way sustainability is becoming a bigger part of

recognize are the MSC and ASC labels, developed by WWF.

their business, Morgan and César say, “There has definitely

For restaurants, we would suggest they only order seafood

been an increase in awareness of seafood sustainability

species that is in season, to allow out-of-season species

among our clients, especially our hotel clients. Most hotel

to ‘rest.’"

groups now have to respect quotas for certified sustainable

www.mnc-asia.com

products in their seafood purchases. We believe WWF put together a strong campaign to convince hotels to comply

SUSTAINABLE SOURCING

with sustainability standards. Not only is it beneficial

Another Hong Kong business that’s paving the way towards

for the hotel's reputation, but it makes the management

a greener future is South Stream Market. They only offer

aware of the impact over-fishing has on the world, and

products that can be traced all the way through the

encourages them to get personally involved in making a

supply chain. They work directly with farmers, fishermen,

positive change. Groups like Marriott, Hyatt, and Shangri-

producers and artisans so they know exactly where the

La have adopted these sustainability standards which has

salmon, chicken, vegetables, and dairy they offer to their

a real impact worldwide when you consider the scale of

customers comes from. Traceability is intrinsic to South

their seafood consumption globally. You can feel that

Stream Market and the ability to track any food through all

people now really understand that it is their responsibility

stages of production, processing and distribution, including

as consumers to make better choices.”

importation and retail so customers know exactly where

the food is from, how it’s produced, its impact on the

Their advice for making those better choices? “

It can be confusing as there are many different sustainable

environment, and the welfare of the animals.

labels, and some artisanal fish suppliers are in fact

sustainable, but are not certified by a label. At restaurants,

a family-run business that has perfected traditional

For meat, they choose to work with H.G.Walter,

> From left: Genie Juicery, M&C Asia 21

GOING GREEN

methods of meat preparation over years sourcing from

that help reduce the burden conventional meat and seafood

passionate British farmers, who use traditional, free-range

industries have put on the planet.

farming methods. They ensure they know exactly how the

animals are reared and the production through to delivery,

and will range from meat-free chicken to seafoodless options

Prime Roots' products will launch in early 2020,

ensuring quality, safety, and best welfare practises.

such as salmon and lobster. Kim Le says “ We've made great

They also offer an Artisan Section to showcase

progress in the last year and have made many different

the producers, farmers, butchers, and bakers from Europe

types of meat and seafood alternatives all using our koji

and Hong Kong. South Stream Market found Mayse Bakery

superprotein that we grow. Our protein is naturally well

in Tai Po, a father-daughter bakery selling sourdough using

textured and has double the content of the average meat

ancient Latvian recipes handmade and fermented for 35-40

product. We aim to be as close nutritionally as meat (without

hours. They work with Just Shot Coffee to source premium

the cholesterol and all the bad stuff). We don't need to use

green beans and roast directly in Hong Kong. Their organic

heavy processing like extrusion which is the status quo in

teas come from Wital’s Organic and Well Being teas, a

the plant-based meat industry. Our community primarily self

company supporting tea projects in different countries. All

identifies as flexitarians, which shows us that there is a lot of

their tea bags are 100% hand-stitched muslin cloth and

opportunity to create great experiences around plant-based

the box packaging are made from grass, all of which are

foods so that it is the default, not a choice.”

completely compostable.

www.southstreammarket.com

transparent and equitable for all. Protein is expensive, and

Kim says, “I hope that the future of food is more

we want to make it so that it is delicious and affordable.

GOING BACK TO THE ROOTS

Consumers are shifting their buying habits to be more plant-

We will soon be seeing products from a sustainable, non-

based and also want to support missions and companies that

GMO, meat alternative company in America that uses a

are helping the environment. People are voting more and

unique community-driven voting platform to guide which

more with their forks and I think it's an exciting time to see all

products first make it to market. Kim Le founded Prime

of the innovation happening in the food world.”

Roots determined to create protein-rich meat alternatives

www.primeroots.com

> From left: South Stream Market’s Wital’s teas, Prime Roots 22

LITTLE HK KITCHEN

24

LITTLE HK KITCHEN

LITTLE HONG KONG KITCHEN Recipe blogger and homecook extraordinaire LA U RA W I L L I A M S shares her recipes for wholesome dishes to get you inspired in the kitchen. www.mylittlehongkongkitchen.com

B A N A N A PA N C A K E S W I T H CA RA M E L I S E D B A N A N A S SERVES 6–8 — P REP T IME: 10 M I NS — CO O K TI ME: 15 M I NS F O R B A N A N A PA N CA K E S:

F O R T H E CA RA M E L I S E D B A N A N A S:

140g self raising flour

2 bananas

40g caster sugar

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

splash of double cream

1 egg 150ml milk

TO S E RV E:

30g melted butter

Vanilla whipped cream

1 banana Pinch of salt 1. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl and mix.

In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, milk and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until you get a thick batter. Mash the banana and add this into the pancake batter.

2. To make the pancakes, place a frying pan over a medium to low heat and add a knob of butter. Use a little kitchen paper to wipe the butter around the pan to coat it. Add two to three tablespoons of the pancake mix to the pan and spread into a round pancake. Allow the pancake to cook for a minute or two until you start to see bubbles on the surface of the pancake. Flip over and cook for another minute or two until springy and cooked through. Repeat this process until the pancake mix is finished.

3. To make the caramelised bananas, add the sugar into an empty frying pan and place over a medium heat. Allow to melt, swirling the pan to spread the sugar (do not use a spoon). Once the sugar has turned into a caramel, add in a splash of cream and swirl again to combine. Peel and slice the bananas into large chunks and add them into the caramel for a few minutes to warm and coat them.

4. Serve the pancakes stacked up, topped with some vanilla cream and the caramelised bananas.

25

LITTLE HK KITCHEN

26

LITTLE HK KITCHEN

C R A N B E R RY A N D A L M O N D G R A N O LA W I T H B E R RY C O M P O T E SERVES 10–12 — P REP T IM E: 5 M I NS — CO O K TI ME: 40 M I NS F O R G RA N O LA:

F O R CO M POT E:

400g rolled oats

500g frozen berries (raspberries/

100g coconut oil

stawberries / blackberries etc)

150g honey

Juice and zest 1 orange

100g dried cranberries

3 tbsp water

150g almonds

1 tbsp caster sugar

150g pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp vanilla extract

TO SERVE:

Greek yoghurt Fresh berries

1. To make the granola, place the coconut oil, honey and vanilla into a saucepan and gently warm to melt the oil and combine the ingredients.

Once completely melted, remove from the heat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in the oats and pumpkin seeds. Roughly chop the almonds, add these into the oats and combine. Now pour in the melted coconut oil mixture and stir well to combine. Ensure the oats are completely covered in the liquid.

3. Empty the oat mix onto a large baking tray and spread out evenly. Place the oats into a preheated oven at 190°C for 30-40 minutes. Check the oats every ten minutes to stir the oats and prevent the outside of the granola burning. Once the granola is golden and crunchy, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

4. To make the compote, place the berries, orange zest, juice, water and sugar into a saucepan and gently heat over a medium heat. Allow the berries to soften, break down and thicken slightly. This should take around ten minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

5. To serve, place a few spoonfuls of the granola into a bowl with some thick Greek yoghurt and top with a spoonful or two of compote and a few fresh berries.

27

MEATLESS MONTHLY

28

MEATLESS MONTHLY

MEATLESS MONTHLY C I N DY LA M of O L I V E O LY K I TC H E N cooks delicious vegetarian recipes that support local farms. www.oliveolykitchen.com

A S I A N V E R M I C E L L I S A LA D This summer’s go-to salad has got it all - healthy, refreshing, sweet, savory, vibrant, and crunchy.

SERVES: 2 — P REP T IME: 15 MINS — COO K TI ME: L ES S T H A N 5 M I NS F O R T H E S A LA D:

100g vermicelli noodles

2–3 radish, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, use peeler to slice lengthwise into

1 sprig fresh mint, chopped

long ribbons

1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped

/3 cup rice vinegar

1 handful toasted peanuts, finely chopped

1 tbsp brown sugar

1–2 tbsp toasted bread crumbs

1

1 cup shredded red cabbage

½ lime wedges

1 carrot, shredded

1 tbsp umeboshi vinegar

½ white onion, thinly sliced

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups baby spinach F O R S P I CY P E A N U T D R E S S I N G:

3 tbsp peanut butter

1–2 tsp honey

/3 cup water

1 tsp hot chili oil

1 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp umeboshi vinegar

1

1. Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions; soak in boiled water for 2–3 minutes, then rinse with cold tap water and set aside.

2. Quick pickling the cucumbers in 1/3 cup of rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Let it rest in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

3. To prepare the peanut dressing, I used a small saucepan to melt the peanut butter with water on low heat, turn off the fire. Add umeboshi vinegar, tamari, honey, and chili oil. Mix well. You may add a little more water if the dressing is too thick.

4. In a large bowl, mix the cold vermicelli noodles, carrots, red cabbage, and onion together.

Season with salt, black pepper, umeboshi vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil. Stir well.

5. Assemble the vermicelli salad in two large bowls and top them with baby spinach, pickled cucumber, radish, mint, parsley, peanuts, bread crumbs, and lime wedges. Add a big dollop of the spicy peanut dressing. Enjoy!

29

GREEN KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS

GREEN KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS C H E F TO M B U R N E Y of I N V I S I B L E K I TC H E N investigates new methods for cooking in greener ways

E N TO M O P H AG Y Eating insects as a major source of protein opens up a big can of worms T H I S T E R M, E N TO M O P H AG Y, R E F E R S TO T H E ACT O F H U M A N S E AT I N G I N S E CT S. I T M AY B E CA L L E D T H E F U T U R E O F F O O D B U T T H E P RACT I C E I S S O O L D T H E A N C I E N T G R E E K S CO I N E D A W O R D F O R I T.

On average, crickets need 1 gallon of water

per pound of ‘meat’ produced. Beef requires almost 2,700 gallons per pound.

I’ve just spent a month avoiding all animal and fish proteins- cooking and eating a range of new-to-me ‘alternative’ (non-animal) proteins from the conventional to the less-so. There’s an eruption of ‘plant-based ‘meats’ and fishless ‘fish’ to be tried as well as a range of more traditional plant-based and microbial protein sources such as chickpeas, tofu, almonds and nutritional yeast (aka ‘Nooch’) that range from 12-22% protein content.

Crawling out of mainstream products, and

packing a mighty 66% protein, there is an ingredient which will divide any room. In fact they are most likely already lurking in the corner of your room already- with some of the highest sustainability credentials of any protein-source. That’s right, insects.

Although insects are normally plant-based

in location they are not a vegetarian ingredient; but eating insects could be much more aligned with your

food ideology than you may have realised. People are

greenhouse gases (routinely emitted in agricultural

Insects produce far less ammonia and

cutting down on meat intake for a combination of health,

protein production).

ethical, and environmental reasons and producing insects

for food is pound-for-pound one of the most sustainable

naturally live in clusters with thousands of close

protein sources on Earth.

neighbours, so don’t mind being packed in tight spaces.

In terms of animal welfare concerns, insects

There is also no evidence that insects feel pain but to be H O W A R E T H E Y S U S TA I N A B L E?

sure they are harvested by lowering the temperature until

they go into a hibernation-like state so for all they know

Insects are pretty much bottom of our food

chain, meaning they are the ones that turn our world’s

they could wake up a butterfly!

‘waste’ products into something with nutritional value.

Generally they eat decaying plant-matter and produce a

more iron than raw spinach, more calcium than milk, 5

high protein snack for birds or other creatures, using very

times the omega-3 of Salmon and 20 times more vitamin

little water, space and energy along the way.

B12 than eggs (with half the fat).

30

Crickets contain 3 times the protein of beef,

GREEN KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS

W H AT D O T H E Y TA S T E L I K E?

THE FUTURE

Once ground into a flour, crickets taste a bit nutty, like

In the US, the FSA (Food Standards Agency) have already

beurre noisette and they add an earthy note to cookies,

certified a cricket snack bar, the first insect-based product

cakes, pancakes, brownies, bread and even donuts….

as ‘fit for human consumption’, and interest is growing around the world as more people are looking for genuine solutions to our world’s resource problem and easy ways to eat in a more sustainable healthy way.

R U M A N D RA I S I N C R I C K E T CO O K I E S I N G R E D I E N T S:

80g plain flour

55g butter

40g cricket flour

150g golden caster sugar

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 large egg, beaten

2 cups (200g) oats

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¾ cup (100g) raisins or other dried fruit

1 tsp vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 pod)

55ml sunflower oil

¼ tsp sea salt

1. Pour ¼ cup rum over the raisins and leave to soak for 30 minutes until juicy. Drain (keeping the rum!)

2. In bowl, mix together the oil and sugar, then beat in the egg, along with the leftover raisin juice, the cinnamon and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt into the bowl, then add the oats and the raisins.

3. If you want a thicker American-style cookie you can chill the dough here for an hour.

4. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan and line your trays with baking paper.

5. Drop heaped tablespoon of the dough onto the trays, with a good bit of space in between. Roll into a ball and flatten slightly.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Put on a cooling rack to cool down then keep in airtight container. > Above: Cricket brownies 31

GREEN KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS

32

GREEN KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS

OMNIPORK & CHEDDAR BALLS Super simple to make and a great meat-free comfort food.

Serve with pasta, put in a sandwich or breadcrumb and deep-fry as a starter.

M AKES: 3 B IG OR 5 SMA LL B A LLS — P REP T IME: 20 M I NS — CO O K TI ME: 15 M I NS F O R T H E M U S H RO O M CO O K I N G M I X:

150g mushrooms (shiitake, portobello or button) 3 cloves garlic- peeled, smashed and finely chopped 2 tsp dried oregano Some olive oil Generous pinches of salt and pepper 1 packet (200g) Omnipork (chilled) 100g grated cheddar cheese 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs - e.g.chives, thyme, oregano or parsley F O R T H E B R E A D C R U M B I N G:

1-2 cups Japanese-style ‘panko’ breadcrumbs 1-2 cups seasoned flour (white flour with salt, white pepper and spices of your choice) 2 eggs, whisked with fork 1. Toss the mushrooms with the chopped garlic, a little oil, oregano, salt and pepper and roast in 180°C preheated oven 15 minutes. Allow to cool then dice to 1cm or smaller.

2. Mix the grated cheddar with the chopped herbs (of your choice) then split into 2 halves 3. In a bowl, mix together the Omnipork, mushroom mix, and half of the herby cheese mix 4. Take the reserved half of herby cheese mix and squeeze around 1 tablespoon worth into a small ball, then repeat for all the cheese. For easier handling, put in the fridge to chill.

5. For a small size, split the ‘meat’ mix into 5 (approx. 3 tablespoons each) and wrap it around the herby cheese centre to make a bigger ball shape. Chill for minimum 1 hour. (For a larger size tennis ball rather than golf ball, divide into 3 instead of 5) 6. They can now be pan-fried in a hot pan with oil to get them nice and browned then finish in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta, rice or salad.

OR 1. Dip the balls in flour, egg mix and finally breadcrumbs, then deep fry 160°C for 2-3 minutes (or until golden brown) then drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately as part of a sharing board or sliced in a sandwich or chill to take as a picnic snack.

NB: Vegan cheeses which melt well can be used for this recipe to make it vegan (cashew milk with cornflour can be used to replace the egg). Put balls in 180°C oven for 10 minutes after frying.

Ask Tom your own kitchen queries and he’ll experiment to find the answer!

Email him at asktom@afoodieworld.com 33

FOOD’S FUTURE SUMMIT 11–12 OCTOBER • HONG KONG POWERED BY

|

CO-HOST

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ASIA SOCIETY HONG KONG

What will we be eating in the future?

How will innovation and technology change our dining experience?

How do we create a sustainable food cycle?

The Food’s Future Summit is an award-winning, unparalleled gathering of international experts and conscious consumers to explore key innovations, trends, and issues in food. Gain groundbreaking insights and networks and stay ahead in the global dining space.

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE PART IN OUR FOOD’S FUTURE? visit www.foodsfuture.com for ticket and event details