FAUX GRAS!

The Olive Press gets a thumbs up for the latest ethical meat substitute to hit the market, writes

Jo Chipchase

WHILE most Spanish supermarket chains stock a range of vegetarian and vegan products, one of the world’s cruelest luxury foods is now turning into an ethical, imitation product for discerning shoppers.

This latest foodie invention is a vegan foie gras, called Fuah, and it’s literally flying off the shelves.

Real foie gras is made from duck or goose liver and is controversial because the birds are usually tube-fed more than they would usually eat, to fatten their liver before slaughter.

In the UK, King Charles is reportedly banning the cruel product from royal estates, while California and New York also want to ban it.

In these more socially aware times, it is simply not something to serve visitors or friends concerned about animal welfare.

The vegan version is made by a start-up company in Madrid called Hello Foods and uses coconut oil, beetroot extract and lentil flour to create its Fuah

The company worked on the recipe for more than a year, revising it an incredible 800 times, it claims. Within 12 hours of launch last month, viding the most benefit for cognitive and mental health.

VITAL: A good seven hours solid sleep as a minimum dementia, it is not an inevitable consequence of biological ageing.

Step two is to regularly challenge the brain - this could involve anything from frequently doing puzzles, or playing crosswords to learning a new language.

Third is to stay socially active, while the fourth step is to maintain mental well-being.

The fifth and sixth steps recommend people look after their hearing and eat a balanced diet.

Staying physically active comes next, while quitting smoking also helps.

The ninth step is drinking responsibly, while number 10 is keeping a healthy level of cholesterol.

To achieve this, eat oats, barley and other whole grains, as well as beans, eggplant and okra, nuts, vegetable oils, apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits.

The final two steps are maintaining healthy blood pressure and managing diabetes. Although age is the strongest known risk factor for the first 5,000 units sold out across Spain. When 30,000 more were distributed, these were also snapped up.

The product can be bought in specialist stores, online, and in Alcampo. The cost is €5.99 online and €8.99 in Alcampo.

In an Olive Press taste test at Bar Piki, in Canar, near Granada, over a dozen expats and Spanish gave it a thumbs up.

Indeed, everyone who tried it liked it, and one young Spaniard was so enthusiastic he immediately bought some online.

“I really enjoyed the taste although I’ve never tried the real thing, it was super tasty and had a really nice creamy texture,” said fashion designer Freya Rogers, from Orgiva.

“From an animal abuse point of view, this provides a good, cruelty free option.”

Maria Jose Moreno, added: “It’s years since I had real foie gras, but I remember the flavour well – creamy and tasty and this is just as nice.”

Sorrell Badger, from Lanjaron, added: “I am pleasantly surprised. It is creamy and delicious and you get an attractive glass jar to keep when you’re finished.”

The only negative is it being unsuitable for people with nut or gluten allergies, so be sure to read the label first.

It also does not exclusively affect older people - young onset dementia occurs when symptoms develop before the age of 65 and accounts for 9% of cases worldwide.

No cure

There is currently no cure for dementia. There are anti-dementia medicines and disease-modifying therapies, but they have limited efficacy and are primarily labelled for Alzherimer’s disease.

There are, however, numerous new treatments in various stages of clinical trials.