GOING GREEN, EATING GOOD

Tastes Of The World

One of the easiest ways to contribute to a healthier planet is also one of the tastiest, and it’s fast becoming more easy: eating meatless meals. No matter how much you love it, there is no denying the impact that eating meat has on the environment; a future in which we eat less of it is simply better for Mother Nature, and thus for us all! But never fear: gone are the days of bleak, tasteless meat replacements – enter a new era of gorgeous, world-class vegetarian and vegan cooking, making the difference unnoticeable. At Tomorrowland, there are plenty vegetarian dishes to choose from, in every corner of the festival, and from all the corners of the globe. Join us, then, on a vegetarian tour of the Holy Grounds, in which we sample the very best Peruvian, Vietnamese, Thai and Middle Eastern dishes. Read on for some highlights.

Voted the best vegetarian dish of Tomorrowland 2022 by the authoritative Gaunt & Millau, the tomato salad served at Veggies & Fermented Fries in the MESA Garden clearly isn’t as simple as it looks; it contains five different species of tomato, a tasty tomato marinade, and pickled red onion, and is stylishly topped off with a healthy dose of chillies and basil cress.

All the way from Thailand comes Chef Ton, who runs the Asian Streetfood stall at the MESA Garden. “This is a popular streetfood dish from the north of Thailand,” he says. “It normally contains meat, but I’ve changed the recipe to make it suitable for vegetarians. I took the egg noodles with me from Thailand. They come with creamy coconut milk, turmeric and fresh chillies.”

Possibly our favourite veggie food comes from the Peruvian Food stall. Not your regular Peruvian deli, this one serves so-called Chifa food –Chinese-influenced dishes, which are popular in cosmopolitan Lima. To this particular dish, the chef has added fermented cabbage and quinoa. Hence the name Aeropuerto, as it is at airports that global influences famously come together.

One of the undisputed non-European evergreen delicacies are of course the chickpea-based tempura balls called falafel, which you will find near the Freedom stage. Originally Egyptian, falafel is also very popular and traditionally made in nearby countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Syria and so is houmous, which – curiously – is also based on the humble chickpea. Dip it in deep for the fullest flavour!

Tempeh Baguette

Probably the most filling of all the dishes we sampled is Banh Mi’s tempeh baguette. The tempeh, made from fermented soybeans, is again fermented in a secret mushroom sauce before it lands on your crispy bread. Add to that fresh carrots, cucumber and coriander (optional), and that’s you sorted for the next few hours. Find it behind the Mainstage.

Delicious Vegan Ball

Balls & Glory, located on the impressively long food stall strip behind the Mainstage as well as by the Freedom stage, serves a truly delicious vegan ball that fills you right up, especially if you take it with ‘stoemp’ – a traditional Belgian mash. Photographed here is the even healthier version with a watermelon salad that also includes red onion, cherry tomatoes, and feta. The cheese can be left out if you prefer your dish to be vegan!

Jackfruit Burger

From the mind of star chef Bart de Pooter, whose dishes are often based on plants, comes this delicious pulled jackfruit burger. It comes with the ‘pulled’ adjective not because of its striking similarity to meat but due to the fact that it actually breaks down during the simmering process. The burger is served with a touch of homemade ketchup, mixed salad and crispy tempura onion. Does this sound right up your street? Then look out for the “Food” signs near one of the entrances to the Mainstage.

Tomorrowland Burger

The official burger of your favourite festival is freshly made near the north entrance of the Mainstage as well as at other locations around the grounds. The tasty oyster mushroom-based patty is served on a high quality bun with iceberg lettuce, red onion and chilli mayo. Skip it and you’ll have to wait until next year, as this one is really only served here in Boom, for the duration of our beloved festival.

Tel Aviv Roasted Cauliflower

Feeling like sharing a wonderful vegan dish with one of your fellow guildspeople? Then look no further than PLANT’n & WILD’n by Bart de Pooter Stories. Their Tel Aviv roasted cauliflower, served with oriental herbs, hummus, pomegranate, lemon, and some freshly baked pita is simply to die for, and enough for two. No wonder this smoky-creamy goodness and other wonderful dishes have earned the chef a Michelin Green Star.

Pak

When Tomorrowland asked River Kwai for something special, the staff knew just what would hit the spot: a vegan cucumber salad. Tam Taeng Pak combines cucumbers with mango for some sweetness, tomatoes for texture and carrots for some colour. It’s all brought together with a sauce that the staff has been perfecting for ages, made of chili, soy sauce and lime. It will bring freshness into your life unlike anything else… if you can deal with the heat, that is!

More To Explore

Although you can find a lot on these pages already, there are a lot more vegetarian offerings to be found across the festival. From simple fries, pizzas and fully decked-out hotdogs, to loaded nachos and tacos, there is a lot more to explore. If you wish to explore all of the options, pull up the Map on your festival app, then go to the ‘Food’ tab on the top. When you click a food stand, it will show you the menu. Bon appétit!