Handbook for Students Table of Content

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Plant-based Cuisine for chefs Handbook for students Table of Content

MOdULe 1: Background on Plant-based dieT ...... 6

1.1 Vegetarianism – from yesterday to today ... 7 ŋ Background Information Health ...... 18

ŋ Background Knowledge ...... 7 ŋ Summary ...... 21

ŋ The History of the Western Vegetarianism ..... 8 1.3 Sustainability in your Kitchen ...... 23 ŋ Forms of plant-based diets ...... 9 ŋ Background Information Sustainability ...... 23 ŋ Who lives on vegetarian diets? ...... 10 ŋ Sustainable nutrition ...... 24 ŋ Summary ...... 10 ŋ Dimensions of sustainable food ...... 25

1.2 Rationales of your guests ...... 11 ŋ Summary ...... 26

ŋ Background information on Climate and Environment ...... 11 1.4 Certification Marks ...... 27

ŋ World Hunger ...... 14 ŋ Background Information about labels ...... 27

ŋ Background information Ethics ...... 15 ŋ Vegetarian Vegan Seals ...... 27

ŋ Summary ...... 29

MOdULe 2: PlanT-based product information ...... 30

2.1 Basics of plant based cuisine ...... 31 2.3 Sea vegetables ...... 43

ŋ Background information – ŋ Background information ...... 43 plant-based cooking ...... 31 ŋ Summary ...... 45 ŋ Six things to be aware of when cooking vegetarian dishes ...... 32 2.4 Sprouts and seedlings ...... 47 ŋ Summary ...... 39 ŋ Background information ...... 47

2.2 Fruit and vegetables ...... 40 ŋ Summary ...... 49

ŋ Background information ...... 40 2.5 Nuts, seeds and vegetable oils ...... 50 ŋ Summary ...... 42 ŋ Background information ...... 50 ŋ Plant oils ...... 55 ŋ Summary ...... 81

ŋ Summary ...... 57 2.9 Plant-based dairy alternatives ...... 82

2.6 Legumes ...... 58 ŋ Background information ...... 82

ŋ Background Information ...... 58 ŋ Summary ...... 86

ŋ Summary ...... 62 2.10 Egg replacement ...... 87

2.7 The world of grains ...... 64 ŋ Background Information ...... 87

ŋ Background information ...... 64 ŋ Summary ...... 91

ŋ Grain drinks, creams and sweeteners ...... 73 2.11 Binding or gelling agents & sweeteners .. 92 ŋ Summary ...... 74 ŋ Background information: Sweeteners ...... 92

2.8 Alternatives to meat and fish ...... 75 ŋ Overview of binding and gelling agents ...... 94

ŋ Background information ...... 75 ŋ Summary ...... 99

MOdULe 3: SpecIalization ...... 100

3.1 Special diets and preparation types ...... 101 ŋ Portion sizes of food ...... 115

ŋ Background on special diets ...... 101 ŋ Weight changes by preparation ...... 115

ŋ Special preparation techniques ...... 102 ŋ Creative and wholesome menus ...... 116

ŋ Other devices and techniques ...... 104 ŋ Presenting dishes ...... 117

ŋ Summary ...... 105 ŋ Summary ...... 118

3.2 Bakery ...... 107 3.5 Drinks ...... 119

ŋ Background information ...... 107 ŋ Background information: Wine ...... 119

ŋ Summary ...... 111 ŋ Animal ingredients in beverages ...... 120

ŋ Drinkable fruits and vegetables ...... 122 3.3 Seasoning of ingredients ...... 112 ŋ Summary ...... 123 ŋ Background information on taste ...... 112

ŋ Summary ...... 113 3.6 World cuisines ...... 125

ŋ Background information: Asia ...... 126 3.4 Develop recipes and present dishes ...... 114 ŋ Background information: South America ... 130 ŋ Background Information ...... 114

4 ŋ Background information: Africa ...... 131 ŋ Summary ...... 136

ŋ Background information: European cuisine 134

MOdULe 4: ManageMenT and Marketing ...... 137

4.1 Plant-based cuisine in canteens ...... 138 ŋ Negotiation power of suppliers ...... 144

ŋ Background information: ŋ Negotiation power of customers ...... 144 Why plant-based cuisine? ...... 138 ŋ Pressure by substitute products ...... 144 ŋ Step by step guide for more plant-based meals on the menu ...... 139 ŋ Second phase ...... 145

ŋ General tips ...... 142 ŋ Strategy development ...... 146

ŋ System catering ...... 142 ŋ Conceptual framework for operational services ...... 146 ŋ Summary ...... 142 ŋ Summary ...... 150

4.2 Management and marketing in a vegetarian specialties restaurant ...... 143 Legend ŋ Entrance to the business ...... 143 Objectives: what you will learn in Cross connection to other this chapter chapters ŋ Competition in an industry ...... 143 Means „Attention!“ or provides you Become an expert! ŋ Pressure by newcomers ...... 144 with especially interesting information. Advices for recipes

Link to websites, videos or

additional multimedia materials Imprint Authors Merle Losem Michael Hoffmann Antoon Verhelst Peter Vandermeersch Julia Schneider Boris Lauser Hilde Hautekees Ulrike Günther Sebastian Ernst Surdham Göb Thomas Van den Braembussche Nikolaus Rittenau Heiko Antoniewicz Koen Toye Karoline Kalke Frau Haslinger Stina Spiegelberg Maria Schneider Layout: Computus Satz & Verlag, Gutenberg Annette Voigt Kerstin Neumann Helge Schulz Jennifer Draxlbauer Release date, Published 02/15 Hella Maria Innemann Michaela Schneider-Wettstein Copyright declaration © 2015 Benedikt Gramss Olivia Ladinig Sarah Gebhardt Zahra Topping We want to thank all people who helped us creating, developing and evalua- Lisa Kaufmann Felicitas Sauer ting this handbook. Many thanks to all authors, which supported us in realising Hans-Joachim Naue Eva Marie Becker this long-term initiative on plant-based cuisine with their recipes, texts and Daniela Brenneis Floris De Graad contributions. Hendrik Schulte Remi Tolk Christina Eisfeld Cielle van Dooren Contact Ulrike Minzlaff Maureen Vande Capelle [email protected] Dirk van den Broeck Kevin Storms www.vegucation.eu

Project Number: 527879-LLP-1-2012-1-DE-LEONARDO-LM Project Acronym: Vegucation This project was financed with help from the Eu- Project Title: Vegucation – Training of European competency in sustainable, ropean Commission. The responsibility of the con- healthy and well-balanced nutrition for professional chefs and caterers tents from this publication rests with the author; the Commission does not accept liability in usage of Work package 4/5: Content development and adaption – the contents. Deliverable No: 18/19 – Language: English

Consortium: ethics Antique quality labels QuinoaMODULe 1 Background on plant-based diet sustainability Environment Health world hunger 1.1 VegeTarianism – froM yesTerday tO Today

Interest in vegetarian and healthy food is boom- After working through this chapter you should ing. About half of guests already want meat-re- duced menus in canteens, cafeterias and restau- ŋ Know the most important historical milestones of a rants. Here, fulilling that demand depends on vegetarian diet you, the chefs of tomorrow. You should offer not ŋ Be able to compose “shopping baskets” for various only delicious meals, but also address other mo- types of vegetarian diets tivations and expectations: food should, as far ŋ Be able to estimate the demands of guests who as possible, be climate-friendly, healthy and free prefer plant-based dishes from animal suffering. You will therefore learn about the background of vegetarianism and the motivations of your guests in the irst chapters. shutterstock

BackgroUnd KnOwLedge – HistoriCal FlasHback in QuOtes

ŋ “As long as men massacre animals, they will kill ŋ “I wish I was born as a vegan.” – Mike Tyson, *1966 – each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of mur- ŋ “The beef industry has contributed to more Ameri- der and pain cannot reap joy and love.” – Pythagorus, can deaths than all the wars of this century, all nat- ~570 – 510 b.C. ural disasters, and all automobile accidents com- ŋ “My body will not be a tomb for other creatures.” – bined.” – Neal D. Barnard, *1953 Leonardo Da Vinci, 1452–1519 ŋ “You must not stop developing, not in our profes- ŋ “Nothing will benefit human health and increase sion. The sooner the chefs learn how to cook ve- the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as gan, the easier it is to deal with it.” – Siegfried Kröpfl, the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein star chef, *1959

1879–1955

7 The History oF the western VegeTarianisM

Even though the term “vegetarianism” is not Apart from these economic reasons, vege- mentioned before the middle of the 19th cen- tarianism as a personal, ethical or religious tury in the western world, animal products, es- ‘choice’ can be traced back to ancient pecially meat, were rarely available to the majority NN Greece, where it was promoted by philos- in most societies throughout history. Most typical ophers and religious groups alike. Ancient was a largely plant-based diet with occasional vegetarianism was highly connected with animal products like dairy and eggs. the idea of non-violence towards animals as well as with the idea of health.

Throughout the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained an important NNN component of ascetic life, thought to bring the believer closer to god; a The beginning of the early modern period common conception held eating meat (1500–1800), with its rediscovery of ancient (and eggs and cheese) to be a sin. philosophy, marked a return of animal ethics to The welfare of animals was, however, NNNphilosophy and vegetarianism in practice. One of minor concern. of the most important and early protagonists during that wave of vegetarianism was Thom- as Tyron (1634 –1703), who wrote what was probably the first vegetarian cookbook in 1691. _ Since the 19th century, vegetarianism has be- NN come increasingly better established in philosophy and in practice. In 1821 the first modern vegetarian cookbook was published, while in The current and still growing wave of 1970s 1847 the Vegetarian Society in England was vegetarianism began in the , founded and more and more intellectuals began when science started to find evidence in support of many ethical arguments to promote vegetarian diets as morally neces- NNN sary. The probably best-known vegetarians in for vegetarianism, as well as of the the 19th and early 20th centuries were Tolstoy health benefits of plant-based diets. and Gandhi. The latest addition to the list of arguments in favour of vegetarianism, i.e. the impact of the consumption of animal products on the environment, has made vegetarian diets an ever more popular way of life. Although the concept of vegetarianism is NNN often most associated with abstaining from the consumption of flesh rather than with the consumption of dairy or eggs, some forms of Outside the western world, vegetarianism historical vegetarianism referred to entirely was even more common throughout history. plant-based diets. In order to distinguish the For example, Indian religions connect the different diets properly, Donald Watson coined NNNconcept of ‘non-violence’ to vegetarianism, the term veganism in 1944 and co-founded the and India remains the society with the larg- British Vegan Society. est percentage of vegetarians to this day.

Video about “the history of vegetarianism” on www.vegucation.eu/media

8 ForMS of Plant-based dieTs

INGREDIENT / FLESH EGGS DAIRY HONEY EGGS DAIRY PLANT SPECIAL REQUIRE- DIET RAW RAW BASED IN- MENT GREDIENTS Vegetarian ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ (Ovo Lacto) Vegan ŋ

Ovo Vegetarian ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ

Lacto Vegetarian ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ

Raw vegetarian ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ Only uncooked food, heated at most to 42°C Raw vegan ŋ Only uncooked food, heated at most to 42°C Fruitarian ŋ Only parts of the plant that do not harm the plant (fruits) Frugan ŋ The same as vegan, with a predominant consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, often with high carbohydrate consumption (80%) Whole foods vegan ŋ Only whole foods, diet un-processed Buddhist vegetari- ŋ ŋ ŋ No foods from allium an diet family

Video about “vegetarian diets” on www.vegucation.eu/media

Some variants of the vegetarian diet use only organic ingredients, are low in sodium, low in sugar, or do not contain certain ingredients like gluten, lactose, nuts, or soy. When in doubt, it is always better to thoroughly consult with the customer to ensure their special requirements are fully understood.

Care has to be taken about common hidden ingredients: Gelatine from bone materials (hard candy, marshmallows, and jelly), milk-derivates

(ghee, whey, lactose, and casein), chicken broth, shutterstock lard (refried beans, soup stock), etc.

9 whO Lives on vegetarian dietS?

Rates of vegetarianism and veganism vary tolerant and cannot consume dairy products, considerably by country. In India, for example, whereas 70% of the world population are lactose more than 30% of the population eats a vegetari- intolerant1. Further, many people have problems an diet, whereas in some countries this number with elevated cholesterol levels, and are advised is as low as 3%. More important for gastronomy, by their doctors to drastically reduce their con- however, is the number of ‘Flexitarians’, a term sumption of animal products. All in all, the num- describing those who tend to regularly choose ber of people choosing plant-based options is plant-based meals (especially when eating out in growing rapidly and continuously. restaurants), but are not strict vegetarians or vegans. This ever-growing group of health and envi- Especially in big cities, vegetarian lifestyles ronmentally conscious consumers is very impor- are setting in as a trend. New vegan restau- tant to take into consideration, as their numbers rants are being opened and top chefs are are estimated to be around 60% of the popula- discovering plant-based cuisine and creating tion. Additionally, many people have to make al- creative dishes to expand their menus. ternative food choices based on health reasons. Approximately 4 to 56% of Europeans, with the VIDEO “THE WISHES OF YOUR GUESTS” AT WWW. lowest rates in Northern Europe, are lactose in- VEGUCATION.EU/MEDIA rSumMary ŋ There are different vegetarian diets that include ŋ Vegetarianism occurs in many cultures, especial- individual product ranges ly in the Asian region. ŋ People who are vegetarians have different needs ŋ Even people who are not strictly vegetarian are that must be considered when planning the interested in plant-based cuisine menu. When in doubt, ask! ŋ Vegetarianism has been around since ancient times and has developed in various directions.

SEE WORKBOOK BecoMe an exPert! PAGE 4!

WEBSITES ŋ Leitzmann C., Keller M.: Vegetarische Ernährung, 2013 ŋ More about alternative and vegetarian diets: www.ifane.org MULTIMEDIA ŋ More information about hidden animal ingredients in food http://www.foodwatch.org/de/in- ŋ www.vegucation.eu/media formieren/versteckte-tiere/2-minuten-info/ ŋ www.vegucation.eu/elearning

LITERATURE

ŋ Leitzmann C., Keller M, Hahn A.: Alternative Er- nährungsformen, 2005

1 EFSA Journal 2010;8(9):1777: 7f.) Scientific Opition on lactose tresholds in lactose intolerance and galactosaemia , EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy Quelle: http://www.efsa. europa.eu/de/scdocs/doc/1777.pdf , accessed 06.01.2015 10 1.2 rationaLeS of your gueSts

At the beginning of the chapter, we men- recipes, and to expand the concept of your res- tioned that demand for veggie food is increasing taurant. drastically and that there are different groups of people choosing to eat vegetarian foods. Wheth- After studying this chapter you should be able er they belong to the smaller group of full-time to … vegetarians and vegans, or to the bigger group of ŋ understand the most common motives of people ‘meat reducers’, their motives are similar: They who choose to eat (more) veggie food are eating fewer animal products for health or ŋ explain the relationship between food choices environmental reasons, for diversity in lavours and health, environmental problems, and world and the exploration of new tastes in vegetarian hunger cuisine, or for moral reasons relating to animals ŋ explain the basic needs of animals and condi- and other humans. If you know the motivations, tions in modern animal agriculture you’ve got the option to alter your menu in line ŋ explain common practices in the production of with the wishes of your future guests, to change meat, fish, milk and eggs

BackgroUnd Information on CliMate and environment shutterstock

High meat consumption increases the de- CO2 EMISSIONS struction of the rainforest, pollutes groundwater According to the climate report from the Unit- and is a contributing factor to global warming. ed Nations, the global cattle industry is more Eighty percent of the rainforest in the Amazon harmful to the climate than the transportation has been cleared for meat production. Ground- sector with all its cars, motorcycles and planes. water is being polluted by a vast amount of an- The production of beef releases 43 times more

imal waste from factory farming, and around CO2 equivalent than the growing of vegetables. a ifth of climate change has its origins in con- Therefore: the more plant-based your diet is, the sumption of meat and other animal products. more climate-friendly it is, too.

3D VIDEO ABOUT “VEGETARIANISM AND SUSTAINABILITY” AT ŋ 1 kg of beef equals 26 kg carbon dioxide = WWW.VEGUCATION.EU/MEDIA 250km car ride

ŋ 1 kg of salad equals 0.5 kg

11 Share of the total GHG emission This is due to cows and other ruminants emit- ting greenhouse gases (methane) by burping and farting. A kilogram of methane has the same warming effect as 25 kilograms of CO2. Methane 13,1 % is the primary reason why dairy products rank in transport the last places in comparisons of greenhouse gas 13,5 % emissions. Deforestation also emits greenhouse Agriculture gasses, as trees store CO2, which is released when they are cleared. Felled trees cannot, on 19,4 % the one hand, store further CO2, and on the oth- industry 25,9 % er hand, the CO2 they previously had stored is energy emitted when they are burned. A lot of land is still being cleared to make more pasture for livestock to graze on, or to grow more crops used as feed (corn, soy…) for farm animals. As you might know, clearing land (deforestation) contributes to more greenhouse gasses, because the trees – which trap green- 7,9 % buildings 2,8 % waste house gasses – are being cut away. 17,4 % land use Do you have “Thursday is veggie day” at your

Florian Brendel school canteen yet? With only one vegetarian day a week, we can save the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions from 6 million cars! In total, livestock farming contributes 18% of all greenhouse gases.

FACTS ABOUT SOY WATER USE AND WATER POLLUTION ŋ 7000 hectares per day are destroyed for the ŋ Worldwide, some 65 billion farm animals are growing of soy and livestock breeding (equals raised on a yearly basis for the purpose of about 5000 soccer fields) slaughter. All these farm animals produce manure, which is rich in nitrate. Although some of ŋ 80 percent of the global soy crop is used as food the manure can be used to fertilise land, there is for livestock.1 simply too much of it. Putting too much manure on the land leads to water pollution, making our ŋ Over 97 percent of global soy flour is used as groundwater (from which we derive our drinking food for cattle. water) non-potable.

ŋ Pastures and food crops account for 80 percent ŋ The other problem is that the production of meat of global agricultural land area. uses a lot of water. On a global scale, the annual consumption of potable water is about: ON THE WEBPAGE WWW.VEGUCATION.EU YOU WILL FIND A 16,260 km³ = 16.260.000.000.000 litres; CLIMATE CALCULATOR. IF YOU FILL IN WHAT YOU WANT TO ad ditional global “operational water consump- EAT, YOU WILL FIND OUT HOW BIG THE ENVIRONMENTAL tion”: 6,542km³ = 6.542.000.000.000 litres IMPACT OF THE CHOSEN PRODUCT IS. (“operational water consumption”: cleaning machines, cooling water, cleaning of carcasses, etc.)

1 WWF – Regenwald verschwindet; http://www.wwf.de/themen/waelder/umwandlung 12 Example meat production: On average, 10 kilo- the calculation. Compared with potatoes, which grams of grain feed produces 1 kg of meat. The consume about 106 litres per kilo, this is a huge rest of it results in dung and liquid manure. For amount. a kilo of harvested grain, about 1500 litres of wa- The numbers may vary depending on the ter must low through the stalks. For a kilo of types of water included (direct or indirect lamb, 15,000 litres of water are needed; for a kilo usage of water). See also: http://www. of beef, 10,000 litres are needed – water for the wasserstiftung.de/en/index.html plants that are fed to the animals is included in

litres of water for a litres of water litres of water for big piece (500 g) of for a kilogram a kilogram 2500 Cheese 1300 Wheat 255 Potatoes

litres of water for litres of water for one litres of water for one litre piece (300 g) of one lilogram

1000 Milk 4500 Beef steak 131 Carrots Florian Brendel

The quantity of water needed to produce a kilo means that in each kilogram of beef there are 6.5 of beef is calculated as follows: On average, it kilograms of wheat, 36kg of roughage and 155 li- takes about three years until a cow is ready for tres of water. For the production of feed alone, slaughter and is able to provide around 200 kilo- more than 15,000 litres of water are needed. grams of boneless meat. During this time, each animal consumes about 1300 kilograms of wheat IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WATER and about 7200 kilograms of roughage like hay CONSUMPTION OF FOOD, LOOK AT WWW.WATERFUTPRINT. or silage. In addition, about 24m³ of drinking ORG (WATER FOOTPRINT) ON THIS SITE THERE IS ALSO A water and an additional 7m³ of water are need- WATER CALCULATOR, WHICH HELPS YOU FIGURE OUT THE WATER ed for cleaning the stables. When added up, this CONSUMPTION OF A DISH YOU WANT TO COOK.

OVERFISHING OF THE SEAS Sushi has become a trend. If people continue to ishing nets while they suffocate painfully in the consume ish at current rates, the oceans will open air on boats and are often still alive when soon be ished out. Even now, about 50% of glob- “freshly processed”. Many ishing methods such al ish for food consumption comes from breed- as trawling, the use of long lines and purse seine ing farms that are highly problematic from nets also lead to a high proportion of unwant- an environmental and animal ethics perspec- ed by-catch of crabs, clams, sharks, turtles, star- tive. The ish live in crowded environments un- ish, dolphins and young ish, which can serious- it for their species, vegetate in constant stress, ly compromise whole ecosystems. and are fed on meat and bone meal. This re- quires 3 to 4 times as much ish for feeding than FIND OUT ABOUT FAIR FISHING AND FISH BREEDING ON is gained from breeding. They are caught from HTTP://WWW.FAIR-FISH.CH/ENGLISH/ their homes, along with thousands of others, in

13 world Hunger

With a growing world population, it is in- Refining loss of wheat if used for: creasingly dificult to feed everyone with animal products. However, we do have the capaci- ty to meet everyone’s nutritional needs using a plant-based diet. Cows, chickens, pigs and other animals eat a lot of plant-based feed, which is then converted into a relatively small amount of meat. For the most part, the animals use the feed to heat their own bodies, to move around, to have children, and to grow not only edible tis- 10:1 Beef 5:1 Milk sue (meat) but also non-edible tissue like hooves, skin and hair, and bones. An average 10 kg of vegetable protein are re- quired to produce 1 kilogram of consumable animal protein in the form of meat. This is gen- erally referred to as a reining loss, as the feed used could have been used directly as food for Chicken humans. Animals are not usually fed food that 20:1meat 4:1 Eggs would have been inedible for humans, such as grass, but plants such as corn and soy, which are edible for humans. Having a plant-based diet is a way of keeping more people fed using the same amount of land, water and energy.

MORE AT MISEREOR.DE OR WELTHUNGERHILFE.DE 6:1 Pork 1:1 Bread Florian Brendel

A FEW FACTS ABOUT FOOD WASTE: ŋ 35% of global wheat production of 2.23 billion tons is used as feed 2

ŋ 80% of global soy harvest is used as feed 3

ŋ 925 million people suffer from famine 4:5.

2 FAO - Food Outlook: Cereals http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/ai482e/ai482e02.htm, june 2009 3 World Watch Institute. State of the World 2006. Cromwell Press. London, 2006. 4 Internationales Forschungsinstitut für Ernährungspolitik, Welthungerhilfe & Concern Worldwide. Welthungerindex 2010. Bonn, Washington, D.C., Dublin, 2010. 5 http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/fileadmin/media/pdf/WHI/WHI2010_final_dt.pdf, 2010 14 Background inforMatIon eThics

Average consumption during lifetime

4 cattle 4 sheep 12 geese

37 ducks

46 pigs

46 turkeys

945 chicken Florian Brendel

In the European Union, 300 million cattle, WHOM TO PET, WHOM TO EAT? sheep, and pigs, and four billion chickens are You might say a dog is not a pig, although both slaughtered each year. The number of ish is be- have the same ability to feel pain, and both have lieved to be ten times that. Roughly 500,000 basic needs for living a good life. They can enjoy land-animals are killed per minute. Roughly 98% sunshine, frolic around in straw and run around, of animals are factory farmed. bond with others and raise their children. For On average, people living in Germany eat dogs, we try our best by petting them, feeding about 1,094 animals during their lifetimes. The them and walking them. A large gap exists be- way we raise farm animals has some major con- tween the selected pets and the so-called farm sequences. The animals have to grow as quickly animals. Out of compassion, a growing number and as big as possible, so that they are more prof- of people feel uncomfortable with the conditions itable. They are also crammed together in barns in factory farms and are deciding to eat less or or cages, so more animals can be kept on the no meat. same farm, which is also more proitable. Due to Meat consumption is strongly inluenced by the way they are kept (most of the animals are tradition and habit. Over the centuries every cul- kept inside or in cages their whole lives) they are ture has developed its own belief system that af- vulnerable to diseases like foot and mouth dis- fects what foods are considered tasteful or ed- ease, avian lu, etc., resulting in the extensive ible. Why do we eat some types of meat as a use of medicines and antibiotics. matter of course (e.g. in Europe: beef, pork and

15 chicken) while other meat is considered taboo Carnism is the belief system, or ideology, that (cat, dog) or simply as disgusting (rat, guinea pig, categorizes animals into ‘edible’ and ‘non-edi- frog)? If you look at other cultures, we can see ble’. It is based on the belief that eating that the classiication of which animals are edi- animals is normal, natural, and necessary. This belief ble and which are not is quite arbitrary. allows people to eat meat, and to distance them- selves from feelings of compassion and disgust. The term ‘Carnism’ was coined by Dr. Melanie Joy.

LIFE EXPECTANCY OF ANIMALS ANIMALS IN THE WILD IN FACTORY FARMS

COWS • Social animals, living in groups with • 2007: the milk yield per cow per year in EU social hierarchies countries averaged about 6700 kg, varying • Life expectancy of 20 years or more between 3,500 kg in Romania and 8,400 kg • Strong bond between mother and in Denmark. In Germany, for example, the milk offspring, crying after being separated yield considerably increases from year to year. and calling for their calves for weeks • Production of so many litres per year leads to udder infections, such that the dairy cow is in constant pain • Calves are taken away after a few days, or im- mediately after birth, so that humans can drink the milk. Calves are usually kept individually in boxes. Male calves are fattened; female calves are raised to be milk cows. • Cows are artificially inseminated • Life expectancy of a few months (for veal) to several years (dairy cows) PIGS • More intelligent than dogs, like stimu- • Tails are cut, teeth ground, castrated – often lation and challenges without any form of anaesthesia • Very clean, they set up a toilet area • Sows are fixed in enclosures for birth, cannot away from sleeping and feeding areas, undergo social bonding bathe in dust and mud • Sows are kept permanently pregnant • Complex social network • Piglets live for a few months, sows a few years • Live up to 15 years • Forced to live in overcrowded, filthy stables

CHICKEN • Life expectancy of 15 years • Bred to be overly heavy, so heavy that their • Complex social hierarchy bones break under their own weight • Very curious, in terms of intelligence • Life expectancy of a mast chicken is two comparable with dogs months • Show nesting behaviour • Egg industry: Male chicks are gassed or shredded at the age of a few hours. • Too large groups to form social networks • Egg industry: In most countries of the world, narrow cages are still the most common format shutterstock (3) for keeping

VIDEO ABOUT “WHY VEGAN?” AT WWW.VEGUCATION.EU/MEDIA

DO FISH FEEL PAIN? and being stress-aware, and only perceiving pain For a long time science assumed that ish can- stimuli and forwarding them. That would be sim- not feel pain. Recently published studies have ilar to the reaction of a person touching a hot demonstrated that nociceptors were found in tel- stove. At irst you quickly pull back the inger, eost, among others, which forward injury stim- yet later the pain is perceived. Nociception leads uli. There is a difference between feeling pain to an automatic response, for example, that a

16 ish hanging on the ishing line wriggles to free that motivate them to seek / avoid certain situa- itself from the situation. Purely from a scientiic tions. Some trout are willing to starve if intake of point of view, the wriggling of the ish does not food is associated with pain. However, they are sufice to establish a subjective experience of suf- ready to suffer electric shocks to be able to stay fering. with members of their own species. The avoidance and learning behaviour of ish can also lead to conclusions about their ability MORE DATA AND FACTS ABOUT FISH AT FISCHINFO.DE to feel pain. There are a number of studies that (GERMAN) show that ish can have conscious experiences

MILK AND EGG PRODUCTION WITHOUT SLAUGHTER? Theoretically, milk could be produced without killing animals. In reality, it does not work without slaughter. Just as it is with humans, a cow must have a child in order to produce milk. Since the calf would consume the milk that is now wanted by the humans, the calf is taken away shortly after birth and fed on milk substitutes. Half of the calves are male. They have no ben- eit in milk production and are fattened for slaughter. The same happens with the majority of female calves as only a small proportion of them are used to replace dairy cows. Although a dairy cow can live to be 30 years old under natural conditions, and could produce milk for its offspring until the age of 14 years, the average cow in Europe lives only 5–6 years. shutterstock More than half of dairy cows are slaughtered at the age of 4 –5 years due to health problems. For every female chick that lays eggs, there is Through breeding and hormone therapy, a also a male chick born. The male chick is useless modern cow can have up to ten litres of milk in and is gassed or shredded shortly after birth. The her udder, as opposed to two litres under ‘nor- romantic image of chickens roaming freely on mal conditions’. A large proportion of cows are a farm has nothing to do with the eggs we buy kept indoors throughout the year in order to in the supermarket. Although cage eggs are now save costs. To prevent disease, the use of antibiot- banned in the EU, the housing conditions for ics in livestock farming is widespread. “free range” chickens are far from optimal. The World Health Organization estimates that Chickens that lay “barn eggs” remain in a stall half of antibiotics used worldwide are used on and share a square meter with nine other hens. livestock. This threatens world health, since bac- A perch of 15 cm is available. These circumstanc- teria can develop resistance to antibiotics, mean- es and tight quarters lead to unnatural stress and ing we could face helplessness in case of an aggressive behaviour. To prevent the animals epidemics and even against common though cur- from getting hurt, their beaks are clipped. Under rently non-serious disases. these conditions, chickens live up to two years instead of the 15–20 as would be expected under MORE INFOS ON WWW.PROVIEH.DE (GERMAN) natural conditions.

17 pectin corn soy seitan cereals algae MODULe 2 nuts Plant-based product information Quinoa sprouts agar carrageenan 2.1 BasiCs Of planT-based cuIsine

Many people think of vegetarian and vegan After this chapter you should be able to: … dishes as simply the usual dish, just without the meat or ish, which then often leaves only salad or ŋ Correctly and creatively prepare different raw ma- side dishes. In order to ight these prejudices, you terials with different cooking techniques, flavours, must learn as chefs from the creative potential of textures and cutting styles vegetable cuisine. Plant-based ingredients provide endless new possibilities. When you learn about ŋ Implement basic techniques of cooking vegetar- vegetarian cuisine, you will quickly notice that a ian cuisine whole new world of lavours, ingredients, textures and combinations opens up to you. Background inforMatIon – planT-based cooking

There is huge polarity, for instance in appearance, taste, texture and protein quality between a vegetable (or any plant-based ingredient) and an animal protein (like meat or ish). Putting them together easily creates a dish that looks very attractive and tastes vibrant. Many people are used to the typical dish: meat, a carbohydrate side dish and vegetables / salad. To make a vegetarian dish attractive, you should especially focus on proper preparation, taste and appropriate presentation. To create a dish that provides optimal enjoyment, you have to address multiple senses and bring enough “contrasts” (not only colour) onto the plate (➔ see chapter 3.4). Did you know that it is said that 50% of our eating experience comes via sight, the other half comes through a contrast of texture, colour and taste? Stijn van Hulle (3)

31 Six ThingS tO Be aware oF when cOoKing Vegan dishes

1. Ingredients: it’s important to get to know your ingredients; together they will make up your dish. Find combinations that work: you can increase variety big time!

2. Cooking style: polarity on a plate is obtained by searching for opposites; the combination of something that has not been heated (raw) with food that was exposed to high heat (grilling) really works.

3. Taste: there are five main tastes – salty, sweet, acidic, bitter & umami. We may soon have to add a sixth taste: fat. Spiciness or sharpness is not

really a taste, but also deserves our attention shutterstock (3) here. Polarity is obtained by having at least two of the tastes going on. All these flavours interact in winter it should look particularly warm (dark in subtle ways; really interesting foods will have red, brown tones). all five. 5. Cutting style: the tension between something that 4. Colour: variations in colour will make your food is cut in big pieces (en tonneau) and something easily come to life. Try to make colour combi- cut really thinly (julienne) is exciting, so try to nations that are lush to the eye, that make you vary more. smile. Important are season, place, and occa- sion. In the spring, a dish should be fresh, young, 6. Texture: the mouth feel or texture is just as impor- green but also delicate, in the fall, it should have tant as looks or taste. rich colours (vibrant green, orange, red …), and

32 INGREDIENTS By gaining knowledge of a wider variety of ingredients, you’re not only able to make variations in texture, colour and lavour, but you also get more opportunities to make surprising combinations. Start making use of less frequently used vegetables, work with what’s seasonally available, study world cuisines with greater vegetarian traditions, and learn from the ingredients used (➔ chapter 3.6 World cuisines).

COOKING STYLE In general, plant-based ingredients need less heat than animal protein. You will want to retain some of their natural textures as well as to give them a complete new texture. Cooking techniques that use high heat for a short amount of time work really well in vegetarian cooking; it gives just that kick that vegetables need and makes the difference on a plate of food. Stijn van Hulle

Techniques that will improve cooking plant based ingredients: Raw using no heat, you can easily change all sorts of salads and vinaigrettes texture by cutting or using a blender. You can also obtain special textures by making use of a dehydrator (see chapter new cooking techniques) Freezing creates big polarity on a plate ice cream, granita

Souring cooking technique that uses acid (vine- mushroom ceviche, chutney gar, lemon, lime,) to “cook” the food Fermenting by yeast or bacteria, transforming taste bread, beer, wine, fermented beans & texture Pickling preserving process that gives the food a sauerkraut, pickles salty and sour taste Curing food preservation with salt or sugar, dried fruits adds lots of flavour & texture Dehydrating using a dehydrator, changing the texture herbs, crackers and flavour

33 shutterstock

High speed blending using a high-speed blender you achieve pineapple & avocado mousse very smooth textures Blanching cooking technique where vegetables are Perfect blanched broccoli added in batches to a large amount of boiling water for a small period of time Boiling cooking food in boiling water or stock potatoes, cauliflower Steaming cooking food by using steam, gives a dimsum moist texture Poaching boiling without bubbles, the liquid just fruit in red wine moves around Vacuum or sous-vide cooking keeps juices and aroma in the food endive which otherwise would be lost in the process of cooking; cooks food very evenly. May also change the texture of raw products Simmering gentle boiling stews Slow cooking using lower heat, resulting in special rice, stews textures and taste Browning/Blackening coated with a crust of herbs, spices or blackened tempeh flour, baked at high heat Water sauté frying by using (a little) water or bouillon Wok cooking without oil as a heat conductor Pan frying frying with a little bit of oil tofu with sea salt Deep frying the food is submerged in hot oil tempura, beignets Pressure cooking higher heat and temperature reduces legumes such as chickpeas the cooking time of foods Flambé using alcohol to create a flame that in- grapes with poire williams fuses the food with volatile aromas Dry roasting grains, nuts and seeds will deepen in millet flavour Roasting all cooking methods that use dry heat, oven roasted root vegetables enhancing the flavour significantly Salt crust a dough of flour & salt, cooked in the celeriac or red beets in salt crust oven. Intensely concentrated flavours

34 Searing obtaining a brown or black crust, using butternut squash with watercress high heat for a short amount of time, pesto then finishing it off in the oven Baking using dry heat for longer periods of time bread by the method of convection Grilling making marks in a grill pan adds flavour grilled tofu with barbecue sauce and texture Barbecue grilling food in the hot smoke of a wood green asparagus on the bbq fire Smoking giving vegetables or plant-based pro- smoking blanched cauliflower, teins a spectacular twist that the palate smoking tofu-tempeh-seitan, smok- will enjoy. Can be done in a smoking ing raw onions before cooking box on the stovetop or on the bbq, to be used in moderation, often 5–10 minutes is more than enough Braising first seared at high heat, then cooked mushrooms with a small amount of liquid. With vegetables this may be their own liquid Toasting lightly growing seeds and nuts will give pine nuts, hazelnuts them more texture and aroma

Freeze fresh herbs with olive oil in a freezing positions, reined textures, ingredients, etc. are mould, so you always have fresh herbs. pointless. For Asians, sautéing has been the ideal way Taste consists of two components: the taste to prepare food quickly for the last 3000 (gustatory perception) of the lavour itself and years. The roasting must be done quickly, as the smell (olfaction). For example: if you drink a otherwise the extracted contents escape or the ingredients stick together. glass of orange juice with a closed nose, you only taste sour or sweet. If you do the same with the TASTE nose open, you experience the full taste of orange. Taste is a sensory function of our central Does it taste good? This is probably the most fre- nervous system. The receptors of taste, the taste quently asked question to guests and perhaps buds, are located on the tongue, in the mouth the most important one. The value of a dish ul- and at the back of the throat where the mouth timately depends upon the taste. If something and nose meet. does not taste good, then event great colour com-

35 THE 6 TASTES IN VEGGIE CUISINE (SEE ALSO ➔ CHAPTER 3.3 'SEASONING OF INGREDIENTS')

Salty Vegetables and plant-based protein do not contain as much mineral salt as animal foods or processed foods. It is therefore necessary to add enough sodium in order to obtain a base flavour in your dish, usually more than when cooking with meat or fish. You’ll know when there is enough sodium. The same goes for bread making.

Sweet is regarded as the most pleasant taste, sweetness is almost always caused by a simple sugar, but also look for the sweetness of ingredients itself, often a little salt brings out the sweet ( ex. tomatoes, cabbage, root vegetables, baked goods)

Acidic this refreshes food, make good use of citrus fruits and vinegars, use fermented products (lactic acid fermentation) such as sauerkraut, pickles, gherkins and of course all vinegars.

Bitter harder to find, it occurs naturally in vegetables such as en- dives as well as in coffee (makes nice vinaigrettes)

Umami Savoury and rich in flavour, it has a mild but lasting aftertaste. Naturally found in kombu, mushrooms, tomatoes and other ingredients.

Spicy or sharp Radishes are naturally pungent; sharpness can be added by use of spices and peppers

Fat a newly “discovered” flavour is contained mainly in oils, nuts – adds a pleasant melts-in-your-mouth feeling to a dish

36 TECHNIQUES TO GET GOOD FLAVOUR Simmering vegetables Consider not using too much water when cook- There are some techniques that bring out a good, ing vegetables. Vegetables lose their basic la- sometimes even meaty (umami) kind of flavour in vours, mostly bitter, salty and sweet, in water. the ingredients. When cooking vegetarian dishes, This is why using water in which asparagus had pay special attention to: been heated for soups works so well. For the same reason, cooking in a steamer is not recom- mended, because much of the lavour is lost in this way. Always prepare white and red vegetables with as little moisture as possible to preserve the lavour. However, green vegetables should be cooked in plenty of lightly salted boiling water. Cook these vegetables as fast as possible so that the colour is retained. Serve them slightly al den- te. The right cooking time is very important for the taste. When vegetables are cooked too long they lose their lavour or even become more bitter. Stijn van Hulle

Spices Spices are much more soluble in oil than in water. In fat, ingredients take longer to develop their lavour, but when that happens, the effect lasts longer. “Yummy” Food is a combination of the correct levels of the basic tastes and volatile aromas. The technique is to keep the volatile aromas while cooking and make sure that these are only released during chewing. They can be “locked” into fat. Therefore, it is best to add fat at the begin- Stijn van Hulle ning of the production and at the end. Grinding spices with a mortar and pestle Texture allows the cells in spices to break, so that the People love different textures; so create con- surface where the spicy lavours are is larger. If trasts! For example, vary something with a crust, you then add a splash of oil, you make sure the a powder, a mousse, etc… lavours are preserved. The Maillard reaction/ Caramelization / Dextrin The Maillard reaction is responsible for most lavours that occur in uncooked meat, but also in toast, roasted coffee and roasted onions. It is the main reaction when roasting substances. This is a non-enzymatic browning reaction of amino acids and simple sugars, which takes place under dry heat exposure. It produces many complex compounds. Responsible for the aroma and taste are the so-called melanoids. To use this browning reaction the food must be as dry as possible and exposed to a fast and high heat-roasting, frying, grilling, or baking. No foods are pure protein products, though vegetable ingredients have an even more signii- cant proportion of carbohydrates present – paral- lel to the Maillard reaction, the formation of dextrin and a caramelization process take place.

37 When heating starch with dry heat, at around 120°C, the amylose and amylopectin chains start to swing so strongly that they eventually break. This creates fragments of starch – the dextrin. They are light brownish and give a nice shine, for example, if you moisten the crust of baked bread scraps with water. During the caramelization process, at about 170 ° C of dry heat, an elimination of water from mono- and disaccharides takes place (dehydra- tion). The colour of the product derives from the resulting double bonds – they absorb light. In addition, a bitter colour pigment (caramel) is formed. This combination is desired as it increases the range of lavours.

With a longer exposure to temperatures from shutterstock 170–190 ° C, the formation of acrylamide is fa- voured. This is a carcinogenic substance (carcin- CUTTING TECHNIQUES ogen). With careful work and regulation of the It is obvious that when everything on a plate is temperature this process can be prevented. cut in the same way, it looks less attractive; the Cooking techniques more dynamic the shapes and cutting styles, the Use high temperature cooking techniques more interesting for the eye and the palate. such as baking, grilling, roasting, baking, fry- In vegetarian cooking you especially want to ing and sautéing. The above-mentioned reactions be mindful of this fact, as a lot of cutting is in- may be the secret to a tasty vegetable stew, when volved. Try to make a start by having some the vegetables are sautéed with broth before ill- things cut bigger and others smaller, try to in- ing with more water. If you want to emphasize corporate some things cut very long and others the taste of a certain ingredient, however, you round. Every vegetable has a couple of preferred should not use high temperatures. cutting styles which work best for its cooking and colour effect, as well as with the desired COLOUR product. The current trend is to have about 5 cut- If you want a vegetarian dish to come to life, try ting styles on the plate in a harmonic composi- to provide colour contrasts. One small colour ac- tion. cent will make a huge difference. For example, In Thailand, children learn cutting techniques inishing off a tray of roasted vegetables with in school during “craft” lessons from a young some coarsely chopped lat-leaf parsley. It’s good age to have many colours going on, at least 4 or 5, and do not forget the colour of the plate used. Search on youtube for “vegetable carving“! Blanching or pickling in salt or vinegar makes the colours of vegetables shine. Japanese ume-su (salty plum vinegar) may colour white vegetables pink. Vegetables will provide most of your TEXTURE colours, so use them as the basis for the colour Texture plays an important role in the enjoy- in your dishes. Herbs and spices add accents, as ment of foods. The contrast between something do various hot and cold sauces and vinaigrettes crunchy and something more soft is especially and oils. enjoyable for the palate. Adding toasted nuts and seeds to your food will increase the appeal of eat- Yellow colour is provided by turmeric or ing it. Try to make more use of crusts and crum- saffron. bles, a very quick way to get more crunch. Other cooking techniques can provide colour, You can offer a carrot raw, as a chip, glazed, browning or caramelizing (see above) and frying as puree, as foam or as gel. This can be an (tempura) or wrapping in dough (phyllo dough, incredible experience for the guest. Examples: puff pastry, brik dough) makes tanning easy. Also, grilling, frying, roasting and baking make the dish more appealing to the eye.

38 ŋ Tofu with parsley and pistachio crust, poached ŋ Vegetable Samosa, filo pastry with lima bean, peaches with coconut crumble sage stuffing

ŋ Add toast and toasted bread pieces to your ŋ Roasting vegetables at high temperature and soups and salads. then grinding them to a powder gives a dish an interesting touch. ŋ Caesar salad, onion soup ŋ Dried ingredients also add a lot of texture. ŋ Spring rolls and dumplings stuffed with soft and tasty fillings of vegetables and legumes bring something to the plate that satisfies the eye and the palate. rSumMary ŋ When cooking vegetarian dishes, extra attention ŋ Special attention is necessary in high heat cook- should be paid to using the right ingredients, ing styles to bring out the Maillard flavours. Use cooking techniques, flavours, cutting styles, col- low heat cooking styles to emphasize the ingre- ours and textures dient’s own flavour.

SEE ALSO

WORKBOOK BecoMe an exPert! PAGE 11 !

LITERATURE

ŋ Page, K.: The vegetarian flavor bible, 2014. ŋ Wareing / Hill / Trotter / Hall: Knife skills. How to carve / chop / slice / fillet, 2012. ŋ http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/ti- tles/karen-page/the-vegetarian-flavor-bi- ŋ Vilgis, Th.: Kochuniversität Geschmack, 2010. ble/9780316244176/

ŋ Baltes, W. / Matissek, R.: Lebensmittelchemie, MULTIMEDIA: 2011. ŋ www.vegucation.eu/media ŋ Smith, D.V. / Boughter jr, J.D.: “Neurochemistry of the Gustatory System”, in: Lajtha, A. / Johnson, ŋ www.vegucation.eu/elearning D. A. (Eds.): Handbook of Neurochemistry and Molecular Neurobiology, 2007, S. 109–135. RECIPES ŋ Myhrvold, N.: Modernist Cuisine. vol. 3, 2011, S. 89–92. Red Cabbage Roulade with Chestnut Filling

Bread Dumplings Bohemian Style ŋ Page, K.: Das Lexikon der Aromen- und Geschmackskombinationen, 2012. Smoked Eggplant Tartar with Couscous Salad

ŋ Derndorfer, E.: Lebensmittelsensorik, 2012.

39 2.6 LeguMes

Order beans in a restaurant, and 9 times After this chapter you should be able to … out of 10 they will come swimming in tomato sauce or in a stew. Too bad, because you can use ŋ Understand the importance and place of legumes legumes in many ways and prepare thousands in vegetarian cooking of tasty foods with them. In other parts of the world, they have been an integral part of culi- ŋ Recognise different beans and their origins nary traditions for centuries. In this chapter, you can explore the potential offered by these natu- ŋ Know how to prepare, store and use them ral protein bombs for use in vegetarian cooking. BackgroUnd Information

All beans, lentils, peas and even peanuts (for ually. In this chapter you will learn about dried peanuts: ➔ see chapter 2.5, nuts and seeds) be- legumes. Most legumes should not be eaten raw long to the Leguminosae family and are called because they contain the natural toxin lectin. ‘legumes’. They contain a lot of carbohydrates and protein, which is why they are often used Soy – the star under the legumes as a meat alternative. Most legumes contain be- Because of their nutritional qualities, soybeans tween 10 and 50 grams of protein per 100 grams have obtained a worldwide reputation and are in dry weight. Cooked legumes contain about half extensive use. A whole range of derived products of this protein. Legumes are also rich in fibre and has come from the soybean; almost all of these have a relatively low fat content. Moreover, these products have roots in Asian culinary traditions. are mainly unsaturated fats. The vitamin content Some of the products like tofu, tempeh and TVP is mainly limited to vitamins B6 and E. The min- (soy chunks) are used as ‘meat replacements’; eral content, however, is very extensive: especial- hence, we give a bit more explanation of these ly calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus products in ➔ chapter 2.8. Others are used more and iron. The particularly high fibre content pro- as condiments or dairy replacements (soymilk, duces a good feeling of fullness - so legumes are cream and -yoghurt, ➔ see chapter 2.9). Soybeans also often used as a filling side dish. A disadvan- are now also grown in Europe. Certain manufac- tage of the high amount of dietary fibre is that turers support local soybean cultivation. they are hard to digest and related to flatulence. In order to make them more resistant to pests, Later in this chapter you will learn how this and thus to attain higher yields, there are now bloating effect can be largely minimized. genetically engineered soybean plants. The We know some legumes in their fresh state enormous demand for soybeans has increased and already use them in our cooking as vegeta- mainly in the animal feed industry. Especially in bles, for example: Latin American countries, many forests have been cut down in order to “make room” for ŋ the pods we know as green beans or snow peas soybeans (also called “land grabbing”). The farmers in these countries sell their land, or they ŋ the seeds in the pods we know as green peas or are offered a lot of money if they only grow soy. edamame. Thus a monoculture that has lasting negative effects not only for the soil, but also for the All legumes have a two-part seed fruit, which is self-sufficiency of the population living there, has surrounded by a solid shell. In some commercial- developed. ly available legumes, this shell has already been shutterstock removed - both seed halves are available individ-

58 OVERVIEW OF LEGUMES

Peanuts are not nuts but legumes! They have a different composition than the other legumes (fat instead of starchy) and are therefore used in cooking as nuts.

NAME AND PICTURE DESCRIPTION

Lentils Small, round, flattened legumes that can be found in green, brown, black, orange and yellow colours. Lentils do not need to be soaked, and the cooking time needed is relatively short in comparison with the other legumes. Lentils are widely used in Indian as well as in French cuisine. Red lentils With colours ranging from yellow to coral red, these are the sweetest lentils. These lentils 1 lose their shape and colour very easy when cooked and are therefore very good to use for dhal (a lentil puree), for soups and fillings. You can find them mostly split, sometimes whole. Brown lentils Sometimes called Spanish lentils or ‘farmers lentils’. Their colour ranges from green brown to brick red brown. They are a quite robust kind of lentil, have a mild flavour and are a bit starchy in mouthfeel. They keep their shape quite well if not cooked too long. Excellent lentils to use in stews or sauces. Black or Beluga The black lentils are somewhat smaller than other lentils and look a bit like caviar hence their lentils name “beluga” lentils. Black lentils have a relatively short cooking time, retain their shape and 5 colour during cooking, thus are easy to use in vegetable and grain salads. Their beautiful black colour changes more to dark brown in the presence of acids. Green lentils, Probably the most well known lentils in French cuisine. They are smaller than brown lentils Du Puy lentils and are green with little grey specks. Only lentils from the commune Du Puy in the Haute- Loire region can get this A.O.C. or Appellation d’Origine name. That’s why you will see often ‘Dupuis’ or other similar names on the packing, trying to fool the customer. These lentils keep their form and texture really well during cooking and have a bit of a nutty flavour. Alb lentil (Alb-Leisa) The Swabian Alb lentil is similar to the Puy lentil, a green small lentil. 2 It belongs to the almost extinct but revived lentils and is grown in the Swabian Alb. It is small, dark green and marbled Since July 2005 it has belonged to the Ark of Taste (Slow Food Foundation) http://www.alb- leisa.de/ Cannellini bean A kind of small kidney-shaped bean. 8

Lima beans Lima beans are quite large beans that are also known as butter beans. These beans come from South America and more specifically Peru, which can be seen by the reference to the city in their name. Gigantes Even bigger then Lima beans, off-white and with a potato-like texture. Popular in Greek and (giant lima beans) Spanish cuisine, sometimes found canned in tomato sauce. Borlotti bean A speckled bean primarily used and popular in Italian cuisine. The speckled appearance is not preserved during the cooking process. The borlotti bean is a flavoursome bean that can 9 be used in minestrone soup, fillings and spread, dips and casseroles. Kidney beans Kidney beans or red beans are, as the name suggests, kidney-shaped beans. They are commonly used in Central and South-American cuisine. Azuki Azuki beans also known as aduki beans are mostly known in macrobiotic cuisine in Europe, 7 where they are regarded as a super food for the kidneys. These small red beans do not nec- essarily need to be soaked before cooking. However, soaking makes them easier to digest. Because they are slightly sweet and creamy, Azuki beans are often used in combination with sweet ingredients like pumpkin and in sweet preparations or desserts.

59 1

8 5

6 Knut Koops Knut

60 Flageolet A flageolet is in fact an immature kidney bean, rather small, and light green. Often used in 4 French cuisine, they are less mealy then other beans and have a more herbal fresh taste.

Yellow soybeans The round yellow soybean can be cooked and used as a bean. This bean contains more protein and fat than other legumes, but as they are difficult to digest, they are hardly ever eaten whole. This bean is primarily used for making soy milk, soy cream, soy flour, soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, soy yogurt, soy chunks, soy pudding and soy ice cream. Black beans This black soybean is a kidney-shaped, solid bean. They are widely used in macrobiotic cuisine for its supposed therapeutic properties. Mung beans Mung beans, also called green soy are, as the name suggests, small green beans. The bean is often left to germinate. When the beans germinate we obtain the well-known bean sprout. 6

Chickpeas Chickpeas have a variety of uses in cooking. They are a kind of medium-sized, brown/gold, 3 round legume that should be soaked before being cooked. They are used in salads, tagines and couscous. They are also the base ingredient in the very well-known chickpea spread or dip called hummus. Chickpeas can also be milled or ground into flour, sometimes called ‘besan’ in Indian cuisine. This flour can be used to make pancakes, batters and dough, and many savoury biscuits. Chickpeas are also widely used in Spanish cuisine and Mediterrane- an French cuisine. Split peas Split peas are dried peas that are sold in a split form. They are very suitable for mashed peas, to make soups or sauces or even as a side dish. You can find them in yellow or green varieties, but apart from the colour they are nearly totally the same. Marrowfat peas This type of pea is commonly used in the Netherlands and is also known as field peas. They are available fresh, preserved in jars, and dried.

USAGE AND STORING

Legumes are cheap and easy to cook with. They have a long shelf life, either dried or in cans. Just store them airtight at room temperature. Leg- umes are used in stews, purées and mousses, salads, burgers or as a ﬁlling in dumplings and vegetables. Canned or jarred legumes are ready to use and only need heating up. But often, for a better taste and in recipes where the legumes play a mayor role, it’s much more rewarding to cook legumes yourself. This can require a bit of planning in the kitchen: the cooking time of dried legumes can be quite long and it’s often necessary to soak legumes before cooking. You should also be aware that older beans require more water and a longer cooking time to soften up. The older the bean, the more water you need and the longer the soaking time.

PREPARATION

Legumes can cause ﬂatulence, especially among shutterstock people who are not used to them. One option is to boil the soaked legumes for a short while, drain beans that cause intestinal discomfort are discard- and rinse them, and then cook them in fresh wa- ed with the rinsing. However, the downside is ter. By using this method, the starches from the that you also discard some of the ﬂavour. For this

61 reason, some chefs prefer not to use this pre-boiling (step 3) and only rinse them after the soaking (step 2). Another option is to provide the legumes with spices that either reduce the bloating or get rid of it completely. The following spices or herbs are particularly useful:

ŋ Asafetida (asafoetida powder), cumin, kombu (a seaweed), thyme, rosemary, anise, fennel, wild garlic, oregano, marjoram, ginger, saffron, hys- sop, peppermint, and lemon verbena.

Since legumes take on different ﬂavours easily, the creativity of the cook is needed. All legumes must be checked for foreign components and washed before cooking: shutterstock

1. Check the legumes for stones or impurities and 3. Bring the legumes to the boil and let them sim- wash them thoroughly until the rinsing water is mer with the lid open for 5 to 10 minutes. Re- completely clear. move them from the heat, drain and then rinse the beans thoroughly so that all froth is gone. Put The cooking of legumes also varies depending on water or broth in again. the age or species. You should read the package description - they are not always suitable for a 4. Put in herbs and spices Kombu or other spices “fast” dish. Many small lentil types (Puy, Beluga, (see above) are great to use, don’t use salt Swabian Alb lentils) need a cooking time of only about 20–30 min after washing - without prior 5. Cook on low heat with the lid open or half-open, soaking. The dishes are especially tasty when the remove the froth occasionally and add some wa- lentils are sweated brieﬂy in oil, and then cooked ter or broth when necessary. in unsalted broth. 6. The cooking time can range from 20 minutes For all other legumes (chickpeas, large brown laird for lentils to up to two hours for red beans or lentils, yellow peas ...), proceed as following: chickpeas. Another possible method of preparing legumes is with a pressure cooker. The cooking 2. After washing, leave the legumes to soak in plen- time is shorter with it. ty of cold water (as a general guideline: three times their volume in water). Read the descrip- Important: season with salt or soy sauce tion – normally they take 8–15 hours – Do not let during the end of the cooking process, them soak for longer than that, as from then on otherwise the legumes will not become soft, the germination process begins because salt toughens up their skin. rSumMary  Legumes are an important source of protein and  Soy is multi-talented, it is the base for many al- are therefore often used as a vegetable or as a ternatives to yogurt, milk, meat and others meat alternative.  Legumes can enrich many dishes and have many uses

62 SEE ALSO BecoMe an exPert! WORKBOOK MULTIMEDIA PAGE 13 !

ŋ www.vegucation.eu/media RECIPES ŋ www.vegucation.eu/elearning Lentil-Rice-Tacos with Coleslaw and Tzatziki

LITERATURE Fruity Vegetable and Chickpea Ragout with Rice Pilaw ŋ Auffinger, B.: Vegane Milchprodukte aus Nüssen, Samen und Kernen. Anleitungen und Rezepte mit Gesundheitstipps, 2014.

ŋ Goschler, U.: Grünes Eiweiß. 60 vegane und vegetarische Rezepte mit Hülsenfrüchten, Pilzen, Getreide und Nüssen, 2013.

ŋ Walker, H.: Bohnen, Erbsen, Linsen & Co. Voll- wertige Rezepte mit Hülsenfrüchten. Fantastisch vegetarisch, 2010.

NOTES