Happy World Vegan Day!

November 1^st is World Vegan Day. And even if you’re not a vegan, there’s lots to enjoy – honest!

Veganism, once quite a minority eating preference has now risen significantly. People embrace veganism for a number of reasons, some ethical and a rejection of eating animal products, some environmental out of a belief that veganism is better for the planet, and others for health reasons, believing in the health benefits of giving up meat and dairy in favour of plant-based food.

This awareness day is a relatively new one, founded in England in 1994 by a vegan animal rights activist and President of the Vegan Society, Louise Wallis. She wanted to celebrate this organisation’s 50th anniversary and the fact that the word ‘vegan’ had become well recognised and used in the English language.

According to the Vegan Society there’s lots of evidence of recent growth in the number of vegans in the UK and growing interest in plant-based products. In 2022, research by Ipsos found that 46% of Brits aged 16-75 are considering reducing their intake of animal products in the future.

And most of us have spotted vegan alternatives to virtually all foods springing up in the supermarket and vegan options in restaurants and takeaways.

Whatever your take on veganism, even if you’re a meat-lover, you’ll find meat-free and dairy-free dishes can be delicious. Traditional ingredients like tomatoes, pulses, rice can be the basis of a great many recipes with interesting textures and strong flavours.

One of the most popular traditional Egyptian dishes, Koshari, is vegan. In fact, it’s even considered the national dish of Egypt and a very popular street food. It is very healthy and consists of lentils, pasta, chickpeas, rice, vermicelli, tomato sauce, garlic and onions and spices. The Egyptian sauce gives it the unique taste for which the dish is popular.