New products to explore at Ottawa's VegFest

On July 25, the vegan association of Ottawa, VegOttawa held their annual festival, bringing education and deliciously inspired food and drink to both the curious and converted.

It was a large affair featuring dozens of food and drink artisans as well as crafters making things like clutches and wallets out of cork. 

For foodies, the benefit, irrespective of lifestyle, is finding new and unique products. What I find promising is that foods in a variety of categories are demonstrating how well-made and tasty they are. 

This goes to a larger point. For those who follow food trends, including diets, we know there has long been a divide between vegans and omnivores. Putting aside the ideas both sides may hold of one another, the winner here is food progress itself. 

There is no doubt that with veganism, food innovation has been accelerated. Newer technologies, base materials and research are leading to plant-based protein substitutes that can not only provide satisfying textures and mouthfeel but also take up seasonings to deliver complexity.

Green Brothers out of Montreal were on hand with their vegan snacks such as tofu popcorn, corndogs and pizza and burger flavoured “saucers”. 

The meat substitutes were very good. Each item tasted very close to the original. The pizza saucer tasted like pepperoni in marinara, and the burger tasted like, and had the texture of, ground beef.

The packaging is deliberately family-friendly, designed to create appeal for the young ones. If you’re interested in adding these to your kitchen, they’re widely available at a number of grocers in Gatineau, including IGA and Metro.

Darren Portelli has suffered from lifelong migraine aura. As his business site Crazy D’s tells us, his quality of life was declining, but he realized that what he could control was his diet. He embarked on a three-year journey to develop a prebiotic soda that contained no sugar or sugar substitutes. 

His gut-healthy sodas contain 8 grams of fibre per can, with natural sweetness from a variety of root sources. 

The sodas are uplifting and fresh, with an appealing lightness. The flavours are sufficiently bold yet not overpowering and taste exactly like what’s promised on the label.

Darren has developed four flavours and the Cherry Cola was a standout. It’s my new favourite and it’s easily the finest prebiotic soda I’ve ever tasted. 

Readers know I’ve written about other low/no sugar sodas such as Poppi and Cove, but Crazy D’s sets an entirely new standard.

His website directs you to the shops that carry the products such as Whole Foods and Metro, but you can also order directly from him. 

Nutes (short for Nutrients) is the brainchild of Cheryl Harvey. She’s created a line-up of frozen raw food “pucks” that you add to your favourite milk and blend for a treat or a great start to the day.

Being an absolute bear for berries, I was particularly delighted with both the Black & Blue and Purple Tonic Superfood smoothies. This is pure plant power with nothing added to enhance the flavours. Delicious.

Each bag contains 10 pucks for a total of five smoothies. In Ottawa, Nutes smoothie pucks are available at Farm Boy and Healthy Planet stores.

Lina Mama is The Hot Pepper Lady. She grows 40 varieties of peppers and has created a mini empire of great tastes.

Her work has resulted in a fine assortment of African and Caribbean flavours in the form of seasonings, hot sauces, rubs and her masterwork, Ghana Jollof sauce.

African Jollof rice can be absolutely crave-inducing, yet I’ve rarely had a good one. I used Lina’s sauce and was immediately reminded of the best examples. 

The sauce is a blend of tomatoes, leeks, ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes, and a melange of herbs and spices for a transportive, aromatic seasoning.

Yes, I immediately made a terrific jollof rice, but the next day, slathered it on chicken wings and also spiked a homemade chicken soup for a mildly spicy variation. All were very good so don’t limit its use to just rice. Try it as a base for a white bean stew as well.