Taking the long way around

Rescued by Loving Hut

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My recent trip to the gorgeous Mexican city of Xalapa was downright sensational. I enjoyed a long hike through coffee and banana farms, I took in the sights of the glorious Teocelo waterfall and I swam during a torrential tropical rainstorm.

Oh, I almost forgot. I ate a lot of vegan food, too.

The city of Xalapa in the state of Veracruz won’t win any awards for being vegan-friendly. Heck, I even passed a restaurant that proudly proclaimed ‘NO VEGETARIANO’ on its front sign. Yes, it can be difficult to eat plant-based in Xalapa but the addition of a Loving Hut to the landscape has certainly brightened the outlook.

Loving Hut in Xalapa, Veracruz

Loving Hut outlets are seemingly popping up everywhere and it is making vegan travel easier. After our gruelling day of hiking and sightseeing, Josh and I were desperately in need of some recharging. Loving Hut Xalapa came to the rescue in a big way.

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Vegan airline food: guest post by The Vegan Butcher

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Following on from the immense interest shown in my recent post about vegan airline food, I have started to ask people to share their words and pictures about their own experiences.

My friend The Vegan Butcher has kindly supplied me with a written account of her meal on a recent Air Canada flight. Doesn’t sound too shabby!

If you would like to submit a story about a vegan meal you have been served in the air, please email me (with photos) at fatgayvegan at hotmail dot com. I would love to feature some guest contributors. Let’s build a library of vegan airline food stories!

Take it away, The Vegan Butcher.

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Falafelito es mi papito

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Mexico City is turning up some vegan surprises, that’s for sure.

I have purchased chocolate soya milk in grocery stores, enjoyed massive jars of tofu/olive paté and let’s not forget about the wonderful vegan cupcakes made right here in Distrito Federal. Oh no, I haven’t been going hungry.

Amongst this cornucopia of hidden vegan delights is one of the loveliest food outlets anywhere in the world. Vegans and vegan-curious, please let me introduce you to Falafelito.

Falafelito en La Condesa

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Who am I that I come to be here?

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Time for a quick poll. What consumes the attention of a FGV most?

Choices for answers:

1. Eating vegan food    2. Traveling    3. Morrissey

Well done to the readers who put a circle around all three answers. Let me take you on a little journey as a reward for your astuteness. Hold on as we take in the delights of Rome, Morrissey in concert and vegan gelato.

A few weeks ago I took a trip to a far off place to see Morrissey in concert. It was my first time in Italy and Rome certainly left a huge impression on me. The city was gorgeous of course, but the immense wealth harnessed and displayed by organised religion left a rather sour taste in my mouth.

The remedy for this was to find my way to Gelarmony, a gelato outlet with an entire case of vegan options. From an overwhelming range of flavours, I was able to whittle my choice  down to just three plus a healthy dose of vegan soya cream on top.

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Jet trails in the sky

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Do you often fly coach/economy? Then you will be acutely aware of how lousy airline food can be.

Requesting a vegan meal on a plane is even more of  minefield. I was once served a lamb curry for my special meal request. Another adventure involved nothing but a few blocks of cheese and water crackers. And of course we all know the anguish of having nothing to eat except a bowl of under-ripe melon. I have enjoyed the occasional vegan meal on a flight and the memory will always be cherished of being served a vegan donut with chocolate soy milk on a United Airlines flight.

I am keen to share my latest experience of vegan flying food with you, but before I do I want to ask a question. What is the best vegan food you have been served inflight? What is the least memorable? What is the most unbelievably bad? I know that is more than one question, but I am just that curious!

Here is the vegan meal I was served on British Airways a week ago on my way to Mexico City. Overall I was impressed by the quality and the thought that had gone into my meal. The vegan dishes were actually vegan as far as I could tell. It was definitely one of the most satisfying vegan meals I have experienced on a flight during the last few years. How does this rate with your experiences?

Dairy free bread with vegan spread was a rare flying treat

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Cupcakes en la capital

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Para los hispanohablantes hay una versión en español al final de esta página.

I traveled 11 hours by plane to the other side of the world and what did I discover? If you guessed delicious vegan cupcakes, give yourself a pat on the back!

Mexico City is not known internationally as a haven for vegans. Walking through any street market in the metropolis would lead you to believe the concept of plant-based fare is completely unknown. All sorts of dead animals are fried, boiled and seared before your very eyes and it is confronting and often gruesome.

But not all is lost. A new wave of vegan options is taking over Distrito Federal and I am extremely proud to say a dear friend of mine is part of the movement by making sure he offers cruelty-free treats as part of his new baking endeavour.

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Cocina cruda es mi amor

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If you read my ramblings with any regularity, you’ll have noticed I don’t follow the healthiest of eating regimes. Fats, sugars and a whole lot of carbs are usually hanging around my plate. I know what healthy eating is, but there are some habits that are a bit more than a struggle to break.

However, these less than desirable (but tasty) eating habits are increasingly being challenged by the delicious raw food I have been coming into contact with lately. inSpiral Lounge of Camden have me well and truly hooked with their raw crackers, granola bites and kale chips. Saf are also magicians of raw snacks of which I increasingly can’t get enough.

Then of course there is the relatively-new vegan raw restaurant in Madrid that has captured my heart, belly and taste buds. Oh my!

Crucina

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Como la flor(e)

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If you had to choose one city to eat in for the rest of your days, where would you settle down? Imagine for a moment that you couldn’t leave the city limits of your chosen locale… I wonder which vegan-friendly city you would choose. My choice is a no-brainer.

Los Angeles.

Not only does this supercity house some of my favourite vegan eateries in the world, it no doubt possesses the largest number of vegan individuals anywhere on the planet. Lots of vegan people equates a stunning range of plant-based restaurants that are truly world class. Native Foods Cafe. Veggie Grill. Cruzer Pizza. Rahel. Real Food Daily. Seed. The list goes on and on.

And then there’s Flore Vegan. Oh my.

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Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer

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I’m feeling romantic. Come with me as I spirit you back to 2005, the year I first met one of the true loves of my life. People often say you can’t help who you fall in love with and in that vein, dear FGV readers, I would like to introduce you to Original Pale Ale by Coopers Brewery.

Coopers Pale Ale

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Just like I pictured it

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My trips to NYC come along more frequently than most people can enjoy and for that I am humble and grateful. Travel is a luxury and New York is one hell of a destination. I am extremely fortunate.

But I can’t help feeling sorry for myself when I think of how very far I live from Red Bamboo and how infrequently I experience their delights. Come with me as I step back in time to December 2011. That date marks my most recent trip to this vegetarian paradise. Preparing the photos for this post was enough to make my head spin. Take a peep, won’t you.

Red Bamboo of NYC

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