There are countless proposals on the market: one of the sectors experiencing strong growth and development is that related to plant-based alternatives to cheese; from those made with nuts, to soy-based ones, to all alternatives derived from sprouted brown rice. In this regard, Ma-Vi Trade presents one of the most versatile and appreciated products: Mozzarisella.
We are what we DON'T eat
In a world of "free from" foods, what reveals our identity and our values, even more than what we actually eat, is everything we don't eat. In 1850, Feuerbach argued that we are what we eat and, in other words, that nutrition is the foundation of intelligence, feeling and culture. This broad vision of the relationship between human beings and food is without doubt extremely relevant today; in fact, only a very small percentage of the population tends to consider food as mere nourishment. Even now, if we think about it, what we eat represents different values and emotions; it is a source of entertainment and conviviality and also reveals our culture, our origins and our religious beliefs. In short, food and its system of contents and meanings are particularly relevant in people's lives and nutrition is a vehicle for well-being and self-betterment of the individual.
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is the European recognition that designates an agricultural or food product whose entire production cycle, from raw material to finished product, takes place in a well-defined geographical area that cannot be reproduced elsewhere. This strong relationship is guaranteed by a production specification, i.e. a code of self-discipline whose compliance by operators is controlled by a third-party body recognized and appointed by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies. This ensures the actual authenticity of a PDO-branded product.
In recent years, an important percentage of products in the food sector is represented by "free from" foods, i.e. all those categories of products from which one or more components are eliminated: "gluten-free", "GMO-free", "additive-free", "preservative-free", "lactose-free", "free from ingredients of animal origin" and many others. If it is true that what we eat reflects and conditions our way of life, today, on the contrary, increasingly also what we don't eat contributes to defining our identity.
Vegetarian and vegan diets increasingly popular
First among all in the rankings are, without a doubt, the tendency to follow a vegetarian diet, excluding from one's diet any type of meat or fish, or a vegan diet, which in addition to excluding meat also eliminates its derivatives. Among the numerous motivations that induce people to prefer a daily diet based on vegetables, those of a health type definitely beat ethical choices. 38.5% of vegetarians/vegans chose to follow this type of lifestyle because they were convinced of the positive effects in terms of health. Then there is 14.1% who decided to eat less and better and another 14.1% who chose to be vegetarian/vegan as a philosophy of life. Love for animals is the main motivation for 20.5%. Respect for the environment, on the other hand, conditions only 3.8% and just as many are those driven simply by curiosity. The remaining 5.2% provides different motivations. (Source: Food choices: why being vegan is hard)
A category not to be excluded from the previous list is that of the so-called 'flexitarians'. This expression derives from the English flexitarian, in turn composed of the adjective flexible and vegetarian. These are all those who follow a vegetarian-type diet but who do not give up occasionally eating meat or fish, it is a category of 'not entirely convinced' vegetarians.
People, in fact, are increasingly curious about this vast world and are acquiring the awareness that a vegetarian or vegan dish does not consist only of a monotonous salad, and that consuming vegetarian/vegan products does not necessarily mean eating 'strange' foods. In fact, in addition to being a real experience, this new trend is a challenge for producers and distributors in the food sector. A challenge that has been positively accepted and that has led companies to include new 'free from' products inspired by Italian tradition and of high quality. Along with them, many restaurateurs also propose vegetarian or vegan dishes on their menus that respect the seasonality of the ingredients and combine them in imaginative and tasty ways. Many typically Italian dishes, in fact, already have a plant-based basis, just think for example of spaghetti with tomato sauce, Genoese farinata or caponata. Many others can then be modified and reinvented, as happens with pizza.
Ma-Vi Trade vegan products
The Ma-Vi Trade Group, which boasts twenty years of experience in the traditional food sector, has recently decided to undertake this new path. In particular, the Group is interested in unique and high-quality made in Italy products such as premium cereal cakes, artisan pasta, hummus and plant-based alternatives to meat and cheese. Consult our Vegan Products Catalog
As regards the sector of plant-based alternatives to cheese, the offer is very wide. On the market there are not only soy, rice or tofu-based items but also some derivatives from the use of potato starch, chickpea flour or nuts. Specifically, it is possible to detect the presence of four macro-categories of plant-based alternatives to cheese:
- Cheese for vegetarians, which, although being a product derived from cow's milk, replaces animal rennet with types of microbiotic, plant-based coagulants (especially extracted from artichoke, fig and thistle) or derived from mushrooms.
- Plant-based alternatives to cheese based on nuts. These are mainly products containing nuts (almonds and cashews are the most used), which give a particular taste and character.
- Plant-based alternatives to fresh cheese, products that in most cases are derived from sprouted brown rice or soy.
- Plant-based alternatives to aged cheese, characterized by a harder consistency than those of the previous category.
(Source: Il Fatto Alimentare)
Vegan catalog
Be careful, though, to call them 'cheese'! The European Court of Justice has in fact established that the use of the term 'cheese' must be exclusive to products made with animal milk, as is the case for yogurt and milk.
The Vegan Catalog of Ma-Vi Trade is full of plant-based alternatives to cheese, resulting from the use and processing of one of the oldest and most widely used cereals in the world: rice. It is sprouted brown rice organically grown in historic Italian rice fields, which contains many of the fundamental nutritional components to be taken daily (including for example fibers, proteins, mineral salts and many others), present in greater quantities than found in white rice. The cultivation process of this cereal is followed and controlled at every single stage, from the moment of sowing to that of actual use for the creation of numerous alternative cheese products. Everything is managed in such a way as not to disrupt the natural rhythms of germination, a process thanks to which the transformation of the seed into a sprout is activated and realized.
In this regard, Ma-Vi Trade presents one of the most versatile and appreciated products: Mozzarisella. It falls into the category of alternatives to fresh cheeses and also allows a more demanding audience to prepare various snacks and dishes using a high-quality Italian ingredient. It is a healthy and modern food with which you certainly do not give up taste and, moreover, it is easily digestible thanks to the presence of sprouted brown rice. Mozzarisella is perfect both to use plain and within more elaborate dishes... and why not, also on pizza!
The lines proposed by Mozzarisella include, in addition to the classic Mozzarisella, also a version with a smoked flavor with turmeric, a tasty version obtained thanks to the addition of Nori and Ulva algae and a spreadable and delicate version ideal to use as a side dish or in sweet preparations. Furthermore, it is possible to find Mozzarisella also in slices, suitable for filling sandwiches, toast and any dish that requires a melting and stringy product.
Below you will find a simple 100% vegan recipe that uses one of the products of the Mozzarisella brand: Spalmarisella.
Whole wheat spaghetti with asparagus, Taggiasca olives and borage flowers with Sichuan pepper
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 320 g whole wheat spaghetti;
- 200 g Spalmarisella;
- 8 asparagus tips;
- about ten Taggiasca olives;
- mixed aromatic herbs;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- borage flowers;
- salt and extra virgin olive oil to taste;
- a few grains of Sichuan pepper.
Preparation:
- In a pan, flavor the garlic over low heat in a spoonful of oil. Add the asparagus tips and a ladle of vegetable broth and cook for about ten minutes. The asparagus should remain crunchy. Remove the garlic.
- Turn on the water for the pasta. Meanwhile, add the aromatics, Spalmarisella and olives cut into small pieces to the sauce. Mix well.
- Throw in the pasta and drain it al dente, finish cooking in the sauce, adding a spoonful of cooking water if necessary. Finish with a drizzle of oil.
- Serve the spaghetti with borage flowers, some pieces of olive and Sichuan pepper. Source: Nordfoodovestest
Abroad they are often identified as 'Parmesan', a generic term that distinguishes a hard grated cheese, but if you want to be sure that you are buying or consuming an authentic product you must make sure that Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are written on the packages and next to these names the symbol of the individual PDOs is present.