As Vgarden continues to expand globally, I am traveling more than ever, and enjoying the diversity of restaurants in every city I visit. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in the United States and Europe, and while I still crave Chicago-style pizza when I’m in the Windy City, and crepes when I’m in Paris in the City of Lights, I also enjoy checking out the latest vegan restaurants and especially my favorite TexMex.
I’m clearly not the only one who craves Mexican food. Technavio recently published a report validating the popularity of the category, attributing much of the growth to consumer demand for convenience foods, and products including tortillas, tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
The ingredient that makes TexMex so appealing to me is cheese – and lots of it!
Vgarden provides delicious, nutritious, and melty plant-based cheddar shreds, blocks, and slices, as well as vegan mozzarella to the food service industry, and to consumer brands (like Mashu Mashu, Cale & Daughters, Made With Plants and more).
The growth of vegan alternatives in the Mexican food market is plainly evident at popular chains, including Chipotle, which has been a leader since their inception in providing personalized combinations which make vegan life easier. This article in World of Vegan says it all, and includes this stunning fact:
“Did you know that Chipotle only uses 53 ingredients in all the meals they make? That’s pretty incredible! I counted 44 of the 53 ingredients to be vegan and only 9 were not. The non-vegan ingredients at Chipotle include beef, Monterey jack cheese, cheese cultures, chicken, cultured cream, honey, milk, pork and white cheddar. The short ingredient list is impressive and makes it easy to order almost anything on their menu made vegan.”
No doubt Chipotle and other popular Mexican food chains like them will one day include plant-based cheese options, following in the footsteps of pizza restaurants and delivery services we’ve been supplying for years with plant-based cheeses, pepperoni, and other options.
In the birthplace of Mexican cuisine, the popularity of vegan lifestyles is surging. Last year excelsior.com reported that 20% of Mexicans are already vegan or vegetarian, and while some may challenge this figure, the trend is clear: consumer habits in Mexico are shifting towards animal-free products, for a variety of reasons including health, the environment and animal welfare, according to this article in Vegconomist.
With better plant-based ingredients like the vegan cheeses Vgarden is known for, it is easier than ever for individuals to find all the ingredients they need to make, for example, a vegan quesadilla, and for restaurants, catering companies, school cafeterias, food delivery services and more to add vegan TexMex options to their menus.
I don’t have to travel to find great vegan TexMex dining, as Mexican food generally has been growing in popularity in Israel. It is a trend that coincides with the obsession with vegan and vegetarian lifestyles in Israel, and when you visit Tel Aviv, you can find vegan options on nearly every Mexican restaurant menu.
Feel free to reach out to me to learn more about how we collaborate with chefs across all cuisines to create the premium plant-based ingredients they need to build vegan dishes with all the traditional spices, flavors, textures, and layers that prove there are no compromises necessary when transforming favorites into healthier plant-based versions.
Tom