Burgers
There are many vegan burger patties available in South Africa. However, not all of them satisfy those meat cravings. Luckily Beyond Meat, the burger patty that has long been regarded as the best meat substitute burger patty overseas, is now available in South Africa. Beyond Meat prides themselves on their burger patty that "looks, cooks and satisfies like beef". So if you're looking for a burger that packs a meaty punch without actually eating meat, this is the brand for you.
You can get Beyond Meat online at
Pink Piggy.
Fried 'Chicken'
If crispy, deep-fried wholesomeness with a slight hint of paprika, onion, sage and the other eight herbs and spices is what you're craving, then you need to know about Vegeata. They are a catering company with a food stand at various vegan markets. Gemma, the owner and chef, will delight you with her mock fried chicken — these crispy morsels look so much like the real thing, you'll be hesitant to try them. But, they're worth it. Vegeata also produces vegan gourmet doughnuts that are stuffed and topped with yummy deliciousness, as well as delectable bao buns, nachos and beautiful custom cakes — all of which are vegan.
Find out more about
Vegeata here.
Kala Namak
Kala namak or Indian black salt is a salt that, despite its name, is actually pink or grey. This salt contains minerals like sulphur, which gives it a distinctive flavour that differs from other types of salt. The sulphur in the salt makes it taste like egg, making it the perfect seasoning on mash potato mixed with a bit of food colouring or turmeric for a mock egg when you're craving that English breakfast. You can also sprinkle some on fried rice and tofu for mock egg fried rice.
You can find kala namak online at
Faithful to Nature.
Vegan Biltong
Being South African, biltong is likely to be one of your cravings sooner or later. Luckily, we know of two awesome brands of delicious vegan biltong, Oh Poppyseed and Herbi Vohr. Both of these brands make their products out of seiten — a textured meat alternative made from wheat protein. Oh Poppyseed specialises in a variety of biltong with the added benefit of being high in protein, having zero cholesterol, while 10% of proceeds go to animal rights. Herbi Vohr has a wide range of vegan deli items such as bacon, pepperoni, pastrami and, of course, biltong. Their spicy biltong has just enough spices and flavouring to fool your senses into believing it's the real thing.
You can find
Oh Poppyseed at their online store.
Herbi Vohr products are available at various
Spar outlets,
Jackson's Real Food Market and
Pink Piggy.
Ice Cream
On a hot summer's (or winter's for some of us) day, the thing you miss most from the omnivore diet is ice cream! Unfortunately, vegan ice cream, frozen yoghurt and sorbet can be extremely difficult to find. But, we've got you covered. There's no reason why you can't enjoy that creamy goodness, thanks to Paul's Homemade Ice Cream. Paul's is well known for their wide varieties of ice cream and sorbet available in regular, Banting, health and vegan. Their rich dark chocolate vegan ice cream is definitely a must-try.
Paul's Homemade Ice Cream has several locations across Joburg where you can purchase it by scoop or tubs to go. They also have ice cream bars at selected
Spar stores.
Being vegan isn't as bad as it's made out to be. With these cheats and treats, you can still enjoy all the best things about food while maintaining your awesome vegan superpowers.
What is your favourite vegan cheat? Let us know in the comments section below!
