Eating Vegan in Buenos Aires - Interview Series - BA Verde Comida Crudito (RAW FOOD)

Continuing my journey, eating vegan in Buenos Aires, I come to what was one of my favourite meals.   Even after being back in England for over a month, time has not dulled the memory of a Palermo Hollywood restaurants famous Raw Cannelloni…Oh my...so good I ate it twice (on different days!)...I recall with fondness every texture, every layer of flavour, every brightening herb, and every delightful crunch and chaw.  

All vegan, nothing cooked.  The cannelloni is made from dehydrated vegetables and filled with a béchamel sauce and colourful shredded veggies,  red sauce is drizzled over the top with minced onions and fresh herbs.  Nutty sprouted quinoa and activated almonds (soaked and then dehydrated to give them a supreme crunchiness) scattered across the dish.  The guac was chunky and the dark, flavoursome olives gave a 3rd, 4th, 5th dimension to the whole ensemble.  Oh how my heart beats a little faster at the memory!   

The menu is printed in English too. The waitresses have a canny knack of spotting a language-shy English speaker at twenty paces.  The food at BA Verde is not totally raw, nor is it totally vegan.  90% of their desserts have honey as a sweetener, or sugar. It is 100% vegetarian.  Their salads with raw crackers and cheeses are scrumptious.  They have soups, 'one-pots' and smoothies too.

With delicious food, lovingly prepared such as this, it is no wonder I was intrigued by Mauro, the artisan chef behind Buenos Aires Verde Organico Vegetariano.   

He seemed a quiet figure.  The three times I visited he was deeply embroiled in planning or meetings.  I see a man, keen to carry forth a movement that seems, surprisingly, so well established in Buenos Aires.  I still cannot put my finger on the reason I was drawn to trek thousands of miles to Buenos Aires and see for myself.  I guess, nowadays, travel is so easy, the internet carries information in a heart beat and this made it appear so accessible.  One can't help but accept that we are all influencing each other and the 'butterfly' effect is not just a hypothetical.  If you took mainstream travel journals at face value, you may be led to assume vegetarians do not exist in this South American country.  I found out for myself that they do…in droves.  

So, I wanted to dig deeper.  I sent ….. a few…(ok a lot of) questions to Mauro.  He kindly found the time to oblige.  I've left the translations as is.  (So cute). 

[ ] are my interpretations

What led Mauro to open a vegetarian restaurant?

Changing my lifestyle to a vegetarian diet made me have a different connection with food, and that's what I wanted to convey to people

Are you a vegetarian or a high raw diet?

Vegetarian, cheese consumption three times per semana [week]. Tengo [i have] stages where consume more raw foods and smoothies all

What or who influenced cooking? Who or what influenced you to one side of the typical diet heavy meat and adopt cleaner Argentina vegan / vegetarian lifestyle (if any)?

All my life I devoted to cooking, the greatest influence was my madre.En never really had a preference for meat, easy dejarlo [take it or leave it] .En Argentina was not easy in the environment of family gatherings or friends do not eat meat because it is usually the main course, people gather to eat barbecue, I adapt eating fresh salads

How long have you been a vegan / vegetarian chef?

For 5 years, previously to traditional

What changes have you experienced as a result of adopting a plant-based diet high?

Really sick less, lose weight, I feel more energy, need less sleep

What was the initial reaction to its opening and now is your typical restaurant? gender / class / nationality

The food is tasty, the public was very popular and they are not all natural food vegetarianos.El concept if you have a stronger weight in Buenos Aires, and a vegetarian diet of little more being installed in public. [people are seeing a vegetarian diet can lead to weight loss]

What is the% of organic matter produced by the use in their dishes and is easy to produce the source?

It is not always easy, few organic producers and export their production. No most all are in Buenos Aires and depend heavily on how the weather affects their cosechas.En the restaurant everything is organic. 

Is there a vegan / vegetarian society in Argentina, other than the uva.org.ar? I have not found any products with accreditation (I've only found a vegan / raw food product on a diet). I have emailed directly ova.org.ar also to answer this question.

There is only government agencies NGOs vegan vegetarian but not yet.

Is there a vegan or raw foodist politicians or influential people in media?

Many actors and celebrities are vegetarians, none recognized political.

What is your most requested dish?

The dough rolls stuffed dehydrated vegetables and cashew cheese, raw ice cream and risottos.

What is your favorite dish (if you have one .... or at least one current)?

The quinoa wok

Favorite ingredient?

Quinoa

Have you ever appeared in elgourmet or the like, or a lifestyle magazine?

In several articles in newspapers and journals in utilisima in air channels, and realize a series of shorts for a cable show cooking.

In preparing your food at home and creating our recipe, do you have a favorite piece of music do you listen, or environment you want to create?

As this depends on the time.

What is your current favorite restaurant (if you ever have any free time!) In Buenos Aires or Argentina as a whole?

Osaka could be  [http://www.osaka.com.pe]

What is your vision for your restaurant and the scene of vegetarians/vegans in Argentina?

Growing, with increasing acceptance

Do you have plans for a cookbook? My Spanish is improving but not enough to discover if there is a vegetarian or vegan cookbooks on the market for Argentine chefs?

Not really, most are translations of books outside.

What do you want to answer questions that I may have omitted to ask?

It could perhaps be about organic growth, which to me is very importante. No one could speak of intelligent power outside organicos.  The concept that it is time for people to invest more into your diet and less on drugs, and for that food must be important. Not just avoiding meat and meat special, if not also choose seasonal flavors, enjoy them, and work with the middle ambiente. Dejar [stop] of eating fruits, vegetables and cereals treated with fertilizers among other things . Return to origins, to nature, to enjoy cooking and eating.

I hope Mauro accomplishes all he sets out to improve, and continues to gather a hungry and conscious crowd.  Oh and the restaurant holds classes too, to help people master his techniques.  

Want to know more about vegan food in Buenos Aires? (click here for gluten free vegan products and links to my reviews)

Be well

India xx

Buenos Aires - Where to eat Vegan Food [part 1] - dónde encontrar comida vegans en Buenos Aires

A bee had gotten in my bonnet.  Sitting in my home in England, scribbling my travel wish list.  I began to ponder...Why was a predominately cow consuming country sprouting a growing hub of vegan and vegetarian restaurants?  What was the food culture of Argentina and could I uncover it (and devour a portion of it) in a month?  

I'd carried out quite extensive research before took my first journey, over 5000 west,  to South America. Upon arrival I clutched a list of restaurants to visit.  With the ability to say hello and yes and not much else in Spanish tongue.  It wasn't going to be easy getting the answers I sought.

In this article I'm going to begin to showcase the restaurants and their offerings.  The quality of food I tried at these places bounced up and down the scale.  I offer you a snapshot.   A few of these places really got my attention and some of them agreed to answer a (long) list of preguntas (questions) my curious little head was filled with.  

For now, here is what my tastebuds made of the meatless dining available in Buenos Aires.   Many of the carni restaurants offered plant-based options but I had enough to fill my time (and tummy) with among the vegetarian/vegan/raw food joints that I chose to focus on those (with the exception of one which was the venue for meeting with my Spanish teacher…I've listed this one also).

All the places listed have different opening times and days.  Check the websites before heading out.  Prices are moderate. Based on an entree - between  40-75 ARS pesos / £5-9 / or $8-14 USD

Masamadre

This place had received great reviews on the internet.  The owner Frederica has infused community into her colourful little restaurant, on the northern edges of Dorego in Villa Crespo.  Over the four weeks I was in Buenos Aires.  The cafes and streets around Dorego, the outer limits of Palermo Hollywood, was an area I returned to almost daily.  Depending on my mood and chosen activity... writing, people watching or fuelling my body in the late spring sticky heat.

English speaking, Frederica was taking an evening off when i visited, but between me and the two waitresses we, after a fashion, managed to coax, and somewhat invent, a gluten free dish for me to try.  The vegan part was easy enough but I parroted 'sin gluten' many times as different entrees where pointed at enthusiastically on the menu only for us to find it was 'con' (with) gluten and therefore not suitable for me.  At these points a collective sigh and eye rolling flitted around our human triangle.  Eventually, we agreed on a curry with lentils and coleslaw salad.  The chef was very accommodating.  But I wonder if I'd made him wary of my 'intolerances' resulting in a VERY mildly spiced curry with no visible coconut milk (did he misunderstand no dairy milk to mean coconut milk too?…I'll never know) and a tad over zealous with the oil.  The veggies were fine, al-dente, succulent strips.   I did find a few times the spicing of dishes a tad 'minimalist'.  I think this is a national way.  Much like eyeballing lots of bright powdered spices in Marrakech but finding their food spicing subtle to say the least.  They did very kindly whip me up a little dish of hummus and raw carrot batons.  Again, not the best on the block.   The service and friendliness of this place was exceptional.  I really enjoyed eating there for the experience of that…if not entirely the meal.

Naturaleza Sabia in San Telmo

I would recommend checking out this place when you visit the markets of San Telmo. Domingo (Sunday) and the antique street markets come alive.  Drum beats, tango, colourful characters and tourists gather to wander, pick up a bargain or two and relax. Located just a few blocks from the main cobbled street in San Telmo is Naturaleza Sabia.  The restaurant is on two floors and has a genteel atmosphere.  Cozy yet open.  The menu is extensive for a vegetarian, and they can adapt some of their dishes for vegans if you ask.  Beware, the day I visited I was very grateful for my Argentinian companion.  The staff speak little English so it was a little tricky.  
The food is wholesome.  Lots of aroz yamani (brown rice), lentil dishes and fresh salads.  As a matter of course you get served a 'cover' dish, an amuse bouche.  We had a delicious glass of curried lentil soup and a rice cake brochette with a broccoli/tahini pate which was flavoursome.  Most places in Buenos Aires serve up a milanesa (breaded).  Even though it seems everyone knows about 'sin gluten' gluten free foods in BA, I didn't find a libre gluten milanese so it is on my list to recreate in the comforts of my home kitchen.

We were there at lunch ( "el almuerzo." It is pronounced "el al-MWARE-so.")  for my principales (entree) I opted for the Hamburguesa de lentejas.  A sloppy-joes type lentil hamburger, served with a wonderful, almost buttery and nutty quinoa and vegetables salad.  It was homely, full of flavour and very filling.  I asked for an extra of green sauce (the one they used for the amuse bouche) on the side because I craved it. 

The staff were friendly (but take your Spanish dictionary or a fluent friend) and the service was good.

Vegan gluten free brownies with a rich chocolate sauce combine well with the sweet and tart fruits.  So good.  

Bio   Humbolt 2192

I recall Bio was my first eating venture in Buenos Aires.  This totally vegan, with a few crudos (raw dishes) restaurant was serving only four other diners when I was there..RIDICULOUSLY early (7pm), according to Argentine time keeping.  Hours I tried and failed to adopt as my British stomach likes to have finished eating for the day at a time when Argentines are partaking of a late lunch (6pm) or an afternoon pastry and cafe.   Most restaurants are packed between 10 and 11pm.  Which, to this British girl, was bordering on insanity!  But I guess if you are not hitting the mattress until the wee hours then body clocks are tick toking at a different pace.  

I ordered the rice pizza with wok vegetables.  The base had a great texture (slightly chewy) and the vegetable topping was fresh and delicately flavoured.  Good if you are gluten free, just get the idea of 'traditional' pizza out of your head.

Dessert - raw chestnut pie with raspberries.  It was quite sweet with a chest nutty flavour (no surprises there).  It was just ok.

In an ideal world you'd visit a place a few times to really get a 'taste' for it.  I'd rate Bio as 'pleasant' on my one and only visit.  

PICNIC  Florida 102

Opened in 2012 as a fast food vegetarian restaurant, ready to serve breakfast and lunches Downtown.  Their ethos is green and extends to their furnishes and low-energy lighting. The first fast food vegan restaurant in Buenos Aires serving healthy salads, wraps, sandwiches entrees and a range of smoothies and muffins, owned by an Argentine-Swedish couple.  
I really wanted to like this place.  I encountered some challenges (I wish my mastery of the Spanish language was up a few levels!) trying to get a raw food lunch and could only have the exact options displayed ( I usually like the freedom to mix things up).  The really helpful manageress told me that the foods are mostly pre-prepared and not interchangeable, which I found surprising as it took 15 minutes for my meal to come.  
I dined on a bowl of quinoa and vegetables with dips and a side of papatas (taters).  The potatoes could have benefitted from some of seasoning from the over-salted quinoa.  It was ok. Not great.  Just ok.  Not the sort of gastronomy that would turn a carnivore. The place was busy enough.  Perhaps I chose the wrong dish. 
The salads looked fresh.  Situated on Florida, not far from the Casa Roja (the Presidential home) and lengthy shopping street, the huge windows make it a good place to people watch.  As with a few of the places I visited in Buenos Aires, I thought they will probably benefit with the gift of hindsight, and improve their flavours as plant-based dining evolves in the capital.

Kensho  El salvador 5783, Palermo

Sadly, I only got to eat here twice, and only once for dinner.  The other time was a quick (and desperate) late night dash (before catching my flight home) for dessert  and and gloriously chocolately cardamon smoothie and ANOTHER to take to eat at the airport, the  'James Brownie' (many of Chef Maximo's dishes have humorous titles..the website has an English version too) a fudgy, thick ooey-gooey, gluten free, vegan brownie made with quinoa and flax.  It was crazy, CRAZY good. Like a sweet, richly fragrant chocolate pillow! Kensho kept popping up at green markets in Palermo Woods and at an debut Food Festival (Masticar) and each time I grabbed a thick slick of cacao HEAVEN.   Aside from that, the raw picada lunch I sampled was not only a visual treat but an opportunity to taste a sample food palate of Chef Maximo Cabrera's culinary creativeness.  My chosen dish did flavour like a rodeo!  Pink sauerkraut, spice dusted, raw cashew falafel, pate, nut cheese and a avocado based soup.  My tastebuds were dancing!  The textures, seasonings and spices were perfectly balanced, and redolent of the full taste experience of their cooked cousins.  The star of the platter was the smokey, intense 'chorizo'.  One word.  AMAZING.  

Maximo started out as a Biologist and his cooking skills are self taught.  He was one of the first puerto cerradas (open door) dining experiences in the city, when his home regularly invited diners to experience his culinary inventiveness.....and now with the opening of his classy restaurant in the epicentre of Palermo Hollywood, his reputation is skyrocketing.  

It was thrilling to see him at on stage at Feria Masticar 2012 too,  a predominantly carnivorous take on food, as not only one of the free classes on offer, but also as one of the founders of the festival!  A great achievement, and I am sure a sign of the turning tides of Argentinian cuisine.  Another raw food chef, Diego Castro appeared on one of South America's cooking shows - Utilisima.  Which was exciting in itself, but also because I'd chatted to him at a festival the previous day without knowledge of his status in the Argentine cooking world. 

b-blue

I had to mention this cafe, situated in the heart of the uber chic Palermo Soho. It was where I hung out and had my Spanish lessons three times a week.  It isn't vegan but there are vegan options.  I like the atmosphere and the background music was good.  The owners also have an organic blueberry farm (hence the name) and often popped little dishes of tiny blueberries at our tables. 
I ordered this spinach salad with almonds and asado berenjana (roasted aubergine) served with a blueberry vinaigrette.  Simple and perfect.  Delicioso!

Buenos Aires will certainly NOT leave any vegan or gluten free body go hungry.  In the past two years gluten free options and labelling has come into force.  Perhaps not everyone I spoke to knew what a vegan was but they all understood 'sin TACC' or 'sin gluten'.  I wonder how long it will be before the world discovers why, for sure, these food intollerances are now so part of our edible society.

In my next article I will be treating you to some interviews and small vignettes I had the pleasure to enjoy making with three more vegan eateries who are causing quite a stir in various ways in Buenos Aires.   Join me then.

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Hey, and please share with us in the comments below, your food jaunts to Buenos Aires should you go, or indeed are already there.  It is thanks to a few notable bloggers, along with my pounding the streets and chatting to locals that I managed to piece together my culinary pathway in BA.

Bridges & Balloons -    a couple from Britain who have set off on a journey where there feet and curiosity takes them.  Working as they go.

Hungry Hungry Hippie - speaks for itself.

Pick Up the Fork - not a plant based dining blog but she has a great 'vegetarian' dining post.


Be well,

India xx