Fake fish = New fish

Student
October 21, 2024
Student
October 21, 2024

By Hana Peters 

 

‘Do we need to eat less meat?’ If you ask that question, you are likely to not make friends with the Dutch, because the Dutch, they like meat. I have to admit, I never really understood why people would become either vegan or vegetarian. But after watching documentaries like ‘Seaspiracy’ and ‘A life on our planet’, I have realized how big the impact of our meat and fish consumption is on our planet. Even though a lot of people used to think that driving cars, leaving the water tap open, and factories are the biggest polluter, but in reality, the livestock production and fishery have the biggest impact to climate change. The current consumer wants more sustainable, climate-friendly products. 

So, I started digging into vegan/vegetarian alternatives. Vegan alternatives have been a trend for quite some time now, but have you ever heard of vegan fish? 

It might sound a bit funny, but I believe this in one of the most crucial and biggest food trends to keep an eye on. 

Growing up with a Japanese mother, I have tried a numerous amount of sashimi in my life, so of course, I had to try this out. When I was doing groceries at my local Jumbo, something caught my eyes. It was the vegan fish called Zeastar by Vegan Finest Foods! I bought it and was actually flabbergasted by the look; It really looked like sashimi! The vegan sashimi is made out of bell pepper, tapioca powder, glucose extracted from seaweed and water. It did taste like real sashimi; the jiggles and fattiness that characterizes a real salmon were almost identical. Try this product with olive oil, some salt and lemon juice, for extra freshness. 

I believe that vegan fish would be something that has big potential within the younger generation such as, Millennials and Gen-X, Y and Z. They have made an innovating product in a niche market which is also sustainable. This trend shows that you can still enjoy a good piece of fish, while being environment friendly and sustainable. 

Moreover, It could be a nice addition for the hospitality sector, as this new product has the power to set them apart from their competitors while allowing the guest to broaden their horizon with a new innovative product. This is why in my opinion, it would be a nice vegan/vegetarian alternative to include on a menu. This way customers have more variety on their choices as well. 

I believe that this is such a big and important trend, that it could become a lifestyle. Climate change is not of course a trend and if we do not tackle it together, it will seriously negatively affect our planet. So, let’s make this not only a trend, but a new lifestyle! 

 

Fake fish = New fish

by | Oct 21, 2024 | Student Stories