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Bel-Air |
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
| Bel-Air
Eating sustainably canbe challenging inHongKong
considering thehighquantityof importedgoods consumed
andMichaudacknowledges thatmanyhotels and restaurants
prefer touse ingredients flown in fromother countries than
grownonour soil. “Locallygrowngoods shouldbe includedas
part of ahealthy, balanceddiet. Iwouldprefer tobuyproduce
froma local farm than those flown in claiming tobe
organic. Processed food is loadedwith colouring,
preservatives, salt, sugar andvegetable fat.”
Themost enjoyable aspect ofweekend
markets inHongKong forMichaud
is verymuch thebartering tradition.
He explains, “Market vendorsoften
bringyouoneof their items and then
you return the favour. This ishowmy
grandparentsworked in the1940’s so to
be able todo this inHongKong is very
satisfying. I also love tomeet farmerswho
are soproudof theirproduce that you can
really connectwith theirpassion.”
PlantSlant
Passionwas alsowhat drove IssacGoldsteinandhiswifeLacey
to start theirdairy-free ice-creambusiness,HappyCow,made
from coconutmilkand sweetenedwith coconut nectar.The
vegan couple fromSanFranciscofirst indulged their interest
inhandcrafted foodswithheartwhile inBeijingbefore
bringing their all-natural confection toHongKong.
Goldsteinbelieves that although the
city leads theway inAsia’s health food
revolution, improving eachyear asmore
people adopt healthy lifestyles, there’s still
a longway togo.He suggests limiting
the consumptionof animal products
todecrease carbon footprint due to the
resources required toproducemeat and
dairygoods.
Weekendmarkets are a great place to
find such sustainableofferings.Goldstein
says, “Visit your localmarket andbuy
from farmers andvendors as theproduce is
fresher and thereforemorenutrient-dense.Handmade goods
producedby smaller companies tend tomakeproducts
withmore care and attention, usually avoidingunnecessary
chemical ingredients topreserve them for transportation.”
Enthused at theprospect ofmeeting foodieswhowish
to explorehealthier alternatives,Goldstein enjoysmeeting
customers and receiving feedback.Hewill always remember
thedayhewas told that theCherryAlmondFudgewas the
best flavour apatronhad ever tastedbefore.He says, “The
most challenging aspect is teachingpeople to learnhow to
really listen towhat their bodywants.”
HomeSoil
Pol Fàbrega, director and co-founderofTime toGrow,
agrees that changingmindsets and eatinghabits tends to
be thebiggest hurdle.His green enterpriseworkswith
individuals, schools, universities and companies to install and
maintain customised farms across the city, complemented
by educational activities focusingonorganic farmingand
sustainable living.
Food that
is locally,
sustainably
grown tastes
better.
