vegan

A prayer for the new year

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At this ecological crossroads, Central Otago writer Jillian Sullivan seeks a kinder path forward. The Ida Burn is running shallow, the interstitial spaces between pebbles and stones dense with silt, and in the glides a yellow sheen of flowering broom. The wind that whooshed in the trees all morning has quietened to the sound of … Read more

Mince and cheese to pepper shroom: The evolution of the petrol station pie

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In a time of changing tastes, diets, supply chains and ways of working, Goodtime Pies has had to constantly adapt. Alex Braae examines the evolution of the humble pie.  The petrol station pie has always been a classic, but it has come a long way since being a lunch of last resort. Once a driver … Read more

Some friendly advice for Duncan Garner as he embarks on a year of veganism

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Hints for a happy, healthy vegan life as the AM Show host prepares to adopt a plant-based diet for the next 12 months. In July, MediaWorks broadcaster Duncan Garner was very confident that come election time, Labour wouldn’t receive enough votes to govern alone. So confident that he said if they did, he would do … Read more

In defence of tofu, the maligned culinary chameleon

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Jean Teng has had a lifetime of people telling her they despise tofu, when really they just don’t know what to do with it – or it’s been cooked for them by someone similarly clueless.  While everyone else was breaking their back kneading for crusty sourdough during lockdown, all I wanted to do was make … Read more

Pulled pork grows on trees now?! Meet the vegan sensation jackfruit

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A meatless pulled pork substitute is taking the vegan market by storm. The Spinoff did a deep and serious dive into jackfruit, the most meaty of fruits, to bring you the facts. I first encountered “pulled jackfruit” on a trip to my local Mexican joint. A long-time vegetarian with a long-time craving for meat, I … Read more

The plant-based revolution is here (and it’s juicy, salty and messy)

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Simon Day eats a burger and considers becoming a vegetarian (again).  For two years in my 20s, I was vegetarian. It was a choice based on the idea that it’s a much more efficient and much less environmentally invasive way to feed the world. I used to habitually roll out a quote attributed to Einstein: … Read more

Recipe: Vegan strawberry and vanilla ice cream

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Covering Climate Now: There’s a range of dairy-free ice creams available these days, but it’s a fair bet none will be as delicious – or satisfying – as making your own.  The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! If the latest stats are anything to … Read more

Food podcast: In which we snack on creepy-crawlies to save the planet

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Covering Climate Now: Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we go crazy for crickets in a climate week special. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! September’s … Read more

The rise of the ethical sex toy industry

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Covering Climate Now: Vegan lube? Faux feather strokers? Condoms made by employees paid the living wage? Emily Writes delves into the world of having ethical sex.  The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! There are many upsides to being vegan, but when it comes to … Read more

Vegan Week update: In which scrolls save our souls

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Covering Climate Now: A midweek update from the Spinoffers who have ditched dairy (and eggs, and meat, and fish…) for the week.   The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! Read this for the background on what this plant-based palaver is all about, and this for … Read more

Recipe: Quinoa chickpea pancakes with spring vegetables and harissa tahini

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Covering Climate Now: As part of The Spinoff’s commitment to Covering Climate Now, the food section has gone vegan. Today, a delicious recipe to herald the arrival of spring.  The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! Roman-style vignarola has great appeal at this time of … Read more

Plant power: The Spinoff food section goes vegan (for a week)

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Covering Climate Now: Why we’re saying adios to animal products (just for a little while).  The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! As part of The Spinoff’s commitment to Covering Climate Now, a week-long worldwide initiative aimed at strengthening the media’s focus on climate change, … Read more

Hemp, pūhā and not a patty in sight: welcome to the future of burgers

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A pair of innovative Kiwi startups have partnered with a Kiwi burger behemoth to bring two delicious, nutritious and under-appreciated local ingredients to the people. Long gone are the days when a burger strictly equalled a meat patty, a bit of limp lettuce and a sad slice of tomato or two between a couple of … Read more

How scary is no dairy? The Spinoff’s great big vegan cheese tasting

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A crack team of Spinoff taste testers munched their way through 34 dairy-free cheese alternatives to bring you this definitive list of the good, the bad and the ugly. Just as some people cannot fathom the concept of vegetarian sausages or almond milk, the idea of cheese that isn’t made from dairy provokes outrage in … Read more

Ranking dairy-free chocolate milks from dirtiest to creamiest

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After a few months of tasting and testing, Alice Webb-Liddall ranks dairy free chocolate milks, because we all deserve a good drop of cool cocoa without the animal element. My mother always insisted on buying me a chocolate milk after every game of high school netball. “It’s scientifically proven to refuel your muscles better than … Read more

For and against Arbonne: two women’s experiences with the controversial brand

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After The Spinoff delved into the dubious world of cosmetics and skincare brand Arbonne, two people came forward with very different stories. One says it’s misunderstood. The other says the cult-like organisation has nearly destroyed family relationships.  The consultant Lily has been a consultant for Arbonne for a little over a year. She got started … Read more

How I learned to stop worrying and love the vegans

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Restaurateur Ganesh Raj details the future-of-food epiphany that led him to the conclusion that once the meat-mad dinosaurs are gone, the world will be a better place. My task was clear. Immerse myself in an alternative universe. One where there might never be meat, as we know it, again. A world where farms would disappear, … Read more

Think lab-grown meat is gross? Wait till you hear about factory farming

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Cultured meat could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. So why is it such a hard sell? Matti Wilks is a postdoctoral research associate in psychology at Yale University. The world is in the grips of a food-tech revolution. One of the most compelling new developments is cultured meat, also known as clean, cell-based … Read more

The Spinoff Reviews New Zealand #83: Magnum dairy-free ice cream

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We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Jihee Junn taste tests Magnum’s new dairy-free ice cream. Being lactose intolerant (along with about 90% of the east Asian population), there are few things I miss more than chowing down on a nice cold Magnum. Growing up, my … Read more

The vegans are coming, so Kiwi farmers need to give us something to believe in

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Environmental limits, changing tastes and a redefined social licence are driving consumers away from animal proteins. In part two of a series on the rise of veganism, Daniel Eb looks at what New Zealand must do to get on board. There is a sense of impending transformation ahead for agriculture in New Zealand. The world’s … Read more

Spinoff readers are giving meat-eating the cold shoulder

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The Spinoff partnered with UMR to survey the attitudes of our readers, and the nation as a whole. Today, how much meat is the country eating? And is that changing?  You’ve probably got stereotypes in your head about vegetarians. You’ve definitely got stereotypes in your head about vegans. But would it surprise you to know, … Read more

The Spinoff reviews New Zealand #76: No-meat mince

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We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Duncan Greive gets amongst a new fake mince from the deep south. As someone who loves the delicious taste and texture of animal meat, but has spent most of the past 25 years living as a vegetarian, fake meat … Read more

How a local vegan ice cream brand is sweetening the deal for Chinese kids

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Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Haman Shahpari, co-founder of vegan, low calorie, halal certified ice cream brand WāHiki Creamery, which has recently signed a deal to enter the Chinese market.  ONE: How did WāHiki start and what was … Read more

An exclusive investigation into the undercover world of vegan dogs

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There’s a new movement in the dog community – veganism. But are dogs being forced to forego meat against their will? Emily Writes met some dogs to get into the (meat-free) bones of the matter. Buddy* is a six-year-old golden labrador. He’s extremely interested in balls and has a PHD in Owner Behaviour at Canine … Read more

Why does everyone hate vegans?

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Despite mounting evidence that going meat-free is a pretty good idea, vegans remain the butt of many a joke at best and a target for outright hostility at worst. What’s with the bad rep? More and more people are adopting plant-based diets in Australia and other western nations. But also seemingly on the rise is … Read more

Huge if true: Are avocados and almonds really not suitable for vegans?

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According to a theory that’s gained traction online, vegans should be spurning smashed avo and an almond milk flat white at brunch this weekend. But an Oxford ethics professor says it’s not so simple…   A video recently doing the rounds on Facebook included a segment from the BBC comedy quiz show QI. The video asks … Read more