vintageObviously tortillas or even vegetable soup are vegan, right? Well, if you’re on vegetable or Vegetarian dietYou may want to check again. Some foods that appear to be animal-free may not actually be so. Surprising ingredients, including animal by-products, creep into everyday staples without warning.
We spoke with food and drink experts to find out 10 common foods that aren’t always vegan-friendly. Here’s everything you need to know.
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cheese
Real Parmigiano-Reggiano is not a vegetarian product, due to the use of rennet during production.
Headlines of concern would like to be specifically pointed out Parmigiano Reggiano As a non-vegan cheese, Parm isn’t the only reason why cheese A category that contains more than just milk.
“Cheese is often not vegan because of the use of rennet, which helps the milk coagulate and separate into curds and whey,” he explained. Emily Monacointernational cheese judge and journalist. “Traditionally, rennet comes from the stomach of a young animal: calf, kid or sheep. Despite the similarity, [plant-based] Enzymes can be used to similar effects, and many cheeses are based on animal rennet, especially in France and throughout Europe.
Check your ingredient lists, or ask your cheesemonger if you’re not sure. The word “rennet” will always refer to animal rennet, but “vegetable rennet”, “microbial rennet”, “cardoon rennet” or other coagulant such as lemon juice, acid or vinegar refers to a truly vegan cheese.
White or processed sugar
Certain types of white sugar are produced using bone charcoal.
Yes, even something as basic as sugar It may have non-vegetarian aspects. “There are sugars that are processed using bone char, which is made from charred animal bones,” said Maricel Gentil, a cooking teacher, chef and restaurateur. Maricel’s kitchen. “The bone bleaches the sugar in the process.”
Fortunately, this doesn’t apply to all types of sugar, but some specific brands or sugar processing plants may use bone charcoal, which should give some vegans pause. “Not all white sugar is processed this way. Some use filtration methods that use carbon instead,” Gentile said. “Check the label, or look for organic sugar or beet sugar, which usually doesn’t use bone char methods.”
vintage
If you’ve ever seen a label on a bottle of wine stating that a wine is vegan and wondered why it even had to say that – surely all wine should be vegan, right? -Well, there’s a reason. “Although it may seem strange, not all wines are vegan-friendly,” the wine journalist said. Vicki Denig. “Some producers will use animal-derived products to ‘enhance’ – which basically means clarify – the wine.”
Depending on how a producer chooses to enhance their product, many wines will still be considered vegan, but not always. “During the fining process, these products essentially bind and remove sediment or unwanted materials and are then filtered out,” Denig explained. “These products include, but are not limited to, egg whites, casein, gelatin, and more.” Isinglass, another ingredient sometimes used to clarify wine, is actually a fish byproduct.
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The surest way to know that a wine is vegan is to look for wines labeled accordingly. Otherwise, until legislation is passed requiring winemakers to include ingredient lists on bottles, you may need to dig deeper into a product’s website to find out.
Tortilla
Traditional tortillas are often made using lard.
You don’t necessarily need to be overly careful about the tortillas you bring home from the grocery store, but when eating out Mexican food, it’s good to be aware that the staple of many Mexican dishes isn’t automatically vegetarian. “Traditionally, Mexican tortillas, especially flour tortillas, are made with lard, which adds rich flavor and a desirable texture,” explained Wes Avila, the restaurant’s chef. clothed In Los Angeles. Lard is converted into animal fat, and its use can vary by region.
“By contrast, most grocery store tortilla brands, especially mass-produced varieties, often use vegetable oils or no fat at all, to cater to a broader audience, including those who prefer vegetarian options,” Avila said. “Always check the ingredient list if you’re looking for a particular type of tortilla.”
Fried beans
Watch for the lard or pork chops in this essential Mexican side dish.
Many bean-based preparations use notable cuts of pork, but another item of Mexican cuisine that may look vegetarian but isn’t is refried beans. “With traditional Mexican recipes, refried beans are often prepared with lard,” said the Mexican-American chef and cookbook author. Christine Merkley. Check labels when shopping for packaged refried beans, and don’t make assumptions when eating out — be sure to ask.
You may find that chefs modify their refried beans to suit vegetarian customers. “Ghee like Crisco also works,” Merkley said, and you can easily modify a refried bean recipe that calls for lard. “Home cooks can use vegetable oil instead to make it vegan, or use vegan milk or cheese,” she said, for a completely plant-based version.
Pie crust
The reason pie crust is so good has a lot to do with lard.
Lard also happens to be a traditional ingredient in something you might find on a dessert menu. “Pie crust often uses lard,” Gentile said. “It creates a lovely flaky texture.” Meat pies are one thing, but yes, pastry chefs often prefer lard even for sweet pies. Although it’s meat-based, lard has a neutral flavor, so you won’t be likely to tell the difference between a pie crust that uses lard and one that uses a different type of fat.
However, lard is not widespread, either in restaurants and bakeries or in prepared crusts in grocery stores. “Some use butter, others use ghee,” Gentile explained. “If you’re not making the crust yourself, check the label or ask the baker.”
Caesar dressing
Caesar sauce often contains pureed anchovies.
There is a special ingredient in Caesar dressing that gives it its rich flavour. If you’ve never seen a Caesar dressing made before, you might be tempted to think that it’s only the cheese (which may not be entirely vegan either) that gives Caesar its distinction. While not offending the cheese, the depth of the Caesar dressing goes beyond what cheese alone can achieve.
“Caesar sauce surprises a lot of vegetarians because it is made with anchovies, which are not always clear on the ingredients list,” said Dennis Little, head chef and recipe expert at Caesar Restaurant. Ask Chef Dennis. “A lot of people assume it’s just a creamy sauce made with Parmesan, garlic and lemon, but traditional recipes rely on anchovies for their deep, savory umami flavour.”
Worcestershire sauce
Another common condiment that you may have in your refrigerator right now is also a hidden source of anchovies. (Or not so hidden, as long as you read the label closely.) Healthy fitness meals. “Since you don’t really taste the fish, it’s easy to overlook it, until you check the ingredients and realize it’s not vegan at all,” she said.
What’s more, Worcestershire sauce is a common ingredient in other products — salad dressing, meat sauce, barbecue sauce or marinades — whose bold flavors may not make it so obvious that they may also contain unexpected seafood.
Gelatin
Jell-O and similar products get their shake from gelatin.
You probably already know that gelatin itself is an animal byproduct, but if not, “gelatin is made from collagen found in the cartilage, bones, and skin of animals,” Gentile says. “Cows and pigs are the most common source. When these parts are simmered, the collagen hydrolyzes into gelatin.”
Avoiding gelatin means a lot more than just avoiding jelly, if you’re a strict vegetarian. “Things like marshmallows, gummy candy, and fruit snacks are probably what we all think of when we think of gelatin, but even yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, and cream cheese can contain gelatin to stabilize it,” Gentile explained. “Nutritional, snack or low-fat foods often use additives such as gelatin to compensate for the lack of natural fat binders,” she said. Even the shell of some vitamin capsules can be made of gelatin.
Vegetable soup
You’d be surprised how many vegetable soups use chicken broth as the base.
Soups can often be a source of hidden animal products, with many using animal stock such as beef or chicken, which offer depth of flavour. Double-check soups like cream of broccoli, mushroom, carrot, etc. They can all have a meaty base.
Even a simple vegetable soup, which appears to have a tomato base, can have animal stock as a basis. Many brands of vegetable soup are vegetarian or vegan, but soup should always have the label checked.