2018 California Vegetarian Food Festival
Zygote Nation was there! ... At the 2018 California Vegetarian Food Festival on Sept. 29, 2018, on the grounds of Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California.
This was a smaller scale festival than others I have attended in 2018. Still, hundreds of visitors came out on the sunny, Southern California Saturday, the first day of the two-day event, to check out dozens of vendors. Like other festivals, there was live music and a friendly mood.
I was disappointed that several vendors on the exhibitor list were not present on Saturday. It is possible they appeared on the second day.
Here is my list of the festival’s notable vendors and products:
Säpp
Photo by Michael Sirak
Säpp sells USDA-certified organic birch water (i.e., sap) tapped once a year from birch trees in Vermont and upstate New York. The birch water is available in three varieties: Original (i.e., straight-up organic birch sap), Apple Ginger with Chaga, and Strawberry Lavender with Chaga. The chaga that Säpp uses comes from the same birch forests, according to the company. I tried all three drinks, and each was delightfully refreshing and clean tasting. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite between the Apple Ginger and Strawberry Lavender flavors, as both quite impressed me. Säpp’s birch water contains three times less sugar than coconut water and does not contain added sweeteners or “natural flavors,” states the company’s website. Instead, the birch water’s flavor infusions are organic juices and extracts, it states. Säpp is the first pure, US-sourced birch sap on the market, states the website. The company also plants trees; utilizing the birch trees for sap prevents them from being cut down, thereby fighting deforestation, it states.
OWYN
Photo by Michael Sirak
OWYN, which stands for Only What You Need, offers protein drinks that are 100 percent plant-based. The drinks are available in four flavors: Cold-Brew Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Smooth Vanilla, and Strawberry-Banana. I tasted the Dark Chocolate. I liked it; it was clean-tasting and flavorful. Each OWYN drink comes in 12-fluid-ounce plastic bottles. Each drink has 20 grams of protein; is a vegan source of omega 3 fatty acids; contains all branched-chain amino acids and essential amino acids; includes a greens blend of broccoli, kale, and spinach; is low in sugar; and is a good source of fiber, according to the drink bottles and the company’s website. These drinks also are free of these leading allergens: dairy, eggs, fish, gluten, peanuts, shellfish, soy, and tree nuts, states the website. OWYN uses non-genetically-modified ingredients and, in some cases, organic ingredients, states the website. The latter set includes flax seed oil and pumpkin seed powder. A married couple of professional athletes created OWYN, which is based in Fairfield, New Jersey. Only the protein drinks were on display at the festival, but the company also sells plant-based protein powder and protein bars.
Bare Naked Botanicals
Photo by Michael Sirak
Bare Naked Botanicals of Lake Forest, California, southeast of Los Angeles, sells what it calls "plant-powered vegan skin food." This includes hand-crafted bath bars, body oils, deodorants, hand and body cream, and sunscreen as well as facial cleansers and moisturizers. Bare Naked Botanicals seeks out chemical-free, non-genetically modified ingredients with the highest vitamin and antioxidant content, according to the company's website. It also utilizes distillates from plants, fruit or herbs, aloe vera leaf juice, or tea and/or infused water in most cases in place of just water, states the website. When I visited the Bare Naked Botanicals table at the festival, I was most interested in the deodorants and ended up buying two: the Eucalyptus Sage and the Spruce Clover. Both smell wonderful and company owner Kimberly Peterson, whom I spoke to at the festival, assured me they would apply smoothly and not tear my armpit hair out. That's a big consideration for me as I have purchased deodorants with wonderfully clean ingredients before that turned out to be extremely uncomfortable to apply.
VeggiDome
Screenshot captured from veggidome.com website
VeggiDome of Santa Monica, California, sells a glass countertop container designed to keep several days' worth of vegetables and/or fruit fresh without the need for refrigeration. The company claims that good-quality romaine lettuce can last as long as three weeks in the VeggiDome container, but generally speaks of newly trimmed produce staying fresh for four to six days. The oval-shaped VeggiDome design (12 inches long x 9 inches wide x 7.5 inches high) allows naturally occurring ethylene gas—which ripens fruit and vegetables—to escape, while maintaining moisture within to keep the produce hydrated and prevent bacteria from forming, according to the company. The dome works best with vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumbers, large leafy greens, squash, and tomatoes, states the company website. Fruits like apricots, avocados, nectarines, peaches, pears, and plums ripen nicely in the dome, as do herbs like basil, it states. The dome is not meant for fruits like apples or bananas or for vegetables like garlic, onions, or potatoes, states the website. I did not purchase a VeggiDome at the event, but remain intrigued by this product.
