2019 Central Florida Veg Fest
Zygote Nation was there! … At the 2019 Central Florida Veg Fest on Oct. 26, 2019, at Festival Park in Orlando, Florida.
This was a nice outdoor festival with a large turnout. Despite forecasts calling for thunderstorms, the skies remained sunny. In fact, the sun was intensely hot at times.
The festival featured a nice selection of vendors selling vegan foods and drinks, herbal supplements, and natural household and body-care products.
Photo by Michael Sirak
There also were speakers throughout the day and live music, sometimes accompanied by belly dancers. Activites like yoga for adults and face painting for children were available, too.
Here is my list of the festival’s notable vendors and products:
Sunny Culture
Photo by Michael Sirak
Sunny Culture of St. Petersburg, Florida, sells water-based, sparkling probiotic kefir drinks to support gut health. These beverages are available in 16-ounce glass bottles and come in four flavors: Blueberry, Elderberry, Ginger, and Hibiscus. I tried all four varieties and found each one to be excellent, although I was partial to the Hibiscus. Every flavor had a light, clean taste, and I can vouch for the company’s claim that they taste less acidic than kombucha and are not vinegary like kombucha. Sunny Culture’s drinks are based on “water kefir,” which the company’s website describes as “a ‘mother culture’ that consists of beneficial bacteria and yeast that ferments in water.” They contain less sugar compared to dairy-based kefir drinks, states the website. “Each of our flavors have the same residual sugar content, which is six grams of sugar per eight ounces,” Ranu Bochi, Sunny Culture’s co-founder, told Zygote Nation.. He said the company does not add any sugar to the drinks post fermentation, noting that “the sugar used is to activate the probiotics.” Right now, Sunny Culture’s beverages are available in parts of Florida, but are slowly working their way up the Atlantic coast. I look forward to when I can find them in my neck of the woods.
Photo by Michael Sirak
Natuvé
Photo by Michael Sirak
Natuvé of Hallandale Beach, Florida, north of Miami, offers a line of unisex natural skin-care. The product line, which launched in September 2019, includes a Coconut Moisturizer, Lavender Toner, Red Clay Cleanser, Tea Tree Deodorant, and Whipped Shea-Buriti Body Cream. These products are designed for every skin tone and type, according to the company’s website. Natuvé’s ingredients, which are food-grade, are ethically sourced and free of parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances and dyes, states the website. The deodorant caught my eye. This creamy paste is made with organic arrowroot, bentonite/montmorillonite clay, organic unrefined wildcrafted coconut oil (virgin), organic ivory shea butter, and organic essential tea tree oil. It comes in full-size two-ounce glass jar and a travel-size mini. In addition to its prime role, you can also apply the deodorant to reduce the redness of blemishes or soothe itchy bug bites, according to the company. Natuvé is working toward organic certification of its products. Right now, all of its ingredients are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic-certified except for three (baking soda, clay, honey) that cannot be certified organic in the United States, states the website. Honey, for example, that carries the USDA organic logo on its label comes from other countries and has been certified organic by those countries, states the website.
Photo by Michael Sirak
Limonazza
Photo by Michael Sirak
Limonazza of Orlando, Florida, offers beverages it describes as “lime and flax seed juice with a touch of aloe vera.” There are three varieties: Original, Half, and Zero. The sugar content of each is what differentiates them: a 16-fluid-ounce bottle of Original contains 24 grams of sugar; a same-sized bottle of Half includes 10 grams of sugar; and Zero has none, as its name implies. I bought the Half and it was delicious; I found it to be quite refreshing and thirst-quenching. The woman at the Limonazza table told me that these drinks are based on a family-held Venezualen recipe. The Original blend’s ingredients are filtered water, fresh-squeezed lime juice, organic brown sugar, organic flax seed, and organic aloe vera inner fillet, according to the label on the bottle. Half has the same ingredients, except for less organic brown sugar. Zero substitutes organic stevia leaf extract for the organic brown sugar. The drinks are 93 percent organic and are an excellent source of fiber, according to their labels. Original has a juice content of seven percent, while Half and Zero are six percent juice, state the labels.
Photo by Michael Sirak
A Natural Farm
Photo by Michael Sirak
A Natural Farm of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, is a family-owned natural farm and educational center specializing in chemical-free agriculture. What intrigued me were the different types of edible, USDA-certified organic turmeric it had on display. I never knew that turmeric existed in colors other than yellow and orange until I saw the white, green, and black variants that this farm sells. I tried a slice of the green turmeric and it had a strong taste, but not unlike other turmeric I have eaten.
Photo by Michael Sirak
Photo by Michael Sirak
Photo by Michael Sirak
