The UK is famous for it’s iconic (windy) coastlines and it wouldn’t be where it is today without its culinary heartbeat… Fish and Chips! But it had us thinking, what the heck do Veggies eat?
For vegans and vegetarians alike getting a taste of the sea can be a tricky task. Yes, there’s coastal vegetables like seaweed and samphire but these aren’t exactly going to replace that lovely piece of cod you’ve been craving. Worry no more, we’ve found some of the best vegan seafood products available in the UK.
What’s available?
Aldi’s new range
For those not wanting to break the bank, these are the imitators for you! The ‘meat’ they use within these interesting creations is freakishly reminiscent of that of a fishcake in both taste and texture. This may come as a disappointment if you were expecting flaky fillets of fake fish. However, it does give you a great taste of the sea that you won’t find anywhere else. The scampi bites actually contain carrageenan (seaweed) to help achieve that umami sea flavour commonplace in actual scampi.
Zeastar Vegan Shrimp
A convincing, but very pricey alternative to those lovely crispy prawns you often find at finger food parties. It’s made using a long list of interesting ingredients, including kelp extract and konjac. Presumably, the kelp is to give it that briney, seafood taste that’s notoriously difficult to imitate.
The konjac is also a pretty genius innovation, helping to give the product that unique bounce that prawn and other crustaceans have. Overall, great alternative.. if you have £32.99 (per kilo) to spare.
Vivera Vegan Salmon
Vivera salmon, nothing ground-breaking in the ingredients but nutritionally these are about as close as your going to get to salmon in a supermarket. High in protein and omega-3, these plant salmon fillets are a brilliant way of getting the big O into your diet, without going fishing!
Nature’s Charm Vegan Calamari
A slightly naughty bit of marketing from Nature’s Charm here, but there are good intention. Contrary to the front of the can, these calamari’s (mushrooms) aren’t battered. That being said finding mushrooms suitable for calamari (like oyster) can be a difficult task so natures charm has made them more accessible. BUT they are just canned mushrooms…
Loma Lindo TUNO Vegan Tuna
TUNO is again, a fairly innovative creation. They’ve set out to create a high protein, flaky fish alternative that can be served both hot and cold. It won’t set the world alight with any mind-blowing fish flavour, but it does give you a high protein, flaky alternative to put on your sandwiches.
This article was written in loving memory of Wagamama’s Vegan Chilli Squid