Rethinking…Veganism

Several months ago, I went to a Green Festival Expo. One of the booth exhibitors was an “artisanal vegan cheese” company. Hmmm, that sounded good. I was hungry (never sample foods on an empty stomach). I tried a couple sample bites. It was delicious. I went back for more. Then I went back a third time. I tasted every sample they had out there. Initially, I thought, “Wow, this is wonderful. I am dairy sensitive so now I can eat this yummy cheese-like spread without problems.” I looked at the ingredients and I discovered that vegan “cheese” is made with cashews.
The next day, my sinuses started feeling full and I found myself clearing my throat. I thought “Uh-oh, I think I am sensitive to cashews.” As I thought about it some more, I realized the “wrongness” of what I had done to myself. What really happened was that I consumed a product that was altered from its natural form to deceive my taste buds into believing I am eating something I shouldn’t be eating. Maybe when we cook our food using multiple ingredients (herbs and spices) or go to fancy restaurants that make complex depths, flavors, and textures we are really trying to hide and deceive ourselves into believing that the raw food/protein isn’t the real original form, that it is really altered from how that animal/food should be raised. I used to watch Food Network and I always liked and appreciated it when a chef says that a good meat (this applies to vegetable and fruit) should only need a little salt and pepper. For this reason, I keep my kids vegetable side for every meal very bland and unsophisticated. I don’t believe I am “stunting” my children’s palates. They don’t need this experience this early. Do we, should we even have this experience as adults? Hmmm. Let’s think about this.