We’ve Been Adding Chilli Paste to Everything—Here’s Why It Works So Well in Plant-Based Cooking

From vegnews.com

Chilli pastes like gochujang, harissa, ají amarillo, and sambal oelek are rising in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why—they’re an easy way to add a delicious kick to a variety of dishes

Gochujang has experienced a popularity boom in the US recently. The Korean chilli paste is a delicious combination of spicy, sweet, and savoury, and brings a delicious depth of flavour to everything from bibimbap (a popular Korean rice dish) to tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and even Western-style dishes, like mac and cheese and fried chicken. 

By 2030, Industry Arc estimates that the gochujang market alone could exceed a value of $908 million. “Gochujang is a key ingredient in many Korean dishes, and as more people become exposed to Korean cuisine, the demand for Gochujang is likely to increase,” reports Industry Arc. But the market research platform also cited the rising demand for spicy food as a key market driver. 

One Mintel survey revealed that roughly 75 percent of Americans like spicy flavours. Food experts have also spotted the change: a 2023 food trend report from Nestle USA stated that the increasing demand for spice was “because of the increasing diversity of the world and younger generations.” It continued: “There is more food accessibility to cuisine from around the world, and as spiciness is seen more often in non-Western cuisines, the embracing, and melding of cultures has led to this incredible food moment in time.”

Gochujang is far from the only chilli paste on the market. Harissa, ají amarillo paste, and sambal oelek are just a few more examples of flavour-packed pastes that are increasing in popularity—and all can add a delicious kick to your favourite dishes. Find out more about how to cook with different chili pastes below.

What is a chilli paste?

The term “chilli paste” doesn’t really have a strict definition, but it’s generally used to refer to condiments that are a little thicker than a hot sauce, which tends to be more liquid-like in texture. Chilli pastes can vary in texture, flavour, and heat level, but they all have one ingredient in common: chilli, of course. Some also combine ingredients like herbs and spices, while others are made with just salt and vinegar. Most chilli pastes are used in the same way; they’re added to dishes to enhance taste, bring a little heat and spice, and add a few more complex flavour layers to the dish.

                                                                                               Maggie Zhu

How many types of chilli paste are there?

It’s hard to say how many types of chilli paste there are in the world because so many cultures have their own versions and variations. 

However, some of the most popular chilli pastes include gochujang, of course, which is made with red chilli powder, glutinous rice, soybeans, and salt. Its signature umami taste comes from the process in which it’s made: fermentation.

There’s also the Tunisian chilli paste harissa, which is typically made with dried red chillies, garlic, lemon juice, and spices like cumin, which gives it a tangy, spicy, earthy flavour. Indonesian paste sambal oelek blends hot red chilli peppers with salt and vinegar to achieve a fresh, zingy, spicy flavour. 

A few more examples include shatta, a fresh Levantine chilli paste similar to harissa; ají amarillo paste, a Peruvian paste made with ají amarillo peppers; and la jiao jiang, a very hot chilli paste from China.

Follow this link for full article and recipes:

https://vegnews.com/chili-paste-vegan-recipes

6 blistering hot takes that prove there’s no ‘right’ way to be vegan

From veganfoodandliving.com

From gatekeeping vegan language to sharing our lives with meat eaters, here are some of the spiciest vegan hot takes found on Reddit

When people think of the vegan community, they often imagine a united front of absolute moral consistency. But if you peer into the inner circles of vegan Reddit, you’ll find fierce, high-heat debates about what it actually means to live an ethical life.

A recent thread on r/vegan asked users to share their “EXTREMELY SPICY vegan hot takes that will totally get you downvoted.” The compiled receipts prove that modern veganism is about more than what’s on your plate. It’s a complicated, and often contradictory, tangle of pragmatism, purism, and intense human politics.

From the ethics of dating meat eaters to a surprisingly vicious debate over oat milk, here are six of the spiciest ‘vegan hot takes’ from the thread.

                                                      Photo © diy13/Adobe Stock

1. ‘Baby steps’ are just fine

The thread’s original poster (OP) kicked off the discussion with a take that immediately divided the community on the psychology of change, using an extreme analogy to drive the point home.

u/Borgato posted: “I’ll go first: baby steps are absolutely ok and should be encouraged if people feel they aren’t ready to go full vegan. ‘Oh so you should be celebrated for beating your wife 2 days a week rather than 6?’ YES.”

While many users agreed with the underlying logic of harm reduction, some called out the comparison, with u/Senior_Army5086 describing it as “crazy”.

“Domestic abusers should not be celebrated regardless of the frequency they do it,” they continued.

But u/Borkato defended their view, opining that there’s a difference between celebrating an individual’s actions and celebrating their efforts to cause less harm. “A murderer should be celebrated for reducing their murders to 1 when their urges told them to commit a terrorist attack,” they asserted.

2. Gatekeeping the word ‘vegan’ helps the vegan movement… except when it doesn’t

While a surprising number of users agreed with the OP’s vegan hot take, opinions were divided on whether the ‘baby steppers’ in question could call themselves vegan.

“‘Vegan except honey‘ or ‘vegan except eggs’ or ‘vegan except cheese’ isn’t a thing,” wrote u/xLilSquidgitx, while OP u/Borkato added that this should still be celebrated, “as long as they don’t say they’re vegan.”

They’re not necessarily wrong, as it’s not uncommon for people (including foodservice workers) to take veganism less seriously after encountering a ‘watered-down’, almost-vegan. Being served honey at a family gathering because “Auntie Muriel’s neighbour’s daughter is vegan and she eats honey” is not fun.

Many agreed that the word ‘vegan’ needed to be ‘gatekept’, as misuse of the term could dilute the cause. As u/Teddy-Bloat put it: “I don’t see any way in which letting the word vegan become meaningless is helpful to the movement or the animals.”

However, others jumped in to share their experience and reasons why they use the label ‘vegan’ when they aren’t fully there yet. u/GlowyStarMoss calls themself ‘vegan’ to avoid being served eggs or dairy at restaurants. “I am vegetarian technically (but don’t want either eggs or dairy),” they said.

“I do have honey, but it’s too hard to explain to people, so in order to avoid certain foods, I just say I’m vegan. Saying vegetarian just makes people be pushy with fish, dairy, eggs, etc., and I have no idea why lol.”

Meanwhile, u/miraculum_one came in with the true hot take: “gatekeeping the word ‘vegan’ is bad in every way and in every context that involves non-vegans.”

“There are effective ways to educate people,” they continued, “but pretending you don’t know what they’re saying because you refuse to accept an extremely common (mis-) use of the word is simply counterproductive and discredits whatever you’re trying to say.”

Proper use of the word 'vegan' was a divisive subject, but most agreed that "vegan except honey" is incorrect. Photo © Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock

3. Staying close to meat eaters helps the animals

While some corners of the internet advocate for cutting off non-vegans entirely, several users argued that isolationism is a massive strategic failure.

“From my experience it has helped me educate people on veganism,” said u/shredhedz, “I have many friends who have gone vegan/are eating less animals because of me!”

The thread OP agreed, recalling being told that the common vegan dream of moving to an all-vegan community would actually be “worse for the animals compared to hanging out with non-vegans and getting them to avoid animal products,” saying that it “really blew my mind because it’s completely true.”

Although it’s pretty mild to say that we can form close relationships with non-vegans when they are willing to learn from our ethical choices, u/Spaceward_Bound turned up the heat with this spicy take:

“It’s completely fine to have non-vegan friends with no plans on challenging their views. [I] live with three other people in student housing, they know I’m vegan, they’re not, never talk about it unless it comes up casually. We get on just fine.”

While some thought being friends with non-vegans was an opportunity to change their minds, others would rather keep the 'peace'. Photo © Dorde/Adobe Stock

4. We need to stop treating vegetarians as the enemy

The rivalry between vegans and vegetarians is legendary online, though rarely experienced in the real world. But the debate cropped up in this thread too, with commenters falling on both sides.

It started with u/Agitated_Leopard_765 stating that “vegetarians are allies,” to which u/Im_so_lucky_ agreed, “exactly. Every little bit helps.”

Others blamed ignorance of the true nature of the dairy industry for vegetarians’ continued use of animal products, with u/Foodworksurunga excusing vegetarians because “The dairy industry propaganda is very strong.”

But not everyone agrees. u/Mcjuliamc believes that “vegetarians support just as horrible of an industry as other non-vegans.”

“They only cut out one harmful industry,” they said. “Imagine if we praised lactose-intolerant people just because they don’t buy dairy when they buy meat, eggs, …”

However, the vision of a cheese-munching, milk-guzzling vegetarian may not be accurate. After confirming that vegetarians do indeed get flak from both meat-eaters and vegans, vegetarian u/TheoryCapable7894 caveated that they “think the stereotype of vegetarians eating a lot of dairy/cheese and wearing leather/animal products is kinda wrong.”

“I am a vegetarian yes, but I get all my important nutrition from plants, and do not wear leather at all by all means!”

5. ‘Owning’ pets is an ethical minefield

The ethics of pet ownership caused a massive rift, separating those who prioritise the animal in front of them from those looking at the big picture and the global supply chain.

Some believe that having pets at all is not vegan, like u/Snake_fairyofReddit, who said, “it limits the free will of an animal. The caveat is if the animal is injured and obviously needs assistance”.

Meanwhile, u/Future_Economics_849 thinks “having domesticated animals and releasing them ‘for their freedom’ is unbelievably cruel”.

Many users asserted that ‘forcing’ pets to be vegan was tantamount to animal abuse, particularly for cats. Among them was u/kiwiii66, who said: “An animal in your care should receive the best care you can reasonably provide.

“If you are intentionally shortening your cat’s life by feeding them a diet that is not meant for them, then you are an animal abuser.”

When it comes to caring for your companion animals, it seems there’s no winning in this thread. As u/Chimpnimskey questioned: “Isn’t buying food made from animals… also animal abuse?”

They continued: “Though it’s shortening your cat’s life by a couple of years at worst (and extending it, at best) with a carefully planned plant-based diet, a lesser crime than killing many chickens and fish for their cat food?”

But u/Vegetable_Doubt3996 came in hot with a solution, saying, “If you can’t purchase the proper food for your pet due to ethical concerns, then don’t get a pet imo.

“Would you get a snake or a spider and force them to be plant-based? Both are obligate carnivores and cannot digest plants (the same way we can’t digest grass while other animals can)”.

While opinions varied on whether keeping pets was okay, most agreed that we shouldn't 'force' cats to be vegan. Photo © gitusik/Adobe Stock

6. Oat milk isn’t that great

The thread wasn’t entirely focused on serious topics. The community also engaged in a lighthearted, but truly vicious, battle over plant milks.

u/betch opened the discussion with this bold claim: “Oat milk is the most vile and disgusting product I’ve ever had the displeasure of tasting. It ruins everything it touches and it’s mere existence infuriates me to my core”

In response, u/cali86 lashed out with the phrase “I bet you love soy milk, lol,” sounding almost like an insult.

“I drink soy milk because it’s healthy,” they continued, “but it blows my mind how not versatile it is because of the after taste. It just doesn’t pair well with anything other than maybe cereal. It’s terrible for cooking, with coffee, desserts, etc.”

But u/betch was ready with their answer: “Every plant milk serves a purpose in certain settings and for me, Almond milk is king. Coconut, soy, cashew, rice, hemp milk… all wonderful.

“Oat milk tastes rancid and slimy.” They concluded, doubling down on what one commenter described as an “Indian level spicy take.”

A plethora of other users disagreed, defending their favourite plant milk with reasons varying from it being the only one suitable for their allergies to just liking the taste.

However, while I’d never go so far as to insult the taste or texture of oat milk, this author can’t help but secretly agree. As a long-time lover of a soya latte, I’m tired of coffee shops that offer only oat milk as a plant-based alternative!

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-hot-takes/ 

9 family recipes passed down for generations that still define “home”

From vegoutmag.com

By Jordan Cooper

Food is memory, identity, and love all simmered together. These nine family recipes, passed down through generations, remind us that “home” isn’t a place—it’s the flavours, rituals, and values we carry forward, one meal at a time 

Food has this strange power—it’s both memory and moment.

You can taste something your grandmother made decades ago, and suddenly you’re eight again, sitting on the floor while she hums over the stove.

We talk a lot about self-development, about how to evolve, grow, and adapt.

But sometimes, the most grounding parts of who we are come from the things that don’t change. Like a recipe.

Here are nine family recipes, passed down through generations, that still define what “home” feels like, whether you grew up in a tiny kitchen or one packed with Sunday chaos.

Let’s dig in.

1) Sunday stew

Every family has that one dish that marks the end of the week. For mine, it was stew. My grandmother’s version was hearty, slow-cooked, and smelled like comfort itself.

I’ve adapted it to be vegan, of course, swapping out the beef for lentils, mushrooms, and potatoes that break apart just right.

What I’ve learned over the years is that it’s not the ingredients that matter most. It’s the ritual.

The simmering. The patience. The quiet rhythm of something slowly becoming ready.

Maybe that’s why it still feels like home. It reminds me that some good things can’t be rushed.

2) The “everything” bread

If therapy had a scent, it would smell like freshly baked bread.

My great-aunt’s bread recipe has been passed around so many times that no one really remembers where it started.

It’s been modified, reinvented, and, let’s be honest, mangled. But it still works.

There’s something beautiful about how universal bread is. Every culture has a version. Every family has a twist.

Ours? A mix of whole grains, flaxseed, and whatever the week offered.

When I make it now, kneading dough with music in the background, I think about the continuity of hands doing the same thing for generations. It’s humbling.

And maybe that’s the point. Bread teaches you to show up.

3) The secret sauce

Every family swears they have the best sauce.

Mine called it “red gold.” It was tomato-based, simmered for hours, with no written measurements, just instinct.

When I went vegan, I thought I’d lose that connection. But it turns out, flavour isn’t dependent on meat; it’s dependent on care.

The same sauce works beautifully with roasted vegetables or chickpea “meatballs.”

What I love about this recipe isn’t just the taste, it’s how it brings people together.

Whether we were laughing around the table or arguing about who added too much garlic (it was always me), the sauce made everything feel okay again.

It’s funny how one recipe can become a language of its own.

4) Grandma’s pickled magic

There’s a science to pickling. Vinegar, salt, sugar, and patience.

But the art of it? That’s intuition.

My grandma had jars of pickled everything: beets, cucumbers, even watermelon rind. As a kid, I didn’t get it. Why preserve something when you could just buy it? Now, I see it differently.

Pickling is a rebellion against waste, against forgetting. It’s preservation in the literal and emotional sense.

I’ve carried that mindset into other areas of life. Some things are worth keeping: memories, values, stories.

You just have to learn how to preserve them without letting them turn bitter.

5) The festival soup

Every holiday season, my family made a huge pot of soup that could feed an army.

It was a mash-up of everyone’s heritage, part Latin, part Mediterranean, part whatever someone brought over.

It was chaotic, unmeasured, and perfect.

Now, I make my version with roasted sweet potatoes, coconut milk, turmeric, and lime. It’s become my comfort bowl when I’m far from home.

I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the biggest lessons travel taught me is that comfort isn’t found in geography. It’s found in rituals.

In flavours that remind you that you belong somewhere, even if you’re alone in a new city.

6) The “accidental” cookie

Some of the best recipes are born from mistakes.

The story goes that my mom was trying to make brownies, but she ran out of cocoa. So she improvised, swapping it for oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup.

The result? Something between a cookie and a granola bar that became a family staple.

It’s still my go-to comfort snack, especially after a long writing day.

There’s something about those kitchen accidents that feels symbolic. Life doesn’t always follow the recipe, but sometimes, it ends up better that way.

7) The passed-down spice mix

If your family has a spice mix that comes out only on special occasions, you know what I’m talking about.

For mine, it was a blend of smoked paprika, garlic, cumin, and something no one could ever quite identify.

It made its way into everything from grilled veggies to holiday casseroles.

I love how scents can time-travel you. One whiff of that mix, and I’m back in my mother’s kitchen, watching her move like she knew every sound the house made.

There’s psychology behind that, actually.

Research suggests that smell is directly tied to emotional memory. Maybe that’s why a certain aroma can ground you instantly. It’s home, bottled.

8) The “Sunday pancake truce”

Sunday mornings were for pancakes and peace.

No matter what arguments had erupted during the week, pancakes were neutral territory.

My dad would make them tall, my mom would make them thin, and eventually, they agreed to take turns.

I still follow that unwritten tradition: pancakes equal pause.

These days, I make mine with oat flour, flaxseed, and almond milk. Not quite like theirs, but close enough.

Every time I flip one, I think about how food can heal in small, quiet ways. How something as simple as breakfast can reset a week, a mood, or a relationship.

9) The “always something green” rule

Not technically a recipe, but a principle that guided every meal.

No matter what we ate, my mom would insist on adding “something green.” It could be herbs, veggies, or a handful of spinach no one asked for.

Back then, I rolled my eyes. Now, as someone vegan and constantly reading about nutrition and psychology, I get it. She wasn’t just feeding us plants; she was teaching us balance.

This rule stuck with me far beyond the kitchen. Every meal, every project, every choice, I try to include something that nourishes.

Something green, in the metaphorical sense.

The bottom line

What I’ve realized is that family recipes aren’t really about food.

They’re about the values we quietly inherit, the patience of a stew, the persistence of a sourdough starter, the creativity of a failed brownie.

They remind us that home isn’t a fixed place. It’s something you keep creating, one recipe at a time.

So, what recipes define your version of home?

https://vegoutmag.com/recipes/n-t-9-family-recipes-passed-down-for-generations-that-still-define-home/

So Yummy, So Silly: Dive Deep Into Vegan Pumpkin Spice

From peta.org

Love it or hate it, it’s that time of the year again: Pumpkin Spice season is upon us, and there’s no escaping it.

The spices that make up Pumpkin Spice are nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. These spices have been used in combination for thousands of years in India and Southeast Asia (think Masala Chai). About half a millennium ago, as Europeans muscled their way into Asia, these spices became the economic drivers of colonialism. They could only grow in the tropics yet were highly valued in Europe.

The Taste of Colonialism

This trade financed the destruction of independent nations in Asia, the destruction of local ecosystems, and the deaths of countless humans and animals. In the process, these spices became household staples and integral parts of European cookery (Dutch Speculoos, for example).

When Europeans arrived in North America, they encountered the humble pumpkin. Combining a fruit of the Americas with Asian spices in a European format, the pumpkin pie embodies the global reach of European colonialism. The first known written pumpkin pie recipe featuring this spice combination was published in 1671, part of the process of creating a culture with elements violently taken from local communities worldwide.

It wasn’t until 1934 that this spice blend became known as “Pumpkin Spice.” That year, McCormick began marketing a blend called “Pumpkin Pie Spice.” And there it stayed for decades, quietly setting the stage for 2003, when Starbucks introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte still contains milk cruelly stolen from cows who would rather be feeding their babies with it. Instead, try the many other lattes they have with vegan milk, now free of upcharges thanks to PETA’s activism. Or visit one of the many other cafes that offer vegan Pumpkin Spice lattes.

Pumpkin Spice Gets Ridiculous

Today, Pumpkin Spice has a spot in the Pantheon of American flavours. It’s perfect for fall: warming and (if you make the real thing, with pumpkin in it), nourishing.

Our love/hate relationship with Pumpkin Spice comes from the fact that, on the one hand, it’s delicious and soothingly autumnal. But on the other hand, it’s gotten ridiculous.

Sure, Pumpkin Spice Vegan Cinnamon Rolls do sound pretty good. And Pumpkin Spice Vegan Protein Powder can’t taste worse than protein powders in general, but what is the deal with things like Pumpkin Spice dish soap, Pumpkin Spice car polish, or Pumpkin Spice trash bags? Make it make sense. 

Today, the Pumpkin Spice juggernaut is worth over a billion dollars every year. With Pumpkin Spice proliferating exponentially, the products are the joke, like Christmas sweaters.

But Pumpkin Spice Is Delicious

Despite the absurdity, it’s hard to argue with your taste buds. And with the weather cooling, Pumpkin Spice is as good an inspiration as any to get in the kitchen and make something tasty!

Classic Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte (click left)

The undisputed classic. Nora Cooks whips it up with just five ingredients in five minutes.

Nora Cooks

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Pumpkin Spice is at its best in sweet, filling indulgences like these donut holes. They’re just the holes, so you can eat all you want, right?

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats

Pumpkin Spice doesn’t have to mean sugary dessert. This breakfast treat boasts 8 grams of vegan protein per serving.

                                                                                                                                          Trimazing

Do You Love Vegan Pumpkin Spice? Or Hate It? Or a Little Bit of Both?

Loving Pumpkin Spice is easy—all you have to do is try one of these delicious recipes. But so is hating it—the ridiculous products evoke capitalism at its most absurd, not seasonal cosiness.

For most of us, it’s a little bit of both. So enjoy your vegan Pumpkin Spice latte, and ignore the haters—even if they’re within you.

https://www.peta.org/living/food/vegan-pumpkin-spice/