Sophie Farrah on the trend for dishes made entirely from uncooked ingredients
When a friend recently suggested that we visited a raw food café I immediately had concerns about hygiene, and well, salmonella, but I am pleased to say that this is different kind of raw.
Raw foodism, as it is known, is all about eating uncooked, unprocessed foods, and occasionally food that has been cooked at a very low temperature (below 40-49°C). The belief is that cooking destroys the nutritional value of food, degrading the nutrients and eliminating the enzymes that aid digestion.
The common raw food diet is based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs and fresh juices; these can of course, be eaten individually, or you can visit a new generation of raw food café where entire meals are created from raw ingredients alone. One such plant-based café called Rawligion recently opened in central London, bringing with it a selection of cutting-edge raw dishes, such as cauliflower sushi served with seaweed caviar.
It’s a trend that began on America’s East Coast and now South-West London is catching on. Boutique wellbeing hotspot Bhuti in Richmond boasts an organic vegan kitchen, where Glenn Close was recently spotted tucking into a coconut dahl. The menu features daily raw specials, such as purple cauliflower, cucumber, kohlrabi, coriander and parsley salad, served with an almond scotch bonnet mayo. For dessert, you can enjoy a raw salted caramel Snickers slice or a sliver of golden beetroot and carrot chocolate ganache cheesecake. Maybe this raw diet is quite tempting after all…
Nestled in a leafy corner of Wandsworth Common is NatureScope, a peaceful, multi-purpose venue where yoga teacher, Erika (of YogiYoga in Wandsworth) and raw foodie Olga (founder of I Like It Raw) host regular raw food and yoga retreats. The day starts with a yoga class taught by Erika, followed by a hands-on raw food workshop with Olga where you can learn how to create nutritious dishes at home, such as raw lasagne, seasonal soups, dressings and pestos. This month Erika and Olga are also hosting a raw chocolate workshop.
Teddington-founded Sweet Virtues has a range of exceptional superfood chocolate truffles. Not only are they 100% raw and organic, they are also free from dairy, refined sugar and any nasty additives. In addition to all the added superfood ingredients such as maqui berry (the highest-rated antioxidant food on the planet), baobab and maca, raw cacao is reported to have significant nutritional benefits of its own thanks to its high magnesium content.
And once you’ve finished all that, perhaps it’s time for a raw juice detox. Get Juiced in Tooting Market is run by Leon who is on a mission ‘to reconnect people with the benefit of fruits, vegetables and all things natural’ with an imaginative array of raw smoothies and juices, including ready-to-drink coconuts and freshly-pressed Jamaican sugar cane.
In Barnes, foodie destination café &Feast has recently opened its doors and offers a colourful selection of organic, raw, cold-pressed juices filled with healthy living enzymes, ready to be swigged.
Try the Big Kahuna Green – packed with kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, lemon, apple, parsley, root ginger and romaine. Wow! Oh and remember your five-a-day? Well just one 500ml bottle of &Feast’s juice contains a whopping 2.5kg of fresh fruit and veg.
My verdict on raw? Super fresh, surprisingly delicious and not a hint of salmonella – the perfect pre-Christmas health kick.
For more tasty treats check out our Food Section
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest local news
