Yagga Vegan Organic Foods

Yagga is a company producing a range of premium quality Vegan Organic foods in Italy.

They are made from a special recipe called 'Muscolo di Grano' a belend of organic vegetable proteins used to make Yagga products. It translates at 'Grain Muscle'.

The most important aspect of this recipe is the organic wheat gluten, extracted from a type of wheat grown in the far South of Italy in the Calabria region, under the blue Mediterranean skies. this gives the strong bonding protein moleclues that allow the mix to be textured in a way that produces a 'meaty' finish. Its processed with 100% organic ingredients, herbs and even local mineral water.

However, it is important to understand how Yagga products differ from Seitan. The word Seitan is commonly used to describe any product based on wheat protein, but this is inaccurate. Traditionally Seitan was made in Japan by washing the starch out of a ball of dough, leaving just the proteins in a rubbery grey jelly. This was then stewed in boiling stock, usually containing soya sauce and or tamari (a blend of soy sauce, ginger and 'kombu' a seaweed that imparts a strong flavour). This hardens the gluten and makes a firm ball that can then be sliced or diced and further cooked in different ways.

Yagga is quite different to seitan. It is hand-made by artisans in a completely different way that by blending their other ingredients skillfully produces layers and structure in the product, even a 'skin' on their roasts. This means that Yagga products behave and look much more like meat when used in recipes - so much so that at vegan events people have stopped in surprise to ask why we have brought meat to the show!

At the Bristol Vegan Fayre in 2008, Yagga spit-roast the World's largest vegan roast - it was a whopping 20 kilos! It drew a crowd of curious onlookers who were keen to have a taste.

A few vegans at vegan events have said that they thought Yagga products looked too meaty and we understand that meat doesn't represent good things for many vegans. But they don't need to be convinced that veganism works, there's plenty of people who 'couldn't live without meat' and Yagga products work wonders on them!

We know many people who are vegetarian and vegan but did not grow up vegan or do not live in a completely vegan household and find that they struggle to use the many traditional recipes that are based on meat. This either leaves them or their tablemates somewhat excluded during meal times.

While vegetarian/vegan sausages and burgers have come a long way over the years most 'meaty' products simply don't adapt to traditional recipes very well.

Yagga products can be used in the place of chicken or pork and sometimes beef. Yagga Steak is the blandest stright out of the box, but this also makes it the most versatile, as it will readily take flavour from marinades, stock and even those shake on meat seasonings. Yagga Strips are great in stews, curries or just browned off with a little marinade or soya sauce. Yagga Roast is seasoned well for roast dinners or where a steak would be needed. Even Yagga Roast can be chopped and cubed for kebabs, pie fillings or stews.

Yagga's vegan foods are so versatile that oyu can really let your imagination take over in the kitchen because they won't hold you back.

As a testimony of their general acceptance at the table, we can tell you that one of our directors received a 3 kilo roast from Yagga as a wedding gift (in the trade we get work related gifts!!) which was cooked up for the wedding reception. It was cooked in the oven till browned and crispy and served sliced with fresh salad. People loved it. In fact all the food was vegan and much of it made use of Yagga products such as the Strips in a traditional Peruvian dish that would usually use beef. The guests were not told they were having a vegan meal - and many were not vegetarian or vegan (they came from UK, Europe, South America and even Africa) and they ate every bit - coming back for thirds! When a South African guest was told it was vegan he looked amazed, and said "well that's the best vegetarian meal I've ever had".

Clearly, we might be biased so we would have to recommend you try it for yourself :-)