Plant-Forward Cuisine: Basic Concepts and Practical Applications

Plant-Forward Cuisine is a beautifully illustrated book that promotes the environmental and health benefits of a plant-forward diet and will inspire readers with a range of exciting recipes.

The book addresses the urgent need to make changes to those culinary cultures where animal-sourced proteins play a central role. To ensure that there is enough food for a growing world population, to lessen the burden on the environment, and to promote healthier, sustainable eating patterns, it is crucial to transition to a diet that focuses primarily on plants as the key ingredients. Yet, many people dislike the taste of plants because of their texture and lack of sweetness and umami. Luckily, the book provides a solution to these challenges. It offers key scientific descriptions of the physical characteristics of plants, mushrooms, algae, and fungi and their nutritional components, along with information about creation of texture and flavour. Armed with this knowledge, the recipes then provide tips and tricks for transforming plants into delicious meals with pleasing textures and flavours. The authors stress that it is not necessary to embrace a fully vegetarian or vegan diet. Rather, they suggest that taking a flexitarian approach, which incorporates small quantities of animal products to elicit umami, may be a more viable and lasting solution for people at large. Throughout the text readers will find interesting narratives about various aspects of green gastronomy around the world. The book concludes with two helpful reference sections: a glossary of main ingredients used in the recipes and a compilation of ingredients that can be used to add taste and aroma.

This book will be of great interest to those concerned with building a sustainable food system, and it will serve as a practical guide for those seeking to transition to plant-rich diets without compromising their taste experience and enjoyment of food.

Ole G. Mouritsen is a research scientist and Emeritus Professor of gastrophysics and culinary food innovation at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the President of the Danish Gastronomical Academy and Founder and past Director of the National Danish Taste Centre, Taste for Life.

Klavs Styrbæk is a professional chef who owns and operates STYRBÆKS. He is the author of the award-winning cookbook Mormors Mad (Grandmother’s Food, 2006). He has twice been awarded an honours diploma for excellence in the culinary arts by the Danish Gastronomical Academy.

Mariela Johansen, who has Danish roots and an international background, lives in Canada. She has worked
with Ole and Klavs to translate and adapt several of their books for an English language readership, two of which have won regional Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the translation category.