Vegan Ideas

By now it’s been safely established that Switzerland is a direct democracy and unlike many other countries you can bring virtually any idea/law/constitutional amendement to a popular vote. Currently you need a 100’000 signatures from eligble voters to do so. While I might not like the idea for most of these “Initiativen”, that’s where the power of democracy lies in, you debate back & forth and then vote to settle the issue.

You’d imagine that people use this powerful & popular instrument to drive important policy. The modern and polically interested fellow citizen would think of topics such “Should we allow/ban genetically modified crop?”, “What level of declaration of food origin and items is right?”, “Should the reports of the hygiene inspectors be public or not?” and lots of others.

But the next “Initiative” which is being proposed is to force restaurants, canteens and other food outlets to offer at least one vegan option. Without even debating the pros and cons of a vegan diet, wether it’s healthier or better for the environment or not – from a culinary point of view it’s utter madness to eat vegan.

You are actively & significantly reducing the flavors, textures and aromas you are willing to consume. In an act of self-chastiment you are limiting your culinary options significantly, robbing yourself of a world of excitement. What would have happend to Mondrian’s pictures if you’d taken away yellow and blue from the man ?

There is one reason for eating a vegan option on a menu – if it’s the best culinary option. If the dish itself is strong enough to stand up to the other options, because it is more exciting, packs more flavor and has a certain special twist to it. But because the law demands it ? Not sure that’s going to go down well with most people.

Also on a side note – have you ever noticed how many vegan products are intent on acting like meat ? Feels like a monk in a monastary who secretly keeps a stash of Playboy magazines under his bed…