2013 January
Hong Kong’s Raw, Organic & Eco Foodie Scene – An Update
137 days ago by greenqueenHappy New Year to all Green Hong Kongers! May your 2013 be filled with joy, good health and as a green as possible!
Just a quick update on some fantastic new additions to the locavore, raw and organic Hong Kong foodie scene.
If you haven’t been to Grassroots Pantry, it’s time to pencil it in. They serve delicious vegetarian fare with a focus on vegan options and even a couple of raw dessert choices like the blueberry cheesecake.
Another brand new options for veggies is The Herbivores, an innovative scene-setter on Hong Kong’s green dining scene brought to you by a chef team previously a Roka, so expect a Japanese twist to the menu.
Pushing boundaries in the wild food movement is Wild Grass. Their whole raison d’etre is organic, sustainable fresh ingredients done perfectly. Even the furniture is recycled. This is fine dining with a conscience. Perfect for a an eco-date, get booking now!
Want more raw and superfood ingredient options? Try Culture Organics, a brand new online store with some very interesting prices for speciality ingredients like cacao butter and coconut palm sugar. They also have the usual selection raw kitchen equipment, supplements, nuts & seeds, beans, grains, superfoods and much more.
On the raw front, another exciting discovery: Anything but Salads. Imagine, Hong Kong’s very own first raw vegan prepared food service. They have raw breads, crackers, dips, cheeses, milks, granola…Green Queen’s mouth is watering as she writes this! Plus they offer catering services (from raw vegan to intelligent vegetarian) and host a private kitchen. Absolutely raw-tastic!
Green Queen also came by Spicebox Organics, a fairly recent addition to Sai Ying Pun’s funky neighourhood. They stock some great organic brands from India, choose from Tulsi tea, speciality oils, raw energy bars and granola and cute gifts like thali sets and diyas. For those of you who want to cook Indian at home, finally here is your one-stop shop for organic Indian ingredients!
For those of us who want to detox this January, check out The Genie Concept. They provide hand-delivered, freshly made raw, organic fruit and vegetable juices in special packs and with detailed instructions so you don’t have to think! Plus, the staff is so lovely you can’t help but have a crush on the whole team!
With all this thrilling innovation and experimentation, there is absolutely NO reason not to green your eating!
photo credit: emilychang via photopin cc
Handmade in Hong Kong: Green Queen’s Top 5 Artesanal Pioneers
138 days ago by greenqueenThe artisanal movement is admittedly not a huge one in Asia’s World City but there are a few locally-grown treasures. Below are a list of Green Queen’s Favourite Made in Hong Kong items; great for indulging one’s green pampering passions and perfect for gift-giving. These brands/companies also get a special Green Queen shout-out for empowering a greener Hong Kong and generally promoting a sustainable way of life.
Gladys HandMade Soap: hand-milled functional soaps made by Gladys herself using non-toxic ingredients and essential oils. Gladys’s soaps offer different functions such as the Mugwort Peaceful Soap or the The Coffee Household Soaps. The products can be tailor-made to suit needs or events such as the Wedding Soap collection. Gladys also hand-makes lip balms, massage oil blends, insect repellent, itch relief balms, body butters and more. Gladys’s soaps are made in small quantities so the soap profiles change regularly. Gladys’s products are hand wrapped in beautiful recyclable packaging. Approx HKD 50 per soap bar.
Squeaky Clean: Based in Discovery Bay, Squeaky Clean hand-makes chemical- free powder detergent goodness, scented with essential oils, no less! Packaged in vintagey-brown-paper bags, here is what they promise: no phosphates, no chlorine, no optical brighteners or dyes- basically totally non-toxic. Great at removing stubborn stains and gentle enough for your baby’s bottom though strong enough for cloth diapers! The blends come in Everyday or Extra Gentle and are offered in the following scents: Lavender/Vanilla, Lemon/Orange and Unscented for the extra-sensitive among us. 16oz for HKD 70 will get you about 48 loads or go for the family-pack 24oz for HKD 110 which should get you 96 loads.
HK Honey: HK Honey is the real thing, a full-blown Hong Kong locavore eco-movement. The HK Honey team has revived the art of beekeeping in our city and given locally-made artisanal honey some serious street-cred. You can also hold them responsible for making it uber hip to be an urban beekeeper. HK Honey is extremely collaborative: anyone can contact them and join the movement to learn about Chinese honey bees and set up their own roof-top golden hive. If you just want to get a taste, contact them for a tour and meet the bee-keeeprs- a great family day out! The team also hosts bee-keeping and candle-making workshops. They produce and sell delectable jars of Hong Kong honey (HKD 240 for 250g jar), as well as clean-burning beeswax candles (HKD 120 per candle jar).
Bella Sapone: Bella is a Hong Kong based homemaker dedicated to living an eco-friendly organic life. This passion led her to develop Bella Sapone, an extensive line of earth-friendly homemade cleansers which uses non-toxic ingredients such as virgin olive and coconut oils, organic cane sugar and essential oils. Bella Sapone offers liquid dish soap, body soap hand soap and laundry soap as well as shampoo and hand-made bar soaps. Bella products are stocked at various health stores around Hong Kong; check the website for stockiest and exact pricing. Starting from HKD 48 for 500ml bottles and HKD 48 her soap bar.
So…Soap! It’s hard not to root for So…Soap! Other than the charming name, this social venture was founded to offer marginalized women in Hong Kong an honest, sustainable and flexible livelihood. The women produce toxin-free, glycerin-based bio-degradable liquid soap from their Hong Kong homes, enabling them to promote a greener environment and care for their families. The bottles are recycled soy milk containers, the soap contains calming essential oils, the packaging is chic and modern and these women earn a decent wage. What is not to love? HKD 88-108 for a 500ml bottle, So…Soap offers Tea Tree Hand Soap and Body Soap in 3 different scents: Bergamot, Lavender and Orange Ginger.
