Plant-Based Spree | FHA2022

I’ve recently visited the largest food fair in Asia, featuring some of the most iconic F&B companies and emerging startups.

This post is nothing to what I usually post – mountains/ diving/ hikes. But the FHA (Food & Hotel Asia) warrants a mention. Food captivates me for the longest time and is a centrepiece of my life, apart from exploring this planet.

Before you think I am a professional chef – I am not! But know that I work within this fascinating and ever-evolving industry that you and I need.

Going to New Zealand on the Working Holiday Visa was part travel and part understanding of how primary agriculture functions.

We will save this discussion for another day. 

Now let me discuss the sights, smells and sounds I experienced in FHA2022, held at the beginning of September this year.

What is FHA2022?

I had no clue about FHA2022 until a couple of friends raved and went for it. Years in the food industry (and in Singapore) and no clue about FHA – how ridiculous!

To the noobs like me, the FHA that I attended – FHA-Food & Beverage – is one of the two jumbo fairs from the umbrella trade platform – Food & Hotel Asia. The other, presumably less popular, fair focuses on food services and hospitality. 

FHA(F&B) is Asia’s largest food and drinks trade event. But the exhibition does not limit itself solely to Asia – exhibitors around the world use this opportunity to promote their brands.

Most exhibitors hail from big corporations or are ‘direct manufacturers’, while some are new users hoping to launch their businesses through this platform. It is these startups that made the fair exciting for me! You get to see the newest innovations and sample novel food.

FHA used to be held once every two years, but the pandemic may have changed that. The next exhibition will be held in Singapore next April.

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The Layout of FHA(F&B)2022

FHA this year was held at the Singapore Expo – an excellent place with big halls and the added convenience of being close – one MRT station away – to the international airport.

The fair spread across six halls, with Hall 1 featuring wines and spirits, and Hall 2 focusing on plant-based food. Halls 3 to 5 had exhibits categorised according to countries, and Hall 6 pivoted on local F&B companies.

FHA is a free event, but you would have to register through their website.

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My Mission

I have a razor-sharp assignment – to see and taste all the plant-based food and drinks FHA has.

Plant-based food has been gaining traction recently, hastened by the pandemic, and pushed by consumers’ habits. People are looking into sustainability and turning into vegetarians/ vegans.

The old ways of growing food are not sustainable anymore as the global population skyrockets. Something must change in the food industry.

Plant-based food is an example. But there are other novel food ideas using IoT and engineering to grow plants, making insects palatable as food (and feed), and – the most interesting of them all – cultured meat.

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I See, I Smell, I Savour

There are too many stalls in the tradeshow – a day is insufficient to go through all.

Nonetheless, here are some of the memorable samples and booths I enjoyed!

Plant-based Beverages

Oatly’s Tea Master. This Swedish food company has created another product specifically for tea, similar to oat milk for baristas. I could see this in Gongcha.

WhatIf BamNut Milk. Apart from its stash of healthier instant noodles, this locally-owned company has unusual plant-based milk. BamNut, a kind of groundnut from West Africa, is something you do not often see in the ocean of primarily oat-based milk.

Avenatur Oat Milk. Oat milk from Finland. They have oat milk chocolate, and their oat milk blueberry yoghurt was creamy and delicious. One of the co-founders told me to keep a lookout for their product launch in Singapore early next year.

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Good Mate Oat Milk. The Thailand-based Oat Milk company serves some heavenly chocolate deluxe oat milk. Smooth, thick and full of cocoa notes.

Yofi Chickpeas Milk. Plant-based milk from France! Their pivot is on their chickpeas combination milk.

Dirty Clean Food Oat Milk. Another company that sells oat milk, but from Australia. This company does not sell on the idea of veganism/ plant-based food as they do produce meats. Their focus is on regenerative farming practices.

Sachi Soy Wine. BONUS! A drink for adults. Sachi is the world’s first soy alcohol, wholly created in Singapore! It uses byproducts from tofu-making to create a waste-free and lower-caloric drink.

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Plant-based Food

PLNT. Take a look at their catalogue! This Netherlands-based company has plant-based meat and seafood that look like the real thing! Their crab salad does remind you of the real crab. And they have Asian-inspired cuts like plant-based Rendang, Tikka Masala, and Green Curry. 

TiNDLE. The wackiest booth – a caravan – belongs to this local-based company. We sampled their plant-based chicken nuggets, which, unfortunately, were heavily coated with overpowering chilli seasoning.

Moving Mountains. I am thoroughly impressed by their fish fillet, on top of their other plant-based varieties. The texture and taste were on point! The British company has the biggest and boldest booth in navy blue.

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Impossible Food. The US-based company has been making plant-based meats since 2011. I have eaten their burgers twice and found them less greasy than the usual beef patties. This time around, the company sets its sight on the Asian market with its new plant-based porky mince. I could see that in gyoza or xiao long bao.

HarvestGourmet. The only other company under an MNC (Nestle). While their booth had green plants beautifully strung around pastel wood, I thought their nuggets could improve in their texture.

Herbyvore. This Singapore startup has a range of plant-based dairy and egg alternatives. I had their Protein Brownies, made from their Plant Protein, which might be the moistest brownie I have ever eaten. I could imagine having some of their pea protein paneers as a side.

OnlyEg. Another Singapore startup specialising in plant-based eggs. Their Tamago sushi was not bad. But the same cannot be said for the olive fried rice, which tasted more olive than the egg. They had a robot running around the booth promoting their products!

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GreenRebel. This Indonesian-based company has a stash of plant-based meat in Asian flavours like Rendang and Satay. Texture and taste-wise, their food still reminded me of the old-school mock meats.

Karana. Finally, some non-soy-based meat. The Singapore startup specialises in jackfruit mince and dumplings.

Big Mountain. A mother and daughter duo founded this US-based company. Their brand, packaging and presentation are pretty, but I do not find their products (plant-based burgers and sausage) exceptionally memorable.

Hoya Vegan Jerky. A Taiwan-based company that has been making plant-based and vegan products since 1996. Their jerky is snackable and a great savoury pick-me-up for hikes.

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Other Booths

We zoomed past several booths, but there were booths I found interesting.

T-Bros. Chocolate made from single-origin cocoa beans grown in Dak Lak (not Dalat). I have tried 99% dark chocolate from Lindt but never 100%. This company makes them.

Kim Guan Guan Coffee. Rich and strong coffee. Aunty said she pulled it (kopi tarik), but they sell blended powders too.

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A Long Ending

And that is all from me for FHA2022.

Here is a small disclaimer! Before you think I am a vegan from all the texts I have written – I am not. I am just fascinated by meat alternatives, and plant-based ones happened to be a part of them.

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Me and Mock Meats

Mock meat has been around for the longest time. I recalled having bright red mock char siew and tofu skin in economical vegetarian bee hoon as a kid and disliked those vehemently. They taste awful.

The Indians did a great job with mock meat in the form of soya chunks, but their whole food tastes even better in all sorts of curries. 

I could fondly remember the spicy soya chunks served in a particular stall at the canteen in the Thai university I was attached to as an undergraduate. All her vegetarian dishes were as delicious as a drug to me. I ate it every morning for breakfast with soy milk, but my uncooperative weak stomach had other plans.

While plant-based meat is a boon for vegetarians and those looking to cut down meat consumption, it is a highly-processed food.

Despite being excited by all these new creations, ultimately, I still prefer a whole foods diet, choosing to substitute fresh meat with plant-based meat sometimes when I am eating out.

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More Rambles on New Tech

Next on my radar is cultured meat – meat grown in petri dishes and bioreactors!

I hope folks at Good Meat and Shiok Meats will be participating in next year’s FHA. Good Meat, a US-based company, is already selling their chicken in Singapore (the first in the world!), with their new meat facility scheduled to be up and running next year. Funny how they cannot do it in their home country.

Shiok Meats – a wholly local-owned startup – would be selling their siew mais and seafood next year too. Can’t wait!

These two companies are just a couple of the many startups dabbling in lab-made meat.

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More but Nope

Other technologies to check out in the sustainable food realm include the power of fermentation, new ways of farming, the overlooked abilities of mushrooms and seaweed, and edible insects. I almost did a Final Year Project on the latter if not for strict import rules.

I could go on and go overboard. But I shall not. 

Ending this post right here. Like this.

Till FHA2023!