With the rise of plant-based ingredients, cauliflower is making waves in the realm of health-conscious and vegetarian dining.
While it has found its way into dishes like low-calorie rice, plant-based burgers, chicken wings, and even cheese, have you ever considered cauliflower as the key ingredient for ice cream? Yes, ice cream with a texture and taste resembling that of cream!
Most plant-based ice creams are traditionally made from soy, coconut, or oats, making cauliflower an unconventional choice. However, companies like EatKinda not only thought about it but also turned it into reality.
Companies such as EatKinda have announced the launch of the first cauliflower-based ice cream. Their product is set to hit the shelves of over 90 Woolworths supermarkets in New Zealand soon.
This vegan ice cream is primarily made from fresh cauliflower, combined with ingredients like coconut oil and pea protein. It comes in three flavors: strawberry, chocolate, and mint chocolate. Moreover, the product is free from soy, nuts, GMOs, and artificial ingredients. It adopts compostable and plastic-free packaging, making it suitable for home composting or use as a flower pot.
So, how did the idea of turning cauliflower into ice cream come about?
The concept of cauliflower ice cream originated when Matheson, co-founder of EatKinda, was contemplating how to utilize vegetables from her garden. After experimenting with pumpkins and other homegrown vegetables, she found cauliflower to be the perfect ingredient. Its delicate texture without overpowering flavors allowed for the creation of various tastes easily.
Cauliflower itself is high in fiber and rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. It adds volume and thickness to the dessert without the need for unhealthy additives.
Initially, Matheson aimed to create a vegan cauliflower cheesecake but faced challenges. She then modified the recipe, resulting in a dairy-free ice cream that received unanimous praise from family and friends.
In 2022, EatKinda secured its first investment from Better Bite Ventures, a Singaporean venture fund. In July of the same year, EatKinda collaborated with the New Zealand fast-food chain Hell Pizza to launch the first commercially available cauliflower ice cream. According to blind taste tests, the product performed on par with dairy ice cream.
While many plant-based ice creams might be too hard or icy, with hints of soy or coconut flavor, we’ve crafted cauliflower ice cream to resemble traditional dairy ice cream, ensuring a smooth, creamy texture without any undesirable aftertaste.
Beyond its taste and health benefits, this ice cream serves as a ‘savior’ for cauliflower.
In New Zealand,40% of vegetable crops go unsold due to imperfections deemed unsuitable for retail. Despite visual defects such as odd size or color, these cauliflowers share the same taste, texture, and nutritional content.
Preliminary studies indicate that using cauliflower instead of dairy in ice cream can reduce land use by 93%, water consumption by 81%, greenhouse gas emissions by 84%, and agricultural runoff pollution by 53%.
According to the latest data from ResearchAndMarkets, the global plant-based ice cream market is projected to reach $1.24 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.33%. As more people embrace vegetarianism and opt for plant-based alternatives, even humble vegetables are becoming stars in the food industry.
Wouldn’t you want to try this creative and eco-friendly plant-based ice cream?
