Chronicles of Vegan Food: From Ancient Philosophy to Future Technology

Explore everything about vegan food, starting from Pythagoras’ table to Silicon Valley laboratories.

• Understand the origin and philosophical meaning of the word Vegan.
• Examine the core technologies enabling vegan foods such as alternative meat and cultured meat.
• Predict the growth drivers of the vegan market and how future dining tables will change.

Today, veganism is established as a lifestyle, but its roots run much deeper than expected. This article traces the grand journey of the vegan concept, which began at the tables of ancient philosophers, was born as a word amid the saturation of World War II, and after technological innovation in Silicon Valley, has arrived on our dining tables.

It All Began in Ancient Greece

Let’s go back to around 500 BCE in ancient Greece to start the story. The great mathematician Pythagoras preached compassion among all species and argued against eating meat. His philosophy aligned with the Eastern principles of ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence) advocated by Buddhism and Jainism.

However, for most of history, plant-based diets were not a choice but a necessity for ordinary people. Meat was a rare delicacy. After the Industrial Revolution, factory farming made meat easily accessible, ushering in an era of abundance. Paradoxically, choosing not to eat meat became a meaningful philosophical ‘choice’. The oldest question has returned to all our tables.

Chapter 1: The Birth of the Word ‘Vegan’

Time moves to 1944, Britain, in the midst of World War II. Donald Watson, a quiet woodworking teacher, needed a new word to distinguish himself from existing vegetarians. He held a stricter belief, rejecting even dairy and eggs.

In November 1944, Watson and his colleagues created the neologism ‘Vegan’, derived from the start and end of ‘Vegetarian’, and founded the world’s first vegan organization, The Vegan Society.

The early vegan movement expanded beyond diet to a philosophy of “liberating animals from human exploitation.” It became a comprehensive lifestyle rejecting all uses of animals for food, clothing, labor, and more.

Chapter 2: Three Reasons Why We Choose Veganism

Why do people choose veganism today? Through the journey of a fictional character ‘Gina’, we explore three core motivations faced by modern vegans.

1. Ethical Awakening (Animal Welfare)

Gina is shocked after watching a documentary exposing the realities of factory farming. Her ethical awakening leads her to reject being part of a system that exploits and harms animals. This is resistance against the belief in human superiority over other species, known as ‘speciesism’.

2. Earth’s Plea (Environment)

Gina learns that livestock farming accounts for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than all transportation combined. It is also a major cause of Amazon rainforest destruction. The fact that a vegan diet can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 73% gives her hope for a small action toward Earth’s future.

3. A Promise to Myself (Health)

Finally, Gina reflects on herself. She encounters studies showing plant-based diets help lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. She also realizes careful planning is needed to balance nutrients like vitamin B12 and iron.

These personal changes are spreading further, intertwined with social trends like ‘value-based consumption’ and ‘meaning out’. Celebrities on social media have made veganism a ‘cool’ and meaningful lifestyle.

Plant-Based Diet Guide

Confused about different types of vegetarianism? Here’s a simple table:

Chapter 3: Vegan Food Tech, Future Food from the Lab

Now, let’s head to Silicon Valley labs where science and technology provide innovative answers to humanity’s oldest question: “What shall we eat?”

1. Plant-Based Alternative Meat: Deconstructing Meat

How can soy replicate the taste and texture of meat?

• The secret of texture: extrusion technology: Beyond the early TVP (textured vegetable protein) used in ‘soy meat’, HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analog) technology aligns plant protein molecules to mimic real muscle fibers. This is the secret behind Beyond Meat’s realistic meat texture.

• The key to flavor: ‘Heme’: Impossible Foods discovered that the unique flavor and juiciness of meat come from the ‘heme’ molecule. They succeeded in mass-producing heme by inserting genes from soy root nodules into yeast. Thanks to this technology, “bleeding” plant-based burgers were born.

2. Cultured Meat: Growing Meat Without Animals

Cultured meat is produced by growing a small number of animal cells in a nutrient-rich culture medium to form meat tissue. It is considered the ultimate alternative as it eliminates the need to slaughter animals, but challenges remain in high production costs and regulations.

3. Precision Fermentation: Brewing the Future

Precision fermentation programs microorganisms like yeast to produce specific ingredients such as milk proteins (casein, whey) or egg white proteins. This ‘cell-free cellular agriculture’ technology enables making cheese, ice cream, and meringue without animals, with the potential to transform the food industry’s supply chain.

Chapter 4: From Niche to Mainstream, Growth of the Vegan Market

Laboratory innovations have now become a massive market. The global vegan food market is growing over 10% annually and is expected to exceed $100 billion by the early 2030s. In Korea, the vegetarian population is estimated to have grown more than tenfold to 2.5 million in about ten years.

Giants of Taste: Two Burger Stories

Two leading companies in this market, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, have different strategies. For consumers, this competition means ’the joy of choice’. If you prioritize texture, Beyond Meat is a good pick; if you want authentic meat flavor and juiciness, try Impossible Foods. Which will be your first alternative meat burger?

In Korea, major companies like Pulmuone (Earth Diet), Shinsegae Food (Better Meat), and innovative startups such as Unlimit and The Planit are driving vegan market growth.

Vegan as Culture

Veganism has now expanded into fine dining. New York’s Eleven Madison Park shocked the world by switching to a fully vegan menu while maintaining its three Michelin stars.

Interestingly, Korea has a long-standing vegan culinary tradition in temple cuisine. Avoiding the use of pungent five spices (오신채, five pungent vegetables), temple cuisine highlights the natural flavors of ingredients and represents a uniquely Korean perfect vegan dining experience.

Conclusion

The small concern that began at Pythagoras’ table has grown into a massive industry shaping humanity’s future. The revolution on our plates has already begun.

• Expansion of Veganism: Veganism has evolved beyond diet into a comprehensive philosophy and lifestyle encompassing animal rights, environment, and health.
• Technological Advances: Plant-based alternative meat, cultured meat, and precision fermentation technologies are making a sustainable ‘animal-free livestock industry’ a reality.
• Market Growth: Veganism is no longer a niche choice but a rapidly growing mainstream market driven by value-conscious MZ generation consumers.

Your choices at the dining table today will determine tomorrow’s menu and ultimately shape the planet’s future. How about visiting a nearby vegan restaurant or cooking with plant-based alternative meat from the supermarket tonight? Small actions are the start of great change.