There is more and more segmentation in terms of culinary movements it means. It is no longer enough to just indicate if you are a carnivore or a vegetarian when choosing a menu, now there are other trends that are going strong in gastronomy. Among them, we find the flexi, vegan or, more recently, the crudivegana, whose Anglo-Saxon equivalent is the raw food the “live food”.
This new trend consists of following a diet based on raw products such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds or algae, without a stove, exposed to a maximum temperature of 40º, the same temperature that the sun can produce on them. Experts assure that the raw foodBesides being very nutritious, it prevents diseases and helps slow down aging. Therefore, it is not surprising that characters of the stature of Demi Moore o Natalie Portman be faithful followers.
La raw food refers to live food as the most natural, which can be chewed, digested and absorbed as it comes from nature, so that all its compounds and properties are maintained. A boat soon, it might seem that raw food only admits raw products of vegetable origin, but the reality is that it does not exclude those of animal origin, such as carpaccio or sushi, as long as are prepared following the basic rules of this kitchen.
This trend emerged in the United States in the 90s thanks to cooks such as the well-known Hollywood raw food chef Juliano Brotman and the celebrities who quickly joined this new gastro modality. In Spain, more and more followers are joining this lifestyle and the number of restaurants that are betting on the raw food as the central axis of its offer.
Among the most recent openings we find interesting proposals such as that of Letter Veggie Bistro, a vegan restaurant with an offer of raw food located in front of the Retiro in Madrid.
Its menu includes starters such as onion bread, dehydrated for more than 20 hours in a specific machine, vegetable paté made from broccoli or veggie rolls, with slices of carrot and other crunchy vegetables. The main dishes are the zucchini lasagna with dried tomato, the chickpea crepe or the fake rice sushi. And in the sweet section, its owners name the desserts according to the frequency with which their guests attend. Thus, we find on the menu the Ramiro cake, an interpretation of the cheese cake based on figs, Brazil nuts and accompanied by blueberry coulis.
Cannibal Raw Bar is another restaurant that bets on this concept. Of Galician origin and located where the mythical Oliver café in Madrid used to be, its philosophy is to offer a excellent quality raw material, without artifice, following the rules of this new school that is becoming so fashionable among the most gourmets.
The skeleton of his balanced, fresh and unpretentious letter is based on raw and marinated proposals, like ceviches, tartares or carpaccios. Seafood, fish, Galician meat and French oysters also stand out. It has an extensive wine list that includes more than 70 references.
Another point in the raw vegan route es Botanical, a signature restaurant located in Madrid’s Mercado de San Antón. Its chef, Nacho Sánchez, is in charge of taking great care of all its proposals through exclusive techniques and a careful presentation. The live burger with almonds, sunflower seeds, green leaf, mustard dressing, homemade tomato sauce or cashew sauce, the trompe l’oeil steak tartar (watermelon), is worth mentioning.
The reason for this growing demand is to become aware of the need for a healthy and responsible lifestyle with nature. Under the motto “eating healthy has a reward” now opens La Huerta de Almería, a multi-space green or ecottore that, in addition to selling products in their pure, intact state, from the family garden, has a table area where juices are offered, or the combos “paninos” and “bowls” to combine liquids and solids for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner.
However, the first to open a place that bet on the raw diet were those of Crucina in 2011, under the baton of the Greek Yorgos Loannidis. It is a vegan space, located in the Malasaña neighborhood, where stoves are prohibited and which, as they call themselves, is “eco gourmet”. The preparation of their dishes is close to haute cuisine due to the careful process that they follow. In this space they dehydrate, marinate, ferment, freeze-dry and liquefy some of their food before serving. A classic of the raw food.
In addition to the premises focused solely on the raw food as the central axis, there are many restaurants where you can taste food created under this concept. To consider a raw kitchen, 70% of your proposal has to be raw. Like the red tuna tartare from Oribu, the spicy tuna tartar with avocado, wakame seaweed and pink grapefruit from Bacira or any piece of sushi from Enso Sushi that, also now, is in full tuna days.