A raw deal or the next big thing?
I was already missing my meat as we made our way to Saf restaurant in Shoreditch, London. Saf serves raw cold food. It doesn't sound very appetising, I know, until you begin to dig a bit deeper.
'Rawism' is a lifestyle that promotes the consumption of raw food. Eating raw food has many benefits, or so it is claimed.
The removal of processing and heat from food increases the level of protein and aids its digestion. It leaves vitamins and minerals intact, eradicating free radicals.
And, most importantly, by keeping the food below 48°C it allows longevity-promoting enzymes to remain.
As a diet it's being hailed as the next big thing and you can see why: all the above benefits and you lose weight too!There are, however, a few glitches in this idyllic plan. Lower-than-normal bone density may be one, and tooth decay could be another, although no-one is really sure. Advocates of this diet say that switching to raw food makes you feel more energised. This may be true since losing weight can give you a high.
And weeding out sweets, cakes, biscuits, fast food and take-aways will smooth out your blood sugar levels, leaving you more energised throughout the day.
But the one thing that really left its mark on me at Saf was a very clever knowledge of application for appreciation. Cheese is made from nuts, and pasta from vegetables, with one or two El Bulli twists (El Bulli on the Costa Brava was recently voted the best restaurant in the world).
'Rawism' is much more than just a variation on vegetarian cuisine, it's a very clever approach to what I think will be a great commercial success.
Who knows, we may even see some food manufacturers becoming merely food handlers!
Mark Rigby is senior
business development chef
for Premier Foods
