Veg-Jing Out: Beyond Meat Hits JD, Moka Bros Unveils Summer Zrou Menu

Drew Pittock, Contributing Editor | Jul 19, 2021 8:13 am | Add a comment | 215 reads

Veg-Jing Out: Your weekly guide to a guilt-free lifestyle in the capital.

Beyond Meat opens flagship e-commerce store

The big news dominating Beijing’s plant-based community this week was US-based Beyond Meat’s announcement that the company would be opening its own store on China’s e-commerce platform, JD.com. Although the brand has been available through third-party vendors for some time now, this will be the first time that consumers can purchase directly from the manufacturer. What’s more, to coincide with the launch of the JD store, Beyond Meat also unveiled a new product, Beyond Pork, meant to cater to local Chinese tastes.

For now, the line of products – which includes Beyond Beef, Beyond Burger, and Beyond Pork – will be available in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, however, the company intends to roll out supply chains in 300 cities across the country. And in keeping with their commitment to sustainable practices, all of the products for the Chinese market will be made domestically at the new Beyond Meat production facility in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. In a press release, Beyond Meat China General Manager Candy Chan explained, “Beyond Meat is excited to launch its store on JD.com to expand our local availability and reach consumers throughout China. With increased capabilities thanks to our new manufacturing facility in the [Jiaxing Economic & Technological Development Zone], we are able to offer a growing portfolio of great-tasting, locally-produced plant-based meat products that are nutritious and sustainable.” To access Beyond Meat’s JD store, click here.

In other Beyond Meat news, the company will be at this year's Burger Fest, Aug 6-8 at Wangjing Walk. So stay tuned for more information about that!

Moka Bros launches new summer Zrou menu

As the overseas juggernaut that is Beyond Meat continues its campaign to infiltrate the Chinese market, local Shanghai-based underdog Zrou is putting up one hell of a fight, striking up strategic partnerships with kitchens all over the country. Their most recent outpost comes in the form of Moka Bros, however, this isn’t the start of the two brands working together. Months ago, Moka Bros had launched a Zrou pop-up menu with all manner of options, however, that was more of a reconnaissance mission to find out which dish was most beloved by Beijing diners, which would then be added to the permanent menu. Well, the intel is in and it turns out folks in the capital went crazy for the Zrou meatball sub. (As someone who tried it, I whole-heartedly approve of this decision, as it’s certainly one of the more unique plant-based options available in the capital.)

Aside from simply adding the sub to the menu, Moka Bros has also vastly expanded their vegan and vegetarian fare by allowing customers to veganize a number of dishes by swapping the protein for Zrou meatballs. These dishes include the Spicy Prawn Pasta, Spicy Cauliflower, Buddha Bowl, Moka’s Warm Salad, Veggie Medley Salad (be sure to request no egg if you’re vegan), Hearty Quinoa Salad, and Breakfast Bowl (again, no egg). To find out more about the new menu, click here.

Tofu Scramble recipe

Friends and family notwithstanding, the number one thing I miss about living in Los Angeles has to be the plethora of brunch spots that serve tofu scrambles in various forms. Some of my fondest memories are of hungover Saturday mornings, tucking into a tofu scramble breakfast burrito with an iced coffee, water, and pint, a sometimes futile effort to get my head on straight. Unfortunately, I’m yet to find a single establishment in the capital that offers such a weekend experience, so I’ve taken matters into my hands. (For what it’s worth, I’ve been cooking up this delicious dish long before I moved here.) And now it’s time I share my secret recipe with all of you! Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or veg-curious, this tofu scramble is a surefire way to beat back the most hellish of hangovers, though it fares equally well on sober mornings too.

Ingredients:

1 Bell pepper
1/2 Onion
2 tbsp Cumin
5 Cloves garlic
1 Block tofu
2.5 tbsp Oil

Directions:

1) Press your tofu to remove moisture, set aside

— To do this, simply wrap your tofu in a paper towel or cheesecloth, set it on a plate, and place another plate on top. Set some heavy objects on top, such as pans or books, and leave for at least 15 minutes, or until your tofu becomes dry to the touch.

2) Dice your veggies and set aside

3) Cube your tofu — don’t worry about scrambling yet, you can do that once it’s in the pan

4) Once everything is chopped, add oil and tofu to pan

— As your tofu cooks, use your spatula to scramble it up, much like you would if you were cooking eggs.

5) Continue cooking tofu on medium-high 5 to 7 minutes, or until it begins to brown

6) Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic and cumin. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes

— Once your tofu is browned, add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Let this cook for another couple of minutes, or until the garlic and cumin become fragrant. Don’t leave your burner on too high, lest you char these precious flavors.

7) Add onion and bell pepper

— Continue cooking the entire dish until your onions and bell pepper begin to soften.