This past weekend was the 6th annual SEED Food & Wine Festival, which hosts multiple events celebrating the plant-based community and encouraging sustainable living.
On Saturday, November 9, was the Festival Day Tasting Village at Mana Wynwood, where attendees enjoyed countless plant-based and vegan food and drink options.
Among the 150 restaurants, bakeries, brands, and juices representing states across the country were some local gems from right here in South Florida.
Here are seven brands and restaurants that we got to meet and taste at the SEED Food & Wine Festival. All these treats can be found at various health food markets and restaurants across South Florida.
Bunnie Cakes
Already well-known in Miami, this local bakery was featured on Cupcake Wars in 2013 and has since won numerous awards. Mariana Cortez is the founder of this vegan bakery where their delicious products have no artificial sugars and select items are also gluten-free. Bunnie Cakes makes cakes and cupcakes (of course) as well as cookies, brownies, donuts, and cinnamon rolls. Their mini cupcakes were so moist, and we loved the guava and vanilla flavors. Find their storefront in Wynwood and coming soon, Doral.
Rebirth Elixirs
Rebirth Elixirs are juices recreated based off recipes from ancient history - the mountain cities of Incan Peru, the Maurya empire of 2nd century B.C. India, the royal palaces of the Ayutthaya Kingdom of ancient Thailand, the inner chambers of Cleopatra's Egypt, and the vast and florid civilizations of West Africa. We tried the Egyptian Rose Water, meant to hydrate your skin and fight wrinkles as queen Cleopatra used to, and the Incan Purple Corn Cider, which contains a high concentration of resveratrol to help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. Find these juices at Milam's Markets and Living Green Markets, among many other locations.
ADASHAH
ADASHAH is a lentil-based vegan protein source with a multitude of nutrients. Taylor Cohen created this product in a way to heal herself from chronic disease through an organic, plant-based diet. Made of a mixture of red lentils, flaxseed, and turmeric, it can be prepared in a variety of ways. ADASHAH is 100% organic, preservative-free, soy-free, gluten-free and nut-free. Not only can you feel good about the ingredients, but it is a powerhouse of nutrients and is packed with protein. Restaurants across South Florida all prepare and serve it differently, using it in wraps, bowls, salads, in a vegan bolognese, breakfast burritos, even as a burger. We loved the taste and texture of this protein alternative.
Nabati
Enjoy your ice cream and feel good about it. Founder Ola Kayal is dedicated to sustainability, health, and making delicious desserts anyone can enjoy. The plant-based ice cream at Nabati is made from cashews, coconuts, and other all-natural, healthy ingredients. Nabati crafts many unique flavors, all made in house. We tried “sweet smoke” at SEED and it was creamy and satisfying. The location in Wynwood is plastic-free and customers are welcome to bring their own containers for a discount.
Big Kahuna Kava
Kava is native to the Pacific Islands and the Kava root hasbeen used for many years to help relieve anxiety, stress, migraines, help with insomnia,and create an overall state of relaxation. While the taste is earthy andslightly bitter, Big Kahuna Kava infuses the kava root with pineapple andcoconut water to create a more desirable drink. However, this beverage istypically consumed for the health benefits versus the taste. You can find BigKahuna Kava at Brickell City Center Farmer’s Market and Pinecrest Farmer’sMarket, among other venues.
Chef Cristy’s Raw Foods
Chef Cristy Gonzales makes delicious raw treats from her Doral headquarters, specifically raw energy balls that come in cinnamon, chocolate, and orange flavors. The primary ingredients in Gonzales’ energy balls are apples and cashews and, according to her research, are at an ideal “good fat” ratio - 1:2:2 ratio of saturated, mono-unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat. Some of the benefits of these snacks include maintaining a strong immune system and providing vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti-inflammatory compounds to the body. Chef Cristy’s products are vegan, gluten-free, sodium-free and organic and taste amazing!
Tiger Seed
Tiger Seed‘s goal is to produce high-quality tonics thattaste delicious. They use all-natural ingredients and you will never findartificial sweeteners or preservatives in their products. Tiger Seed’s flagshipbeverage is Gingerade, featuring the health benefits of ginger, but they alsohave a Turmeric Tea and a Matcha Mint drink, all with their own health benefitsthanks to the main ingredients - turmeric and matcha. All three are refreshingand flavorful and bottled right here in Miami!
