GET READY TO OPEN YOUR FOOD TRUCK // EP 2. – EMBLEMATIC PRODUCTS & BRANDS

On 04/11/2014 by opheliejeannin

Not only do you need to produce certain food dishes  (See our EP 1) to be a proper hipster, you’ll need them to be made with the right ingredients, prepared with the right tools, and served with the right utensils.

In this second week of food truck advice, we bring you the lowdown on how to achieve that perfect hipster look and feel.

Note: most of these products can be found at organic stores in Paris, though most of the links below point to Naturalia (the most online-searchable). Other chains such as Biocoop, Bio c’ Bon, Les Nouveaux Robinsons and La Vie Claire carry numerous products that may not be available at your usual grocery store.

1. Chia seeds

Chias

Let’s kick off with the small things. Chia seeds are the new superfood, which you’re always on the lookout for. Not only are they extremely nutritious, full of protein, good fat and dietary fiber, they’re very tasty and absorb a lot of water, keeping you full for longer. They also add texture to whatever you eat them with, so adding them to your breakfast smoothie (together with kale, hopefully) will re-energize you after that morning run.

 

2. Quinoa

quinoa

By now you’re already familiar with quinoa, but in its defense, it does have the amazing ability to replace grains and cereals, even though it’s technically a seed. Quinoa is packed with protein, fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids (a type of antioxidant)… and it’s also gluten-free and has a low glycemic index, which means it gets digested slowly, preventing food comas. It’s perfect as a base for your hipster lunch salad, preferably accompanied with raw beets.

 

 3. Greek yogurt

greekyahourt

While natural yogurt has been popular in France for, well, forever, Greek yogurt is only beginning to make its impression. Forget about your fromage blanc with fruit coulis; instead, try this protein-packed strained yogurt together with organic muesli and agave nectar. Top with some blueberries, and you have yourself a nutritious snack to accompany your afternoon flat white.

 

4. Artisanal jam

jam

As a hipster, “artisanal” should be one of the key words you look for. (The others are “biologique” and “curated” – the hipster ABC). So when it comes to jams and jellies, you want the artisanal variety. The kind lovingly produced in a family’s little countryside cottage, where fruits are hand-picked, hand-stirred and the final product hand-wrapped. Find this at any farmer’s market, and have it with some artisanal bread, paired with…

 

5. Organic natural peanut butter

peanut

Or any kind of nut butter, really. Jif and Skippy’s are full of processed sugar and preservatives; you, the bearer of more discerning taste, prefer to control what you use to sweeten your peanut butter, if you want to sweeten it at all. Pick this up to your local organic chain, or hop over to the Netherlands, where peanut butter is a staple and where you’ll find a larger range than you’ll get at Monoprix.

 

6. IPA beer or any craft beer

beer

IPA stands for India Pale Ale and is the hipster beer of choice (after Pabst Blue Ribbon). But if you want to take your hipster credentials one step further, look for craft beers: specialty, small-batch beers produced locally. If you’re adventurous, you might even try having your own microbrewery. Just make sure you serve the drinks in the right beer glass.

 

7. Soy milk, almond milk

milk

Milk from cows is so passé. You’ve tried goat’s milk as an alternative, but the taste is too strong – or it’s also too commonplace these days. Instead, you prefer soy or almond milk, both of which bring a distinctive tint to your muesli or coffee. You might even want to try oat milk, which makes hot chocolate that is simply out of this world, and also out of the mainstream experience.

 

8. Single-origin coffee beans

coofee bean

With all the milk, you’re simply dying to create the perfect flat white, complete with latte art. No boring single-shot, over-extracted espressos with these beans – they’re made for a coffee experience. Luckily, hipster cafés are popping up all over Paris, and many of them sell their beans. Coutume, Café Lomi and Téléscope are good places to start.

 

9. Mason jars

jar

With all the smoothies and other assorted semi-liquid items you consume, you need the perfect receptacle to serve them in. Enter mason jars, the most versatile container a hipster could ever have. Pack salads in them, serve iced coffee in them, home-can your vegetables in them, and much more. You can get these at IKEA, or any homeware store.

 

10. Slow juicer

slow juicer

A cold-press extractor will help you get the most out of your vegetables. Plus, it’s slow, and slow-cooked (or in this case, not cooked) food always speaks of a labor of love. Buying fresh juices at specialty juice bars may already be part of your post-yoga ritual, but to step it up, you need to have your very own juicer. Especially useful when you’re on a cult movie binge. You can try finding these at big-box electronic stores like Darty, but you’re more likely to strike gold at smaller shops.

Check back next week for more great hipster tips!

EP 3 –  WHERE TO PARK YOUR FOOD TRUCK?

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