Shan Cheung / OHM Vegan Lab Co-Founder
Heart of a vegan
“Pure Veganism is only a label”, Shan said what lies behind is the pursuit of humanitarianism and environmental protection. She wishes only to provide a better alternative so that we can “eat vegetables that taste like it”.
As city separated us from the rural, contact with nature or farmland is a rarity. While many think little about the food industry, Shan Cheung, owner of a vegan cafe, had a sudden realisation one day eating with her friend: she doesn’t need to eat that much meat. Going vegan has prompted her to contemplate the origin of our food, the livelihood of coffee farmers, or even the lifeline of our land and nature. “From the way we eat, we can change the way we live”.
What inspired you to open a vegan cafe?
When I started going vegan, I started to pay attention to the origin of our food and discovered that there are some better retail places for food in Hong Kong. I was able to meet like-minded people because of Lively Live, which inspired me to open a cafe. Moreover, communicating with customers amazed me, in my previous job, it was: I produced something. Take it. But working here, it is: I cooked this; you ate it; you can tell me what you think. We can share bits and pieces of our life, and have a genuine conversation.
What is ‘pure veganism’ to you?
To me, ‘pure veganism’ is eating food without eggs and milk. Though I would not label myself as a ‘pure vegan’ as I choose not to eat eggs due to the principle of not harming our earth and animals. I also chose not to eat eggs because of the problem with the industry. Dairy cows are trapped in the cramped pens with machines milking them. While calves came to this world, supposed to be with their mother, would also be dragged away. If our demand for eggs and milk were small, the industrial production would be of smaller scale. If people see the alternatives such as organic food or vegan diet, the demand for eggs and milk would then decrease.
Fair trade coffee tart
Longan black sugar wolfberry drinks
Some people are on a strict vegan diet, having absolutely no eggs and milk or any animals in their food. However, I think that as long as we eat with the idea of sustainability in mind, allowing our earth to continue without overexploitation, that will be enough.
Gluten-free Soy milk vegan cheese fettuccine
Taro Cheese Cake & Hazelnut Latte
How did you start going vegan?
I didn’t have an epic story like others. It was just one day, eating with my friends, I realised that we wasted a lot of food. I always feel like we waste a lot of food. One day I realised that I don’t want to eat it, then why should I? I don’t have such a huge appetite for meat. I feel like if I eat less meat, there will be fewer animals being killed, and less food being wasted. Therefore I started a vegan diet gradually.
“Jika suatu hari nanti aku dipindahtugaskan, bersediakah kau kuajak serta?” tanyamu iseng.
Sesungguhnya aku tak pandai meraba maksud. Tapi kepadamu, sesuatu itu nyata dan bukan lagi prasangka. Kamu membuatnya nyata walau pada akhirnya harus terhempas.
Kembali ke pertanyaan tadi yang sepertinya butuh jawaban. Kamu tau?
Aku hanya ingin memberi jawaban dalam satu tanya
“kamu inginnya aku bagaimana?”
Tapi jawabanku tak mendapat jawaban. Karena aku tak berkenan menyatakan tanya itu. Tidak seperti kamu yang kemarin (masih) berani.
Aku yakin kamu tidak tau, kan, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi di sini sejak kehadiranmu...
