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What started as a two-week no-meat challenge with friends seven years ago evolved into a lasting lifestyle change and legacy for Toronto-based chef and content creator Lloyd Rose.
By sharing his journey into veganism through creative cooking videos and recipes, Rose has built a massive following on social media, showcasing the endless possibilities of plant-based cooking and vegan Caribbean food.
Now, with the release of his latest cookbook, “Island Vegan: 75 Flavorful Recipes from the Caribbean: Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Dominican Republic & More,” the Jamaican chef presents original recipes and reimagined Caribbean classics, inviting readers to explore the world of vegan cuisine and recreate these vibrant flavors at home.
The Unexpected Vegan Journey
Born and raised in Montreal, Rose developed an interest in cooking early on by helping his mother in the kitchen. “I was always very intrigued from like nine or ten years old about the cooking process and how food came together,” he remembers thoughtfully.
Although he never pursued cooking professionally, his passion for the craft led him to learn in any way he could. “Everything was self-taught,” he explains. “Watching like professional cooking shows, seeing how they plated, seeing how they bring flavors together.”
For years, cooking remained a personal passion for Rose, but one pivotal night in 2017 would change everything, marking the start of his vegan journey and transforming cooking from a pastime to the start of a potential career.
“I would cook a lot before being vegan, and one day, I watched a documentary with friends called “What the Health” on Netflix, and it was talking about how you could feel possibly if you were to cut out the middleman (meat) and go directly to the source, the source being the plants.”
Encouraged by what they learned in the documentary, Rose and his friends decided to create a challenge for themselves. “A bunch of us who watched it are from the Caribbean or from somewhere that is meat heavy in every meal. So, we were challenged to do 14 days of no meat,” he recalls.
“After the 14 days, we all reported back, saying, ‘I feel good. I’m sleeping well. Less brain fog. Energy is up.’ So, we were just like, ‘Let’s continue to 30 days.’ And then 30 days became seven years for a bunch of us.”
From Pastime to Potential Career
With his love of cooking and insatiable curiosity, Rose began to delve deeper into the realm of vegan Caribbean food, discovering new recipes and drawing inspiration from his heritage with the Ital diet—a natural, plant-based way of eating rooted in Rastafarian culture. As his skills and knowledge grew, his friends encouraged him to share his journey on social media.
“So, I started posting it. And I was telling myself, ‘It’s not about me, it’s about who I could help. Maybe there are people out there who have actual health issues and cannot eat certain things. And when I post what I post, maybe that will help them to add a new meal to their repertoire.”
In 2020, as he began posting more frequently, his page took off. “I started to go pretty hard posting during the pandemic because I had more time on my hands and I was working from home, and it blew up,” he recalls.
Since then, the Caribbean chef has hosted cooking demos in various countries showcasing the bold flavors of vegan Caribbean food, continued to grow his social media following, and released two cookbooks—“Crazy Good Vegan” and his newest, “Island Vegan.”
Creative Collection of Vegan Caribbean Food
Island Vegan celebrates the endless possibilities of plant-based cooking through a collection of creative, original recipes and Caribbean classics with a vegan spin.
Rose shares some of his favorite recipes from the cookbook, starting with the sweet plantain loaf. “Imagine banana bread, but it’s made with over-ripe plantain, so you get the caramelization and sweetness from the plantains throughout the bread. And it has, like nutmeg and cinnamon,” he describes.
Another favorite from Rose is his vegan take on the Caribbean classic, oxtail, which he refers to as noxtail in the cookbook. “I make that with young green jackfruit. So, young green jackfruit is the jackfruit before it turns yellow and ripe. It’s white-fleshed. And, if you boil or cook it down the right way when you pull it apart, it looks very fleshy and meat-like,” he explains.
The last dish he spotlights is also made with jackfruit, a vegan twist on ackee and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish. “I like my version of the traditional dish, which is ackee and saltfish in Jamaica, and that, again, is made with salted jackfruit, which represents the codfish.”
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Tips for the Prospective Vegan
Rose offers his advice from his journey to help those who might be interested in plant-based eating or trying out a vegan diet.
“I feel like a lot of people when they approach food. They’re a little stressed, especially when it’s not something that they’re used to. So, just approach it with ‘we’re having fun,’” he explains. “A lot of it really is experimentation and just having fun. Don’t be stressed,” the chef says reassuringly.
“Start gradually. If you’re interested in plant-based food or trying something different, approach it with an open mind. Approach it with a mindset of ‘I want a new experience’ and allow that experience to be exactly what it is without looking for something else that you’re used to.”
“Island Vegan” is available for purchase online and in stores. For more information on Lloyd Rose and his vegan journey, you can follow him on TikTok and Instagram @plantcrazii.
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