When it comes to traditional recipes, purists may scorn substitutions or innovations. But for vegan cook and TikToker Alyssa Switzer thats part of the fun.

Switzer started eating a more plant-based diet in 2014, but she still wanted to maintain the Caribbean flavours that speak to her heart and her taste buds.

Thats what I grew up on, she told the Star.

Her feed @PlantifulAlyssa is filled with seconds-long tutorials of vegan dishes so colourful it may scramble your phone pixels. And much of it has a Caribbean flair.

Shes found vegan substitutes for meat-based staples, such as a meatless oxtail using jackfruit. And she pulls classic Caribbean foods like ackee and callaloo outside of what is traditional to make tacos, dips and galettes.

You kind of get forced to be creative, Switzer told the Star.

The canvas for some of her most innovative creations: breadfruit. Its a starchy fruit that is typically roasted and sliced in the Caribbean and is part of the national dish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the island Switzers mom is from.

She subbed diced breadfruit for potatoes, taking advantage of its starchy consistency, and made an island-inspired breadfruit salad in one TikTok video.

In another, she turned thin slices into taco shells and stuffed them with ackee.

And the recipe shes most proud of is her creamy breadfruit split pea soup, seasoned with coconut cream, thyme, allspice and scotch bonnet.

But when she shares vegan alternatives for things like oxtail, saltfish and fritters, shes been met with both praise and ire in the comments.

Its so traditional to eat traditional West Indian foods without altering in any way, Switzer said If people hear like, oh, vegan oxtail, (they say) what are you talking about?

But the raised eyebrows make her want to show these plant-based takes even more.

Theres so much varieties of fruits and vegetables you can eat, and theyre cultural and theyre good, she said. You dont have to be stuck in a certain way or a certain mindset on how to eat.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)

Sign In

Register

Here is the original post:

Breadfruit tacos? Meatless oxtail? This vegan Toronto TikToker puts innovative spin on her favourite Caribbean foods - Toronto Star