Highly sought after in Asia and extremely rare, 450 g (1 pound) of yarsagumba can often fetch, depending on the quality, over $11,500 (around €8,900), a price located between silver and gold.

It is only harvested during spring in meadows that are about 4000 m high in the Himalayas. Children are the ones who usually do the picking, which explains why so many schools in the rural parts of Nepal shut down in May each year.

Till date, no scientific research has been published on the benefits of this product, but Chinese herbalists believe the fungus – an excellent balance of yin and yang, as it is both animal and vegetable, according to them – boosts sexual performances. Boiled in water to make tea, or added to soups and stews, it supposedly cures a variety of ailments from fatigue to cancer.

It is possible to buy it on the Internet, but I would advise you against it: It’s better to visit your pharmacist for your drugs

Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on May 18, 2013.

The first ever International “Veggie Pride” is taking place today in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together vegetarians and vegans from around the world. The goal of such event is to raise social awareness about the real possibility of eating without meat.

The first “Veggie Pride” took place in France in 2001, followed by similar events in other cities across the world. Toronto will host its third edition on June 1st.

If you are interested in vegetarianism, either by ethical concern, or for health reasons, and wish to do so while avoiding any deficiency, please visit www.soscuisine.com/vegetarian. You will find lacto-ovo-vegetarian menus, pescetarian menus as well as semi-vegetarian ones, at 3 different calorie levels. All menus cover the whole week, with 3 meals/day. Without deficiencies and finger-licking good!

Try our Vegetarian Menus

. VEGETARIAN

. PESCETARIAN

SEMI- . VEGETARIAN

Schools, hospitals, day-care centres and other government-financed institutions across the province will be enlisted to help reach this ambitious goal.

Currently only 33 per cent of food is grown locally. Consumers will be enrolled too, via an awareness campaign, in order to influence the supply chain of their supermarkets.

SOSCuisine has been promoting local eating since our beginnings. From May to October we offer our Eat Local Menu. Please check it out!

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For the first time this year, the 2013 edition will be on an international scale: It will take place on May 18 in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together vegetarians and vegans from around the world.

To celebrate this event and actually help all those who want eat well without meat – but also without any nutritional deficiency – we are launching our vegetarian menus today with … pride

So we are offering lacto-ovo-vegetarian menus, that is, menus which contain no animal meat whatsoever but in which animal-derived products such as milk, cheese and eggs are included. And they are available in three different calorie levels, 1400, 1800 and 2200 calories per day.

For those of you who don’t want to completely stop eating meat and fish, but who are interested in vegetarianism, we offer two alternatives, either pescetarian menus (which include a few servings of fish or seafood) or semi-vegetarian menus (which include some servings of fish and/or poultry, but no red meat).

Enjoy the celebration and bon appétit!

Try some of our vegetarian recipes:

• Leek and Tomato Crostini with Brie
• Lentil and Potato Pie
• Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Tomato Salad
• Portobello Egg on Spinach
• Vegetarian Chili with Tofu

You will admire some 370 works of art (paintings, sculptures, ornaments, pottery, photograph, textiles, etc) from public and private collections, from Peru, North America and Europe.

This exhibition covers 3,000 years of history, from the pre-Columbian period up until now and includes over 100 pieces that have never before been seen outside of Peru.

You will be charmed, guaranteed. Back at home, I propose to continue the discovery with a masterpiece of Peruvian gastronomy: Scallop Ceviche

The season for lobsters, earlier considered to be a “poor man’s food”, is now in full swing. As the fishing season in Quebec lasts from end-April till July, we can make the most of it for our parties, right from Mother’s Day up until Canada Day.

That’s why I’m proposing a lobster recipe this weekend to celebrate with your mother and to also to catch a good bargain at a supermarket near you!

Lobsters from Quebec can be identified by the “Aliments du Québec” logo on the elastic bands around their claws. Moreover, if you find a specimen caught along the Gaspé coast, it will bear an alphanumeric identifier enabling you to watch a video of its capture. So you can trace its exact origin and fishing method used. A simple and effective way to encourage sustainable fishing.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Try our recipe for Spaghetti with Lobster

The launch was delayed several times, first due to computer problems, then due to damages caused by Hurricane Sandy, but now the service is ready to kick off. For $95 a year (25 cents per day), you’ll be entitled to an unlimited number of trips lasting 45 minutes or less.

To maintain the equipment in good condition, this service will not be available to users weighing more than 260 pounds (about 117 kg). This news triggered a huge controversy in a city where the obesity rate is higher than 20%. Representatives of the city’s Transport Department have been quick to give assurance that this rule will not be applied too strictly.

So the next time you visit the Big Apple as a tourist, you can also avail of this service at a cost of $9.95/day. Don’t forget to bring along your helmet!

Excellent food for thought Tell us what you think about it

Canola oil occupies a special place among vegetable oils, because like olive oil, it is composed largely of monounsaturated fats that are good for cardiovascular health. It is also a source of alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fat from the omega-3 family and contains vitamins K and E.

With its neutral taste and high ‘smoke point’ (temperature at which the flavour and nutritional value start to deteriorate), canola oil is an excellent all-purpose oil.

Canola is a variety of canola seed (the more marketing-friendly term for rapeseed) that was developed in Canada. The word ‘canola’ is a neologism created by Canadian rapeseed farmers and is derived from “CANadian Oil, Low Acid”, as it refers to its low erucic acid content.

Almost all the canola oil that is sold in stores across North America is refined. Unrefined (natural) oil that is yellowish-green in colour is also available, and it has an almond-like flavour. This is used in salad dressings and vinaigrettes as it deteriorates at high temperature.

Our specialized meal plans for gastrointestinal conditions, which are developed based on the recommendations of respected organizations, including the GI Society, have been reviewed and approved by the latter.

Those who use our meal plans for gastrointestinal conditions will now contribute to financing the activities of the Gastrointestinal Society, through the subscription cost to these meal plans,a percentage of which shall be donated by SOSCuisine to the GI Society.

Our meal plans for gastrointestinal conditions include:

• Acid Reflux
• Coeliac disease (with Lactose-free version available)
• Constipation
• Diverticular disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Gluten sensitivity (with Lactose-free version available).
• Heartburn
• Hiatus Hernia
• Others to come

N.B. We are officially launching the Gluten-free meal plan today to celebrate Celiac Awareness Month in May!

There are as many as 6 million Canadians with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), more than 9 million with functional dyspepsia, there could be as many as 8 million with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and a further 170,000 suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis). These are only a few examples of the conditions that the GI Society covers. Despite these alarming statistics, the gastrointestinal field is critically under-funded. That’s why it is all the more important to support the efforts of this organization.

I invite you to visit their website badgut.org to obtain information, to subscribe to “The Inside Tract” newsletter and to make a donation.