Punch of the week

New vegan cooking theory: cheese spaetzle as old hat

The knives will only be sharpened for vegetables.(Bild: ©Markus Mainka - stock.adobe.com)

The green economy was jubilant this week about the implementation of the vegetarian-vegan cooking theory. If you take a closer look, it becomes clear that there are still many unanswered questions. Above all, where the meat-free chefs should work.

You have to be careful with cheering reports. Especially when they come from a political party or its front organization.

This is what happened this week when the Green Economy (organization of green entrepreneurs and the self-employed) let out a cry of joy and announced that the vegetarian-vegan chef apprenticeship could be implemented. The days when every apprentice chef had to bread a schnitzel or prepare a pork roast will therefore be over from 2025. Although the catering industry and employee representatives have put up fierce resistance.

Vegan lasagne could be part of the curriculum.(Bild: Zerbor - stock.adobe.com)

Good for the environment
This is good for the climate, good for the economy and good for young people. Especially for those who don't want to work with meat, celebrate the eco-party representatives in the Chamber of Commerce. The Vegan Society Austria is also jubilant - after all, gratinated Emmental cheese or cheese spaetzle are old hat.

Specialists for vegetarian cuisine
The reaction of the Chamber of Commerce was somewhat more restrained. Important details were still missing, they said coolly. The apprenticeship should last three years, and it should also be possible to do a double apprenticeship with the conventional chef training. It will be a while before the "vegetarian culinary specialists", as they are called, are able to conjure up something on the table. Incidentally, our Punch of the Week hasn't thought about where the meat-free chefs will be working.