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A sincere interview with Zaprian Kostadinov, chef in restaurant “Kring”, in which he answers questions especially for the readers of EcoVege.
1) How you have decided to become a vegetarian?
Hmmm how, after a personal experience and after I have decided that it is time for change. I wanted to be healthy, happy, positive and dynamic. And the vegetarianism has not disappointed me.
2) What is healthy nutrition and healthy way of life according to you?
First of all positive thought, after that coordinated action. I mean, it is not that important what you do, it is important how do you feel.
3) Which cooking processes and ingredients in the food you can define as harmful (for example frying, eating food that has stayed long time; for the salt and sugar)
The food that we bake stays fresh and keeps its qualities the most. The boiled food - respectively less 3-4 hours. Deep inside each person knows what is good for him.
4) How do animal products influence the physical and psychic condition of people according to you?
Animal products, gained without violence (milk, milk products) in their different forms influence differently. But eggs are pretty heavy food if a person is striving for perfecting. Milk can unbalance the organism as a result of the liberated in the stomach mucus, which is nutrition ambient for parasites and bacteria. After that the first symptoms of flu come: the running nose.
5) Tell us more about the magic of vegetarian foods tempeh and seitan? From which country do they come from and where are they most popular? And do they have fans in Bulgaria?
Yes, there are already people who appreciate them and are happy. And others that go to a goat for wool. But this gives us, to say it like that, concentration, so that we are faultless at least on this stage of evolution.
We make the tempeh of soybeans, which are washed beforehand and soaked for about 36-48 hours, as the water is being changed periodically. This process which is forgotten by the producers of soya products has given the bad name of soya. It contains inhibitors*, which have to be liberated in the water before soybeans to be boiled.
Tempeh does not contain conservants or additives. The mushroom, which uses the soya for food, is very sensitive regarding chemicals. Sometimes we use it as an indicator for pure food. In two words tempeh is live food. It contains about 0,96 g Са in 100 g ( roughly 1% structured calcium).
Seitan is a meat substitutor and if someone hasn’t eaten meat in his life, then he doesn’t have such gustative habits.
6) Which is your favorite meal?
The most I love green salad, sprouting grain and humasio, which we prepare at the restaurant. My favorite meal is the meal that can make the person, who eats it, smile. I don’t like to cook for myself, I eat mainly raw food or at least 50 % of my food is raw.
7) Except for cooking, what else do you like to do in your free time - for example sport or music...
In the beginning when I started practicing yoga, I charged my body with more physical exercises, but now when I am busy, my job is the sport that I am practicing. The music is my hobby, but now I rarely have free time.
I have started two music projects. The first one is in New-age-style or Embient, in general relaxation music - I want to record 100 hours. This will be the first part of the project. Now I have made it until the 17-th minute. The idea is this music to be played for free on public places such as car parks of supermarkets, offices or other public places. And the second music project is with songs and instrumentals, which I have composed after meditation. It will sound like pop and a little bit of rock, I still don’t know what the end result will be.
8. Except for the vegetarianism, are there also other green practices that you apply in your healthy restaurant?
To use music, which helps for the harmonization of our regular customers, and this already has an effect. In conversations with them they tell me that they feel the restaurant as an Oasis or that their (medical) indexes have become better, whatever that means.
9) In Bulgaria there is need of more information about vegetarian food. Have you thought of organizing at your restaurant seminars or some other kind of weekly meetings, so that they attract more people to the vegetarian kitchen?
Yes, with pleasure. But for now I am busy with huge amount of physical work.
*inhibitor:
1.Substance that stops or suppresses process or function
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