This page recommends some books, ingredients and kitchen equipment to help you on your vegan or raw journey. Most of the items I recommend have links to Amazon, where you can purchase them. For those of us living in South Africa, I try to provide links to local suppliers (e.g. Kalahari) where possible.
Books
1. Diet for a New America: How your food choices affect your health, happiness and the future of life on earth (John Robbins). This is the book that made me become vegan. There were other factors, of course, but this really pushed me over the edge. It details the environmental, health, philosophical and other reasons for adopting a vegan diet and lifestyle. A classic.
SA link (click here)
International link Diet for a New America
2. The Food Revolution (John Robbins). To be honest, I haven’t read this yet. I’ve skimmed through it and it looks like a good update of Diet for a New America. So I’m recommending it blindly, but I feel pretty confident about it. 
SA link (click here)
International link
3. The Raw Food Revolution Diet (Cherie Soria). This book has loads of information on the raw food diet, by one of the big gurus of the raw food movement and a founder of the Living Light Raw Foods Culinary Academy. There’s nutritional information, as well as stuff about grocery shopping, kitchen equipment, etc. And of course, recipes. Some complicated, some simple. If you’re only going to have one raw foods book, this is probably the one.
SA link (click here)
International link The Raw Food Revolution Diet
4. Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen (Ani Phyo). A cookbook by another raw food guru. Most of the recipes are simple and delicious– I especially love the breakfast scrambles. The desserts are good but I do have my doubts about some of the soups. There seems to be too much oil in them– I’ve reduced the amount of oil substantially and they came out fine. 
SA link (click here)
International link 
5. Raw: The uncook book: New vegetarian food for life (Juliano). This chef is credited with starting the “gourmet raw” 
SA link (click here)
International link Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life
6. Vegan Planet. This is one of my favourite cookbooks. The recipes are simple yet delicious. There are tips about vegan grocery shopping and food preparation. I’ve had this book for years and even as my cooking has gotten more sophisticated, I always come back to this book. It’s a keeper. 
SA link (click here)
International linkVegan Planet: 400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World
7. Vegan with a Vengeance (Isa Chandra Moskowitz). This is one of my favourite vegan cookbooks. The desserts are amazing- I’ve tried quite a few of them and they are all gorgeous, if not always healthy. The rest of the food is great too. I can’t wait to get my hands on Isa’s other cookbooks. Her site, www.theppk.com is also great.
SA link (click here)
International link Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock
8. Vegan World Fusion Cuisine (Mark Reinfeld). This lovely cookbook has both cooked and raw vegan recipes. Some of them do require rather unusual ingredients, that can be hard to come by in Johannesburg, but many of them are not too difficult. I have a different edition from the one pictured here, but I’d imagine it’s the same. 
SA link (click here)
International linkVegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours
9. The China Study (T.Colin Campbell) This book is a must read! Read it yourself and then give a copy to everyone you know. It is a very impressive study that lays out the scientific arguments for a plant-based diet, translating the complexity of scientific studies into language that laypeople can understand. The book is worthy of its formidable reputation. In fact, if you’re only going to read one book on nutrition, this might be the one. The subtitle of the book says it all: “The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight-loss and long-term health”. 
SA link (click here)
International link: The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health
10. Rawlicious (Peter and Beryn Daniel) This is South Africa’s one and only raw food recipe book so far. That means the ingredients, measurements and seasons used in this book will apply and make sense to readers in SA more than those in some of the other books.
SA link (click here)
International link (not yet available on Amazon but you can pre-order)Rawlicious: Delicious Raw Recipes for Radiant Health
11. Living Cuisine: The art and spirit of raw foods (Renee Loux Underkoffler). This book is full of mouth-watering gourmet raw recipes. It’s also full of useful information about why raw food is good for us, why organic is so important, and kitchen techniques to help improve your uncooking. I think the recipes in this book will impress anyone from a die-hard carnivore to a hard-core raw foodie. Something for everyone in here. So don’t wait, get this book!
International link (Amazon):Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods (Avery Health Guides)
12. Sweet Gratitude: a new world of raw desserts– This is a gorgeous book by the folks behind Cafe Gratitude, the chain of raw cafes in California. They are famous for their desserts, so it’s a treat to have access to the recipes. The desserts are stunning, but be warned– they are complicated and sometimes expensive to make and use ingredients like Irish moss that we don’t have access to (at the moment) in South Africa. That said, if you do manage to make them, you will not be disappointed. The tiramisu and lemon meringue pie are heavenly.
SA link, click here.
International link Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts
Shopping for raw and vegan foods in Joburg
This list is by no means comprehensive. I am just writing down some of the places I know, where you can buy fresh organic fruits and vegetables, superfoods and other great healthy food. I’ll keep adding to the list, and I welcome your suggestions.
Virtually every big shopping centre in Johannesburg has a health food shop. Some are better than others, of course. To name just a few: Eastgate mall, Rosebank Mall, Sandton City, Hyde Park and Killarney mall all have them.
In addition to being a delicious vegetarian restaurant, Fresh Earth has a great shop with lots of natural food and natural products. And in case you don’t live near Emmarentia, you can shop online.
Fruits and Roots– Hobart & Grosvenor Rds, Bryanston (011) 463 2928
A big natural food and products shop and lovely vegetarian cafe.
Greenlands– 9, 4th Avenue (corner of 7th) Parkhurst. (011) 880 9044
Greenlands stocks health foods, natural beauty and home care products.
Mary Ann’s The Natural Way– if you don’t live near these shops, you can order online from The Natural Way. They have a number of healthy foods, as well as books and other educational resources.
Healthmakers– an online source of raw- and vegan-friendly kitchen equipment including the Excalibur Dehydrator , Oscar Juicer DA900 (White), blenders (Vitamix Total Nutrition Center 5200 or Tribest Personal Blender PB-200), sprouting kits, Spyra-Gyra Spiral Slicer, etc.
Omniblend- A cheaper alternative to the Vitamix or Blendtec high-powered blenders, available from this supplier in SA.
[…] Resources ← Raw Tuesday take-aways: February 23rd […]
[…] Resources ← Raw Tuesday take-aways: April 13th, Joburg […]
Thanks for the great Blog, good to see its happening up in jozi as well, we dong similar work here in CT.
Is there a reason you dont list South Africa’s only raw food recipe book (so far)? Rawlicious by Peter and Beryn Daniel, we have found this book to be a great asset as it is focused on South African ingredients and availability.
Hi Noel,
It does seem like Cape Town is slightly ahead of us here in Joburg, in terms of raw food. I can’t wait to check it out the next time I’m in the Cape. Actually, it’s an oversight. I’ll definitely add Rawlicious to the resources section. Thanks for pointing it out.