»From Musician to Tofu Maker« - Jeanine Tovar spoke with Bernd Drosihn, Executive Manager and co-founder of Viana Naturkost, in August 2001.

Viana makes nothing other than vegetarian products using organic ingredients. Do you eat Viana products yourself?

Me? Of course! I stopped eating meat a long time ago and that's why I'm an absolute gourmet and a big Viana fan.

How long have you been a vegetarian?

Right now I couldn't give you an exact date offhand. When I was a child I was always told »You eat what you're served«, but even then I didn't really like eating meat and avoided it when I could. Much later, when I was a young man, I did a short stint as a dance musician. As part of the contract we got a schnitzel and chips every evening in addition to our pay. That was a real culinary blast in those days, and I ate it with the other musicians. A short lapse which I paid for with a ruined stomach and cramps. I don't think I've eaten any meat for over 20 years now and hardly any other animal products such as dairy milk or cheese for quite some time.

Is that healthy on a long term, what does your doctor say about that?

That's just fine. I'm healthy and fit, and although I'm a bit weighty (75 kg and 1.80 m), I have a total cholesterol value of 130. My doctor is very pleased with me and he's always quite amazed when he compares my results with those of his other patients.

What did you do before you founded Viana in 1988?

I'd started studying music and was working as a musician. It wasn't long before I could live off that. Then in the early 80s, along with 8 other young people, I set up one of the first German tofu-making enterprises, called »Soyastern« (Soya Star). We were a real late hippie era commune and wanted to change the world with vegetarian food.

Which instrument did you play?

I studied clarinet and composition at Cologne College of Music and worked mostly as a saxophonist and background singer.

Were you a pop musician?

I stopped studying classical music after several semesters. I did everything from punk through rock and reggae to dance music! I was an extremely restless young man with a lot of drive then.

What were the most important stages of you musical career?

In the early 80s I played in the Circus Roncalli orchestra, in several big bands, in punk bands, jazz bands and a whole lot of other bands, mostly pop. In London for instance I played in the orchestra for the musical Jesus Christ Super Star.

Are there any well-known recordings you can be heard on?

At that time I played in a whole lot of reggae, pop and punk bands. You may know the English band Pig Bag. We had a hit in the early 80s.

How did you start making tofu?

During my time as a musician I got about a lot. One job took me to New York and I was living in Greenwich Village, and that was where I first encountered tofu products. They were colourful and creatively packaged. For me as a vegetarian that was very interesting. When I returned to Cologne I met the group of people I already mentioned, who were busy setting tofu production. I joined up with them, during the week we experimented with tofu production and on weekends I continued earning my money playing music. At some stage tofu won the upper hand.

What would an Asian say to your tofu nowadays, are there differences in production and taste between West and East?

Yes, there are extreme differences. Asians find smoked tofu, which is very popular in Europe, very odd. On the whole Asians like their tofu much softer. They mostly use it in soups or lightly battered and deep-fried. Europeans on the other hand don't like it that soft and wobbly. The actual manufacturing steps are the same in East and West, but as far as texture and flavour of our products are concerned we clearly target the European palate.

You're an ambitious manufacturer of vegetarian organic products. Would you describe yourself as being a »convinced perpetrator«?

Sure, but more like a gentle rebel. When we started making tofu in the 80s we had to battle with some major resistance. That was a totally unknown product then. We had no end of trouble with the food authorities, who didn't know how to classify something like that. Many officials, thanks to their blinkers, simply classified tofu as »non tradable«, because they didn't know the product, and in addition to that, none of them could even spell it. Again and again they banned the production of »Tuffo«, »Torfu« and even »Tartuffo«. And as far as the banks were concerned our wild horde of 9 was something utterly unusual and inconceivable. We went to the Volksbank Siegburg and only wanted to open an account. The banker bravely listened to our request, blanched, left the room and never came back. At any rate we needed a lot of native conviction, and stamina, too. One needed and needs a lot of hard work and courage to introduce vegetarian products to Germany, but it is a necessity, because they improve our world a little day by day.

You still produce and sell tofu today. However it has become more and more a starting point for the development of completely new products at Viana. What are those products that you've developed in the past years?

Viana was founded in 1988. At that time there were already health food shops in every larger town, there was a slowly growing market for healthy vegetarian products. At Viana we started developing new innovative products based on tofu and seitan (wheat protein), such as vegetarian spreads or snacks, with which it's easier to reach customers. The next logical step in product development was then vegetarian meat alternatives, such as tofu-vegetable schnitzel or tofu sausages and dairy milk alternatives, such as rice or soy drinks. Products such as these are aimed at European eating habits. They help to reduce the consumption of animal fats and proteins without making consumers feel as if they're missing something and without assuming an ascetic posture. On the contrary, our products are a great change from the usual monotony. Our goal nowadays is: full enjoyment and full flavour for all those who want to eat less meat.

What does a typical Viana customer look like?

Some studies describe them as »part-time vegetarians«. They're just normal consumers, who want a tasty alternative to their daily portion of meat. The wish to eat less meat is widespread, which is sensible, because our meat consumption is much too high, and more and more people are coming to realise that can't be good for their health. We offer these people an easy way to a healthier, more diverse and delicious diet.

Are you successful at that?

Yes, the desire to eat less meat has been on the rise for years, not just since the BSE crisis! Our customers have made this success possible and we are grateful for all the orders we get from throughout Europe.

What are the health benefits of a plant-based diet?

One major advantage is the fact that a meal with Viana products is entirely free of animal fats. Animal fats are unfortunately extremely unhealthy and cause many problems. By contrast, soy protein even helps to reduce the »harmful« LDL cholesterol. Even the occasional consumption of tofu products lowers the risk of a heart attack, which is unfortunately the highest cause of death in Germany. A merely 1% lower cholesterol level lowers the risk of a heart attack by 2.5%. That's absolutely no problem with Viana. Viana's products are not only completely cholesterol free, but thanks to soy contain all the essential amino acids and a whole lot of other substances such as isoflavones. The excessive consumption of animal fats and proteins isn't only the decisive factor for the high rate of heart disease in our society. The immoderate consumption of meat and animal fats also raises the risk of cancer. Eat more vegetarian wheat and soy products, as well as natural salads and fresh vegetables, and sufficient dietary fibre. That along with regular exercise is the best life insurance. More life quality thanks to vegetarian foods, and you'll simply feel better and you'll also be more active and have more fun in old age.

Do you believe that Germans really will eat less meat on a long term?

I'm convinced they will. Viana at any rate is actively committed to it. Our products must be better and tastier than meat, and the rest will follow of its own accord. Viana is more convincing than any well-meant speech or well-meaning book about the consequences of meat consumption. Developments always take place a bit more slowly in Germany than in other countries, but in the end there will be no way around a significant reduction in our meat consumption.