Richard Bowie

In a culinary world run on high stakes and urgency, Aaron Adams Casañas is doing something radical: turning down the pressure cooker—and he’s cooking better than ever because of it. The 51-year-old chef began his culinary career in the mid 1990s, steadily building up his profile in the kitchen, from washing dishes in Seattle steakhouses to working as the chef de partie at upscale resorts in Guam.

Think vegan food has peaked? Not a chance. This year’s survey celebrates the brands and products making every meal feel like a win—from the oat milk taking over the world to the best new product we already can’t live without. Plus, we’re sharing your picks for Vegan City of the Year, your favorite social media stars, and the cookbook you couldn’t put down (spoiler: thank you, Miyoko). Ready to see who’s leading the pack? Let’s dig in. Best Milk: Oatly Oatly can’t be stopped.

Near downtown Albuquerque, NM, the scent of blue corn and red chilis drifts from a small café that’s redefining Indigenous cuisine for a new generation. At Itality, chef and owner Tina Archuleta is merging Pueblo foodways with plant-based cooking—crafting dishes that honor both land and lineage while advancing a broader movement rooted in health, sustainability, and food sovereignty.