Los Angeles County’s City Council has set a very simple goal: They want to become carbon neutral by the time 2045 rolls around.
As a result of this initiative, most residential and commercial gas appliances are going to be banned. While this is a wonderful choice when it comes to statewide sustainability, it could have some severe consequences for the food community.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Asian restaurants are going to be the most affected by this. Asian cuisine depends greatly on the usage of natural gas stoves and grills.
Yes, electric heating sources can be used as a replacement in these instances. However, they are not going to offer the same heating quality and this could become very problematic for restaurant proprietors in the Los Angeles County region.
Heating quality is integral to the preparation process for many Asian cuisine staples. Now, these restaurants are going to have to figure out how they are going to prepare their signature offerings. This is a conundrum that will affect restaurant ownership, those who are employed by them, and the greater Los Angeles foodie community. What these locations are going to do to combat the problem remains to be seen but we are watching the situation with great interest.
When it comes to the restaurants that are going to be most affected, many are pointing to the Korean barbecue restaurants of L.A.’s Koreatown. These restaurants would need to do some work to figure out how they can continue to provide the usual offerings that local residents know and love. This is a major development in the world of food and beverage, that is for sure.
We are wondering how long it is going to take before other cities start to follow suit. What happens when these initiatives are going into effect all over the country?
No matter how you slice it, this is an interesting development for all parties involved. We hope that the affected restaurants are able to figure out a backup plan before it is too late. To their credit, Los Angeles County is giving these establishments all of the time that they need to get up to speed.