Several Bronx restaurants are pushing a new menu item in hopes of changing the borough's health. Bronx reporter Erin Clarke tells us about the new dish.
A pop of color, familiar ingredients to the largely Hispanic community here.
"Plantain chips, corn, beans, red onions, cilantro," said chef King Phojanakong, as he ticked off the list of ingredients in his Bronx Salad.
He tops it all off with a dash of the Bronx Hot Sauce.
"That adds a little bit of heat," he said.
"It's like the Bronx on a plate," he added. "It kind of embodies what you find in the Bronx."
It was created by Phojanakong, who also made the Bronx Hot Sauce.
South Bronx restaurateurs and the non-profit SoBro sought him out this time to create a signature dish for the borough with a very important goal in mind.
"Health, which is something that no one really thinks about when they think of the Bronx," said President of the United Business Cooperative, Henry Obispo.
Experts say the Bronx is the least healthy county out of the 62 in New York state.
"Roughly half of its elementary school population are overweight and obese," said Maxine Golub, senior vice president of planning and development at the Institute for Family Health. "Almost two-thirds of adults are overweight and obese."
Diabetes, hypertension and asthma rates here are among the highest in the country.
And despite being home to the Hunts Point Market that supplies fresh meats, fish and produce to the tri-state area, residents here, especially those in the south Bronx have a hard time accessing healthy food.
"When you think of the Bronx, maybe think of hot dogs, Yankee Stadium, a lot of fast food," Phojanakong said.
The Bronx Salad is being introduced as a healthy alternative and one that Bronx residents can rather easily make.
"We didn't want to create a salad with things that are so difficult to get," Phojanakong said.
The lettuce is produced at SoBro's rooftop hydroponic garden and most of the other veggies in local community gardens.
Five local restaurants will also roll out the salad on Monday for Savor the Bronx, the borough's version of restaurant week.
"We're going to prove to New York that the Bronx can also be a healthy neighborhood," said Antonio Vinchis, owner of Mexicozina.
The goal is to have even more restaurants carrying the Bronx Salad by early next year.
"I'm hoping this can be something like a Caesar salad, right up there," Phojanakong said.
A menu staple that's changing the lifestyles of Bronx residents.
Restaurants carrying the Bronx Salad as of Monday are Mott Haven Bar & Grill, La Grata, Viktoria, Don Panchos and Mexicozina. For more information on Savor the Bronx, visit this link.