Kula’s New Era of Afro-Caribbean Cooking

We’re proud to partner with visionary brands like Kula Foods, who are redefining Afro-Caribbean cuisine through a bold, plant-based perspective. This isn’t just about swapping ingredients, it’s about reshaping what the future of cultural food traditions can look like. By integrating both our mushroom FLOUR and STRIPS, Kula has been able to elevate protein levels, deepen flavour, and improve texture across key dishes, while staying true to the soulful essence of Caribbean cooking.

Our collaboration tackled the full spectrum of challenges: nutrition, clean-label formulation, and sustainability. Maia’s ingredients provided functional versatility and a clean protein source, allowing Kula to bring to market dishes that feel familiar, taste incredible, and meet modern dietary and environmental standards.

Together, we’re proving that heritage and innovation are not in conflict, they’re partners. This is about more than food. It’s about crafting meals that reflect culture, fuel community, and lead the way toward a healthier, more regenerative food system.

Smiling chef in a vibrant kitchen preparing dough with a rolling pin—capturing the joy of cooking with wholesome, mycelium-powered ingredients from Maia Farms.

Plant-based G.O.A.T. curry by KULA Foods plated with rice and roasted vegetables—featuring mycelium-powered protein for flavourful, sustainable meals.

Before Maia: The Challenge

Kula Foods, a culturally rooted food brand, has earned a loyal following for its vibrant, soul-nourishing Afro-Caribbean dishes. But as demand for healthier, plant-based options grew, the team at Kula faced a critical challenge: how to maintain the deep flavours, textures, and cultural integrity of their meals while improving nutrition, sustainability, and scalability.

They needed clean-label ingredients that could match the rich, hearty feel of traditional proteins, without resorting to over-processed meat alternatives or sacrificing authenticity. For Kula, it wasn’t just about creating plant-based meals. It was about preserving the cultural essence of their cuisine while evolving it for the next generation.

Enter Maia Farms: The Solution

Kula integrated STRIPS into their ready-to-eat mains, creating dishes with the depth and chew of traditional meats, perfect for bold spice blends and slow-cooked sauces. At the same time, Maia FLOUR offered functional benefits in batters, stews, and seasoning blends, enhancing mouthfeel and nutrition without overwhelming the dish’s flavour profile.

This ingredient pairing allowed Kula to meet their high standards for taste, texture, and cultural authenticity, while offering their customers cleaner, more sustainable choices they could feel good about.

Key Results

Cultural Integrity, Reimagined
Maia’s ingredients allowed Kula to deliver meals that stayed true to their roots, reinterpreting Caribbean staples without dilution.

Improved Nutrition
STRIPS and Maia FLOUR boosted protein and fibre content naturally, helping Kula meet rising consumer demand for healthier options.

Versatile Application
Across jerk-style dishes, curries, and seasoned mains, Maia’s ingredients offered consistency, functionality, and rich absorption of flavour.

Sustainability-Driven Storytelling
Kula now proudly highlights its use of sustainable, fungi-based ingredients, deepening its connection to conscious consumers and buyers.

Product Differentiation
With Maia’s support, Kula sharpened its edge in a growing market, offering dishes that are nutritionally dense, culturally rich, and unmistakably original.

Flat lay of Kula Foods plant-based meals featuring G.O.A.T Curry, Ginger Beef, and Chik-Un, surrounded by vibrant prepared dishes—ready-to-eat vegan meals powered by mushrooms and bold global flavours

Why it matters

Kula Foods and Maia Farms are continuing to build a powerful partnership rooted in community, sustainability, and cultural expression. From expanding their retail presence to exploring new formats and dishes, the future holds bold opportunities for co-creating a new standard in culturally inspired plant-based eating.

We’re not just feeding people. We’re telling stories, of heritage, of innovation, and of a more inclusive food future that starts right here at home.

“Partnering with Maia Farms allows us to deepen our commitment to sustainability and community. Together, we're creating nourishing products that celebrate Afro-Caribbean flavors while supporting regenerative agriculture and local food systems.”

Asha Wheeldon, Founder & CEO, Kula Foods 

Mycelium-Based Protein

Maia’s FRESH™ Mycelium is the result of years of dedicated R&D, using liquid-state biomass fermentation and a strategically selected strain. Unlike others in the space, Maia has intentionally taken a different approach, optimizing both strain selection and process innovation to deliver a fresh mycelial material that stands apart.

Mycelium vs. Soy

Traditional plant proteins such as soy are extracted directly from soybeans and often come with significant drawbacks. Soy can present allergen risks, fluctuating nutritional quality, and environmental concerns due to resource-intensive cultivation. In contrast, our mycelium-based protein is cultivated from the intricate network of edible fungi. This process naturally produces a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, along with abundant fiber, and minerals. The result is a nutrient-dense ingredient with a true umami flavor and meaty texture that elevates every culinary creation while sidestepping soy’s common pitfalls.

The Science 

Groundbreaking research meets centuries-old wisdom. At the heart of Maia Farms' innovation is our Fungal Intelligence Lab, where we harness cutting-edge biotechnology to optimize mycelium cultivation. By integrating AI and machine learning with fermentation science, we continuously refine our processes to enhance nutrition, texture, and scalability.

Why Maia FRESH™ Mycelium Wins

Our mycelium-based protein stands apart as a whole-food, naturally occurring ingredient that requires minimal processing. It offers a neutral taste profile and delivers superior nutritional and functional benefits without the allergenic risks of soy or the quality and safety challenges associated with mold-based fermentation. Food manufacturers seeking to overcome these common industry pain points can trust our mycelium-based protein as a superior, dependable foundation for innovative culinary creations.

Mushroom Mycelium vs. Mold-Derived Mycelium

Many competitors rely on mold-based fermentation to produce mycelium, a method that can lead to inconsistent flavor profiles and safety concerns. We instead use strains derived from food-grade mushrooms. This deliberate choice ensures a neutral, clean taste and strict quality control, making our product a reliable choice for robust soups, artisanal sauces, and innovative meat alternatives. Our mushroom mycelium integrates seamlessly into recipes, delivering consistent, high-quality protein without the off-flavors or variability often seen in mold-based fermentation.