12 Best Countries for Vegetarians
There is no universal definition of what a vegetarian is. And when you are travelling and eating, finding vegetarian sustenance is not just a matter of asking: “Do you have anything vegetarian?” Depending on where you are, “Do you have anything vegetarian?” has to be followed with an arsenal of inquiries, from “Can you make that without fish sauce?” to “Are the beans cooked in lard or oil?” Well, in these countries, you can have your eggless cake and eat it too.
India and
Sri Lanka
The subcontinent is paradise for vegos, with
around 40% of Indians following a vegetarian diet themselves. In fact, many
menus will be entirely vegetarian with a just a small section for the meat
dishes. Clear food labelling laws make things easy for vegetarian
visitors. Most of the food served at Sikh gurdwaras is vegetarian, not because
Sikhs are required to be vegetarian but because they aim to offer food that is
acceptable to as many people as possible.
Spices,
chickpeas, potatoes, spinach, paneer cheese, roti, naan and dosas all feature
heavily on the Indian table. You can even get a McSpicy Paneer or McVeggie from
the world’s most familiar fast food joint should you crave something greasy.
In Sri
Lanka you can’t go past jackfruit curry. It’s full of flavour and the
texture is so meaty you’ll be surprised that it’s even vegetarian – which is
great if you’re travelling with a meat loving partner. Sri Lankans also eat
dhal – the lentil-based curry – for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you’ll have
no issues whatever the time of day. Streetside vendors also always have plenty
of vegetarian short eats – roti parcels crammed fulled of a spiced vegetable
curry. Insanely delicious.
Turkey
It’s easy to be a vegetarian in Turkey
with its wide range of delicious meat-free foods such as couscous, hummus,
stuffed vine leaves and roast vegetables. In fact, a lot of Turkish cuisine is
so tasty that it will even have non-vegetarians’ mouths watering. Meat Free Mezes in Turkey are similar to those in Greece and are served cold.
They will contain anything from eggplant, tomatoes, rice, beans or even a
combination. A tempting choice is Sigara borek which is a cigar shaped, filo-pastry
roll filled with white cheese and parsley. Mezes are tasty at any time of the
day however they are normally served as a starter before the main course. Don’t
be surprised to find more than 20 mezes on the menu at any Turkish restaurant.
Egypt &
Jordan
You’ll have a field day with the cheap and tasty veggie
options on offer in Egypt.
To taste a little bit of everything, you cannot beat mezzes. This is basically
a number of small dishes like hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh (yogurt), ful
medammes (mashed up broad beans), salads, pickled vegetables and olives with a
side of freshly baked aish baladi (pita bread).
Koshary is one of Egypt’s national dishes, and it’s a
real comfort food type thing, with macaroni, chickpeas, lentils and rice topped
with garlic sauce, tomato sauce and fried onions.
Ful medames, a fava bean mash that’s similar to Mexican
refried beans, is one of the staples of an Egyptian diet. Not only does it
taste good, it’s filling and nutritious.
It's so easy to find vegetarian-friendly restaurants
in Jordan where mezze dishes such as tabouleh, hummus, falafel and gourmet
Arabic flatbreads abound.
From Beit Sitti (it means "my grandmother's kitchen" in
Arabic), located in the heart of Amman, to Petra's Kitchen, there are good
options at nearly every bend of the country.
China
They love their mock meat dishes in China.
Using things like tofu and bean curd, they’ll recreate popular western dishes
that can turn off the vego crowd because they look and taste so much like meat.
It’s not that hard to go veggie in China thanks to the
Buddhist influence. And one good tip is that if you head to a Buddhist temple
there’s bound to be a good vegetarian restaurant nearby. Gotta love the
Buddhists.
The Chinese like to share many dishes among the table,
with everyone sharing and chatting as they eat. So if you’re in a group with
meaties make sure you know which dishes are which. Some of our faves
include nan-gwa (fried pumpkin with spices), mapo Dofu (spicy tofu, a Sichuan
specialty), chowfain suchai (vegetable fried rice) Qing Jiao Yu Mi: Sweet corn
with green peppers.
The language barrier can make things pretty tricky, so
just remember to be flexible. The Veggine IN China app is awesome if you’ve got
your smartphone with you, otherwise it’s good to have the translation written
down.
Thailand
In most of central and south Thailand,
vegetarianism is recognized and vegetarians are well provided for. There are
many traditional Thai dishes that use only vegetables, noodles or rice which
will keep veggies well fed. Fish and oyster sauce are common ingredients and
condiments in Thai cuisine and may be difficult to avoid completely, but if you
ask nicely you should be able to order food without them. Thailand has the lovely curries too, but a
wider variety of other dishes. They do a lot with tofu, including all sorts of
'fake' meats that might not compare to real meat, but are interesting and tasty
in and of themselves. There are noodle soup and stir frys, lots of great
blending of tastes and textures.
Thailand is a country that has it all when it comes to
cuisine – everything from meat packed dishes to fresh herbaceous vegetable
dishes.
If you are a strict vegetarian though, be careful as
sometimes the so-called Thai vegetarian food uses
fish sauce and meat broth (depends on your strictness). That being said, there
are many designated vegetarian restaurants catering mainly to those that eat
vegetarian for religious and cultural purposes.
Thailand is also a country that produces a glorious array
of fresh fruits and vegetables. Sliced tropical fruit is available year round
and pieces of pineapple, watermelon, mangoes, and papaya can all be purchased
pre-sliced from street vendors throughout the country.
The annual Thai vegetarian festival is
a paradise on earth for vegetarian eaters. Though the main festival takes place
in Phuket, just about every city in Thailand has a crowd that cooks and eats
vegetarian during this period. Vegetarian friendly stalls are marked by yellow
flags.
Singapore
According to one of
my favourite global vegetarian resources Happy Cow, Singapore has over
350 vegetarian restaurants scattered throughout the island country. Since
the country is so culturally diverse, you can find all types of vegetarian
cuisine from Japanaese to Malaysian to Indian to Italian, etc.
United
Kingdom
PETA ranked London the most
vegetarian-friendly city in the world in 2009. The Brits have one of the most advanced vegetarian cultures in the world
and meat-free food is widely available in almost every town in the country.
Most restaurants offer vegetarian options and food products are generally well
labelled to aid vegetarian’s choice. British vegetarianism has
Christian roots, too. Abstinence from meat was considered a form of temperance
in the early 1800s, and over the years many radical thinkers embraced the idea.
During the second world war, rationing conferred luxury status on meat, but
interest in vegetarianism perked up again in the 1960s, thanks to trendsetters
such as the Beatles, who brought the idea to a new audience. In today's
multicultural society, it is easy to find meat-free specialities from all over
the world. Add to that clear labelling regulations, and the UK has to be one of
the easiest places in the world to be vegetarian.
United States/Canada
As a country
that includes a growing percentage of health conscious individuals
and is composed of cultures from around the world, the United States has an
ever-expanding supply of vegetarian restaurants.
When I went
back for a visit in the US, I noticed plenty of restaurants ranging from
pure-vegetarian Indian eateries to trendy looking fusion vegetarian
restaurants.
Along with
places to eat, there’s a rising number of supermarkets and farmers’ markets
that supply a great selection of ingredients to cater to a healthy vegetarian
kitchen.
So while
it’s possible by making the effort to eat vegetarian or mostly vegetarian in
whatever country you travel to, these countries make vegetarian food into meals
to look forward to!
Sweden
You may be
surprised to find out just how veg-friendly Sweden is, but it boasts the same
percentage of vegetarians as Germany (around 10% of their respective
populations). Even if you find yourself off the beaten path in Sweden, most
restaurants and cafes have vegetarian and vegan options and it’s common for
grocery stores to have vegetarian sections, too.
Swedish
companies like Oatly are doing their part to normalize dairy-free alternatives,
and fast-food grills likes Jonsborgin Gothenburg make getting a quick bite
easy-peasy, and wickedly delicious.
Italy
Can
you be vegan in Italy--the land of sausage, chicken parm, and almost erotic
obsession with cheese--and survive? Why yes, of course! Unlike in France, where
butter is the basis of most recipes, Italians cook with olive oil, and let the cheese
go on top--which means vegans can opt out. Just say "senza
formaggio!" and you will get the most heavenly fusilli al pomodoro (tomato
sauce), perhaps with some savory porcini mushrooms if you are lucky. You can
even ask to get your pizza without cheese, and receive a lovely, paper thin
crust pizza, bubbling over in the middle with tomato sauce, topped with
artichoke hearts and slivered basil. But if you fear you will be committing
carbicide by heading to Italy, here's what's really amazing: there ARE vegan
restaurants in Italy. Il Punto Vegetariano in Bolzano is a standout that even
offers seitan and vegan cake, just like in Portland but with la dolce vita
twist. Just imagine sitting out on the balmy Italian summer evening, having a
leisurely vegan meal with friends with some great vino.