Being Vegetarian or Vegan in China

Living in China as a Vegan or Vegetarian

Being vegetarian or vegan in China, on the face of it, is a real challenge. Eating meat in Chinese culture, is actually considered a sign of prosperity. Furthermore, in a lot of vegetable dishes minuscule pieces of meat are frequently used as garnish and people don’t really consider them as meat, but just as a mere decoration.

That’s the reason why, when you specifically ask the waiters for a dish without any animal products, in most cases, they will first reassure you they will follow your wishes. However, after your food arrives, there’s a really good chance it is just a vegetable dish with some small pieces of meat, eggs etc… If this is giving you the feeling you will be a hopeless vegan condemned to hunger in China, you might be pleased to know that a lot of vegetables are used in Chinese cuisine. Even though the majority of the population in China is not vegetarian, there are some popular Chinese dishes you can easily find and eat because they are 100% made of food which is of plant origin. As you probably already know, many Buddhists do not eat meat. As a result, there are often many fantastic vegan / vegetarian restaurants to be found near or sometimes even in Buddhist temples! So their is a hope you can find Vegan or Vegetarian Food . Also you can find many halal restaurants where tǔdòu(Potato) dishes are widly avaliable but beware of the Free Soups Which they serve for free as it is of Cow bones soup ! so don't try any kind of Soup in China.

Useful phrases in China for a Vegan

I am vegan – 我是纯素食者 (wǒ shì chún sùshí zhě)

I eat only products of plant origin – 我只吃植物性食品 (wǒ zhǐ chī zhíwù xìng shípǐn)

I do not eat meat – 我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu)

I do not eat fish – 我不吃魚(wǒ bù chī yú)

I do not eat dairy products – 我不吃乳制品 (wǒ bù chī rǔ zhìpǐn)

Useful phrases in China for a Vegetarian

I am vegetarian – 我是素食者 (wǒ shì sùshí zhě)

I eat vegetables – 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù)

I don’t eat meat – 我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu)

I don’t eat fish – 我不吃魚 (wǒ bù chī yú) Top 5 Dishes for a Vegetarian or Vegan in China

Let’s see 5 dishes both vegan and vegetarian can eat in China:

1. 地三鲜 (dì sān xiān) – Stir fried eggplant, chilli and potato braised with soy sauce. 2. 麻辣豆腐 (málà dòufu) – Tofu bean curd flavoured with hot spices 3. 鱼香茄子 (yú xiāng qiézi) – Despite its name which means “fish-fragrant eggplants”, this dish is only made of crispy eggplants covered in a sticky sweet, sour, savoury and slightly spicy sauce. 4. 香菇青菜 (xiāng gū qīng cài) – Green vegetable with mushrooms 5. 青椒土豆丝 (qīngjiāo tǔdòu sī) – Northern dish. Shredded green pepper and potato, lightly salted and fried with oil.

Vocabulary of Vegetables :

vegetables - shūcài - 蔬菜

artichoke - yáng jì - 洋蓟

asparagus - lú sǔn - 芦笋

broccoli - xī lánhuā - 西兰花

cabbage - juǎnxīncài - 卷心菜

carrots - hú luó bo - 胡萝卜

cauliflower - huā cài - 花菜

celery - xī qín - 西芹

cucumber - huángguā - 黄瓜

garlic - dà suàn - 大蒜

green beans - sìjì dòu - 四季豆

leek - jiǔcài - 韭菜

onion - yuán cōng - 圆葱

potato - tǔdòu - 土豆

pepper - qīng jiāo - 青椒

List for Vegetarian or Vegan Resturants all over China Click on the Link for more info : http://www.5joys.com/restaurant/

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