The famous restaurant critic Guy Dimond has compiled a list of ten countries where searching for vegetable dishes is an easy and enjoyable task.
10. Israel
Since ancient times, Judaism dictated to its adherents the need for the separation of meat and dairy products, so many practicing Jews have found that switching to vegetarianism automatically makes their lives easier. But in a country founded with the aim of sheltering the Jewish people, some of its inhabitants — many of whom were not religious — took a step forward.
The number of Israelis is eight million people, and hundreds of thousands of them are vegans, making Israel one of the most vegan countries in the world. This situation is reflected in the restaurant business, especially in Tel Aviv, where almost all establishments have a choice of dishes for vegetarians and vegans. And it's not limited to falafel - for example, look at the experimental cooking of the Jerusalem chef and author of the cookbooks Yotam Ottolenghi (Yotam Ottolenghi), and you will get an idea of what modern Israeli cuisine looks like.
9. Jamaica
The Rastamans (Rastafarians) are representatives of a relatively small, but visually very visible group in Jamaica, and the rejection of meat is part of their religious beliefs. Their diet - referred to as “ital” (from the word “vital”) - is as natural as possible, which means using organic products and refusing salt. Although some rasta eat fish, many refuse it, and much of it is vegan.
Thanks to the Rastafarianism in Jamaica, there are many thriving vegetarian cafes, and tasty vegetarian dishes are available throughout the island. Their ingredients are coconuts, eggplants, peppers, rice, pulses, manioc and a vegetable called callala. However, Rastafarians live mainly in Jamaica, and in neighboring countries of the West Indies, such as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, meat and fish are part of many dishes.
8. Singapore
The population of a city-state in Southeast Asia is less than six million, but it is a city of immigrants. Accordingly, Singupar represents a stronghold of the greatest ethnic and cultural diversity, where living standards are among the highest in the world. At the same time in the city a huge number of disgusting restaurants, cafes and eateries, because the people of Singapore are obsessed with street food.
Both Tamils and members of the Chinese community during the festivals practice a three-day abstinence from meat, which allows them to maneuver between national cuisines without being fed up with. South Indian restaurants and many hawkers offer impressively sophisticated and tasty vegetables, but we advise you to look for vegetarian Chinese, Korean and Japanese cafes - there are more than two hundred vegetarian restaurants in the city.
7. United States
The United States is the largest consumer of red meat in the world, and there are places in pastoral areas where you run the risk of tasting horse whips by asking for a vegetarian dish at the establishment. But California is not called "the land of fruits and nuts" just because it grows grasses with trees: the alternative culture of San Francisco is reflected in the field of public catering, which includes the establishment of vegetarian cuisines: Mexican, Korean and Chinese. Farther north Portland in Oregon is so famous for its latte and milk-free ice cream that its vegan culture serves as the main theme of the comic TV show Portlandia.
In addition, Manhattan is a great place to eat meat-free, if your physician and life manager approve of this choice. Other cities that are attractive to vegans are Austin in Texas; Los Angeles; Seattle; Boulder City in Colorado, and Chicago, with its production of packaged meat, which in 1906 painted in his acclaimed novel "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.
6. United Kingdom
The British dilemma is that, although there is no strong vegetarian tradition in the country, the number of "ethical" vegetarians is slowly growing, and this growth began even before George Bernard Shaw began to popularize this trend in the early twentieth century.
At present, polls show that 12 percent of the UK population call themselves vegetarians — although, as “real” vegetarians know, many of these people speak porky pies (that is, they lie, we explain to those who are not familiar with rhymed slang of Cockney) and from time to time succumb to the temptation of meat-eating.
Nevertheless, there are quite a few people who reject this cultural norm, even in the least likely places for this, such as Glasgow. Now in the biggest city of Scotland, there are more vegan cafes and restaurants than one can imagine, and some of them are just great. British vegans and vegetarians tend to look at the cuisines of other nations of the world as sources of inspiration: Italian, Indian, Middle Eastern.
5. Turkey
The former center of the Ottoman Empire, and before that, the Byzantine Empire, for thousands of years, developed refined aristocratic cuisine. In addition, Anatolia has the greatest biodiversity of trees and field plants on the planet. Once there, you have a chance to feast on dishes flavored with grated nuts, vegetable stews, seasoned with a huge amount of spices, bread baked in a wood-burning oven, and vegetables roasted on coals.
Turkish cooks are able to prepare dishes of national cuisine in hundreds of different ways, and they will never bore you in any way - stuffed, smoked, baked or fried. However, keep in mind that in Turkey, restaurants tend to specialize in accordance with a particular culinary style, so look for establishments with the names “restaurant” or more traditional “lokant” that serve different dishes accompanied by a printed menu.
4. Lebanon
Lebanese cuisine began with the Fertile Crescent (a region that included Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan), then came the Phoenicians, who were great merchants, then the Ottomans, who were talented chefs. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the culture of Orthodox Christians flourished in this territory, with their many days of fasting. For many Middle Eastern Christians, fasting days include Wednesdays and Fridays, plus six weeks of Lent before Easter.
Lebanese food is rich in vegetarian dishes, respectively, and in Lebanese restaurants around the world you can find luxurious meze (a set of snacks or small dishes, often served with alcoholic beverages), which will make you glad that you have refused to eat flesh. Of course, there is hummus and falafel, but you can also order fried eggplant dip, fatfish (pies with nuts), fule (bean puree) and herbal tabule: a feast not only for the elect.
3. Ethiopia
Approximately half of the population of Ethiopia belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and all these people do not eat meat on Wednesdays, Fridays and throughout Lent (the period of six weeks before Easter). Thanks to so many Orthodox Christians, over the past centuries, sophisticated vegetarian cuisine has developed in the country, including many vegan dishes. One of the main products of the Ethiopian cuisine is injera bread, resembling porous cakes with a slightly sour, fermented taste.
Inger is often used as a large spoon, with portions of spicy gravy (called vats); the Ingers tear off the narrow bands from the cake and use to scoop gravy containing legumes and vegetables with them, often with different Berber mixtures of spices. In Eritrea, a small country in the north of Ethiopia, there is a common Ethiopian cuisine that includes many vegetarian dishes.
2. Italy
In Italy, there is no specific taboo on meat-eating, but the Italians are great at taking vegetarian food. In Italy, there is no menu without great vegetarian options, and about 7-9 percent of Italians call themselves vegetarians. Few skeptically raise their eyebrows when they hear "Lo sono vegetarian" ("I am a vegetarian").
Of course, pizza and pasta (pasta) are popular, but there is also risotto, lots of fried and stewed vegetable dishes; besides, most of the wonderful desserts are also vegetable. In general, a vegetarian in Italy feels more comfortable in the south of the country; The south has historically been poorer and people have eaten less meat, which contributed to the creation of many tempting vegetarian dishes.
1. India
India has one of the lowest levels of meat consumption per capita - about 32 kg per year, which is one fifth of the volume of meat consumption in the United States. This is logical, given that more than one Indian religion prohibits meat-eating. Given the number of practicing Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, it can be said that between 20 and 40 percent of the population of 1.3 billion are vegetarians (the exact number cannot be counted), and a significant percentage of these vegetarians are vegans or mostly vegans.
Indian restaurants and cafes have vegetarian and vegan options that are clearly indicated on the menu, and eggs in India are not considered vegetarian food. Especially in South India, residents of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been vegetarians for centuries, perhaps even thousands of years, which has enabled them to develop nutritious, spicy and unusually tasty dishes. If you have never tried real South Indian cuisine, then it is time to do it.
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