Religious Dietary Traditions That Make Vegan Travel Easier
Quite a few religions have dietary restrictions that make their restaurants or religious institutions perfect destinations for vegans. Unfortunately, it can be quite confusing to know which brand of the particular religion provides a vegan diet and which one does only partially, since it may vary from country to country and at different times of year.
The following info is an attempt to systematize the information per religion and per country:
Buddhism:
Mahayana Buddhism:
Countries: China, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan
Restrictions: all animal products.
Exceptions Allowed: none, 100% vegan.
Extra Restrictions: garlic, onion, asafoetida, shallots, leeks, coriander.
Time Of Year: all year, or 1st or 15th of the lunar month.
Tips: Look for “Pure Vegetarian” food in and around Buddhist temples.
Theravada Buddhism:
Countries: Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri-Lanka, Myanmar.
Restrictions: no real restrictions on animal products but vegetarianism encouraged.
Time Of Year: all year.
Tips: food served in and around Buddhist temples is often vegetarian.
Zen Buddhism:
Countries: Japan.
Restrictions: all animal products.
Exceptions Allowed: none, 100% vegan.
Extra Restrictions: garlic, onion, asafoetida, shallots, leeks, coriander.
Time Of Year: all year, or 1st or 15th of the lunar month.
Tips: Japanese Zen monasteries are vegan and sometimes serve food
Vajrayana Buddhism:
Countries: Tibet.
Restrictions: no real restrictions on animal products but vegetarianism encouraged.
Time Of Year: all year.
Tips: Tibetan monasteries are seldom vegetarian.
Christianity:
Religion: orthodox church.
Countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Ukraine.
Restrictions: all animal products.
Exceptions Allowed: In Russia and Ukraine fish is allowed.
Time of Year: lent 40 days (7 weeks before Easter).
Tips: Many mainstream restaurants serve “Fasting Foods” during lent.
Hinduism:
Countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri-Lanka.
Restrictions: all animal products.
Exceptions Allowed: dairy.
Extra Restrictions: for Brahmins (priestly cast), restrictions on who prepared the food and how it is stored.
“Pure Vegetarians” in India means dishes need to not have touched meat. Sometimes it means vegans who eat honey.
Time of Year: all year.
Tips: 30% of Hindu population is vegetarian.
Ghee (clarified butter) is the main issue since it cannot be detected.
Dishes can usually be easily veganized upon asking.
Jainism:
Countries: India.
Restrictions: all animal products.
Exceptions Allowed: dairy (except for yogurt).
Extra Restrictions: garlic, onions, root vegetables, vegetables non-native to the country, alcohol, caffeine drinks, multi seeded fruits, fermented foods.
Time of Year: all year.
Tips: Easily veganized.
Rastafarians:
Countries: Jamaica, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Ivory Coast,
Restrictions: all animal products.
Exceptions Allowed: fish.
Extra Restrictions: salt, alcohol, caffeinated drinks.
Time of Year: all year.
Tips: essentially vegan. ask for no fish.
Judaism:
Religion: Kosher.
Countries: Israel.
Restrictions: some animals may not be eaten at all, including pigs, shellfish, rabbits, and reptiles.
Extra Restrictions: total separation between dairy and meat products, at least for 3 hours (mixtures of meat and dairy are prohibited).
Time of Year: all year.
Tips: “Parve” means no meat or dairy (but may contain eggs or honey).
Mahayana Buddhism –Taiwan
