If you are a vegetarian, then you already know how difficult it can be sometimes to be confident in your food when traveling abroad! Either pieces of chicken are mixed into rice, or vegetables are fried in lard … And the use of fish and other sauces in Asian cuisine makes you be on the alert all the time. But at the same time, the whole world is literally full of vegetarian dishes for every taste! And sometimes, while traveling, you can try ethical dishes that even the richest imagination cannot draw! How can you “not miss” on a long journey, and at the same time try exactly a typical dish, indicative of the country? Perhaps the following mini-guide to veg will help you with this. dishes from different countries. And of course, in every country there are at least 2-3 local ethical dishes that claim to be the “most-favorite” and “folk” ones – so we don’t spoil the pleasure of discovering a lot on your own. This list is just the starting point for a journey to the country of culinary delights of the globe! India. When it comes to vegetarian cuisine, India is the first thing that comes to mind for many. And rightly so: with a population of about 1.3 billion people, India is in the “top” countries with the lowest meat consumption per capita. In an Indian restaurant, you can try a lot of gourmet dishes, which cooks sometimes take 3-4 hours to prepare … And where to start researching the genius of Indian culinary thought – maybe something simpler ?! Yes, you can. Then try masala dosa.
For For many tourists arriving in India, this is the first thing they try (as was the case with me). And the person immediately gets a “culinary shock”: pleasant or not – depends on whether you like spicy. And in appearance, and in taste, and, so to speak, in texture, masala dosa is strikingly different from Russian and European cuisine! This is a must try: in a nutshell, the feeling of the dish cannot be conveyed. But if you give a hint, then the trump card of masala dosa is a giant (up to 50 cm in diameter) crispy flatbread, contrasting with a delicate filling of various vegetables generously seasoned with spices. about this amazing dish! And one more thing: if you didn’t cry after the first portion, then one portion will not be enough for you: this is love (or hate, for opponents of the sharp) for life! There are varieties of masala dosa in virtually every major city in India, and in the North: in Delhi, Varanasi, Rishikesh – they are prepared differently than in the South (“in the homeland” of masala dosa).
China. Some are convinced that China is a country of meat dishes. And this is true – but only to a certain extent. The fact is that in China in general there are a lot of different foods. I don’t presume to calculate the percentage ratio of vegetarian dishes to meat ones, but both a vegetarian and a vegan have something to profit from! Not one unfortunate “Peking duck” is alive with a Chinese (especially not a rich one), as you understand: just like in Russia they eat not only sauerkraut and borscht. The Chinese love dishes with vegetables based on rice or noodles, and there are dozens of vegetarian varieties at your disposal. In addition, China is home to a number of nutritious, high-calorie tree fungi, as well as antioxidant-rich ferns, and many varieties of fresh herbs. And what to try “offhand” – well, except for noodles or rice? In my opinion, yutiao. In appearance, it may look like such familiar Indian sweets made from flour, but beware: it is salty! Yutiao – deep-fried strips of dough until golden, and quite long (they are broken in half). Yutiao – although not sweet, but will leave the warmest memories of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Africa. If you are going to distant and mysterious Africa, for example, to Ethiopia – do not worry: you will not be force-fed with wildebeest meat and elephant chop! Whatever fantasy draws to us, vegetarian food is the basis of nutrition in Africa. Oddly enough, Ethiopian cuisine is somewhat similar to Indian cuisine: makhaberawi is often eaten: it is something like a thali, a set of tiny portions of vegetarian hot meals of the day. Also, much is prepared on the basis of grain flour. , including gluten-free, spongy, fluffy injera flatbreads that are often served at the table, reminiscent of pancakes. And sometimes food is served not with them, but … ON them – instead of a plate! A knife and a fork, too, may well not be given to themselves (however, again – as in India). Surprisingly, you also have a chance to eat something raw and tasty at the same time in Africa. So, in fact, this is a pretty friendly country for vegetarians and vegans!
France is home not only to foie gras, but also to an endless array of truly amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes. I myself have not been there, but they say that it is worth trying not only vegetable soups (including cream soups), pancakes (“creps”), green salads and gourmet breads, but, of course, cheeses. And, among other things, such a traditional dish of cheese and potatoes as tartiflet o rebloshn, which looks (but does not taste!) Resembling charlotte. It is not hard to guess that the key ingredient is reblochon cheese. Well, and, of course, banal potatoes. The recipe also includes white wine, but since the tartiflet is heat-treated, you don’t have to worry about that. But in order for the dish to be served without ham or bacon, it is better to specifically ask the waiter: here you are not guaranteed against surprises.
Germany. In addition to sausages of all stripes and colors, “Sauerkraut” (by the way, quite edible) and beer, in Germany, a lot of things are served on the table. According to the leading Michelin restaurant rating, Germany is in the honorable 2nd place in the world in terms of the number of gourmet restaurants. And what is no less surprising, many of the restaurants here are vegetarian! For centuries, people in Germany have been eating and loving vegetables: boiled, stewed, in soups. In fact, German cuisine resembles Russian. And fried onions are especially revered here (although this is not for everyone), and asparagus – and the latter can be an independent dish: the season for it is from late April to late June. They also prepare amazing vegetable broths and soups, but still, it is difficult to single out any one main vegetarian dish. But vegans and vegetarians will definitely not have to starve here (no matter how they gain weight)! In addition, German cuisine is a paradise for those who do not digest spicy: spices are mainly used fragrant. Including herbs: like, for example, thyme. Well, what is really worth going to Germany for is pastries and desserts! For example, quarkkoylchen, Saxon syrniki, can be called a signature sweet dish.
Spain. We continue our gastronomic tour of Europe with a “visit” to Spain – the country of tortilla and paella (including vegetarian). Of course, here we will also find 100% ethical dishes: this, among other things, is the exquisite cold vegetable soup salmorejo, which is prepared on the basis of tomatoes and is somewhat reminiscent of gazpacho. Don’t forget to make sure it’s not served with ham as an appetizer, as usual, but simply with crispy toast. Everyone knows that Italy or, say, Greece has amazing cuisine and there is absolutely no shortage of vegetarian dishes, so let’s “go” again to distant and exotic countries!
Thailand – the birthplace of incredible dishes and stunning tastes – as well as their unexpected combinations. Unfortunately, not only soy, but also fish and other (with even less appetizing names) sauces are often kneaded with a generous hand into everything that is fried, which sometimes give dishes such an exotic taste. In order not to remain hungry – or worse! – do not doubt what you eat – it is better to give preference to purely vegetarian restaurants. Fortunately, tourist resorts usually have both raw food and 100% vegan establishments. In addition to the vegetarian version of the “super hit” Thai dish Pad Thai: you can hardly resist the temptation to try this vegetarian, but very specific delicacy! – you should pay attention to the dish tam-ponlamai. This is a salad of exotic fruits, seasoned with… spicy spices! Delicious? It is hard to say. But certainly unforgettable, like the Thai fruit durian.
In South Korea… We won’t be lost either! Here it is worth trying a dish with an unpronounceable and hard-to-remember name doenzhang-jigae. This traditional, local favorite dish is a 100% vegan vegetable soup based on soy paste. If you love miso soup, you won’t miss it: it looks like it. Tofu, mushrooms of a local variety, soybean sprouts – everything goes in a “jigae” pot. Attention: some cooks add seafood to it – convincingly warn that it is “veg”! Some note that the aroma of the soup – apparently due to an unusual combination of a number of ingredients – is, to put it mildly, not very good (it is compared with … sorry, the aroma of socks), but the bright and complex taste pays for everything a hundredfold.
Nepal. A tiny country sandwiched between giants: India and China – Nepal in terms of cuisine is both similar and not like its neighbors. Although this cuisine is believed to have developed under the influence of Tibetan and Indian, specific and most often spicy dishes are honored here, which are difficult to associate with anything other than to say that this is “Oktoberfest in the very south of India”. If you are not afraid of such a comparison, take your time to taste a set of truly Nepalese (“Newar” cuisine) local delicacies. For example, the unusual soup “Kwati” from 9 (sometimes 12!) types of legumes: hearty and spicy, this soup is a shock charge of protein for a strong stomach! However, it seems that there are even more gas-extinguishing spices in the soup than legumes, and this actively helps peaceful digestion … Haven’t eaten enough? Order dal-bat, a local variety of thali: in decent restaurants, a set of tiny portions of at least 7 dishes, a sort of palette of flavors from very spicy to sugary-sweet. If you are still not full, a serving of 8-10 lightly fried vegetarian kothei momos dumplings will finish the job. Warn what would be done without meat, although by default, momos are already 100% “veg”: in Nepal, more than 90% of the population are Hindus. For tea, which is called “chia” here and is prepared without masala (a mixture of spices) – it’s just black tea with milk and sugar – ask for yomari: it’s a seasonal, festive sweet bread, but suddenly you’re lucky!
Saudi Arabia. The population of the country prefers meat dishes, but there are enough vegetarian ones, as elsewhere in the Middle East! To make the desert sim open with a variety of delicious, hearty, 100% veg. dishes, remember the magic formula of a full stomach: “hummus, baba ganoush, fattoush, tabouleh.” While hummus is no surprise or discovery (like Israeli, local hummus is just good! in any weather), baba ghanoush is mostly eggplant (both served with fatir flatbread), fattoush is a salad with lemon juice, and tabouleh – in other words, also vegetables. To wash away the Arabian haze of incomprehensible aromas, you can use Saudi champagne – but don’t be alarmed, it’s 100% non-alcoholic (we are in a Muslim country, after all!) and an excellent thirst-quenching drink made on the basis of apples and oranges, with the addition of fresh mint.
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