I know. But for a business lunch it adds some protein, which keeps me from devouring my briefcase and my steering wheel.
Could be that India resuscitates vegetarianism? Veganism certainly would find it difficult to survive in India where dairy is held in very high regard generally.
Not a very good article, but highlights some interesting points. I didn’t know the Indian government was offering only vegetarian food at its banquets.
“Resuscitates” would suggest that it was dying, but vegetarianism has always been alive and kicking in India (and it was never dominant in the west).
The article is not written particularly well, as you said, but the point about the current government not feeling pressured to conform to a westernized menu concept for state banquets is interesting.
(Hindu) Ceremonial or celebratory banquets in many parts of the country are traditionally vegetarian, and weddings or other important functions in many communities will be vegetarian and alcohol-free even today even if the participants eat meat and drink alcohol. So why not at the state level, I guess.
Pardon the hyperbole, even the article linked by @Harters in the OP suggests that death is overstating it. But there’s no denying that there are dominant political powers trying to push the cause of non-vegetarian interests. It will be interesting to see if India stands firm with this policy of vegetarian meals served on state occasions. Say, if a certain cheeseburger-loving head of state were to attend a state dinner hosted by India, would India serve a vegetarian meal and would said head of state gracefully partake of a vegetarian meal? It would be interesting to see how India might be able to make a point of this from a diplomatic perspective internationally.
Is this inverted?
This already happened in 2020. The banquet hosted by the President of India had both vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus. The lunch hosted by the Prime Minister was vegetarian.
No.
Cool. India is generally good at vegetarians and non-vegetarians co-existing without the sort of sanctimonious twattery that I’ve come across in the UK.
I was wondering how this thread got revived…then saw the new angle. The choice of an all-vegetarian State dinner meal makes the principal logic of the original thread (vegetarians can eat vegan meals) to the omnivore population.
For the record, I am married to a vegetarian. I’ve often eaten only vegetarian meals, even at a Michelin star restaurant, and have survived as an omnivore. I’ve even chosen the Indian vegetarian meal as my airline meal, because it is often tastier on certain airlines. Per the original thread’s contention, five years hence, I’ve not noticed a large shift to vegan only options. The demographics of the non-meat population has grown in the younger demographics (7% by some estimates)-- the ones that dine out with more frequency — and the practicalities in some parts of the world of potentially excluding groups (say of four) that may include a non meat eater are now more economically significant.
Agreed.
Reminds me of the old joke:-
How do you tell if someone is vegan?
Don’t worry. They’ll tell you soon enough.
How weird.
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I do not come across this sanctimonious twattery. I don’t even know what ot would look like. More often than not, it’s that I hear grumbles from omnivores.
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That joke is tired and inaccurate. Also, how else would you know?
I think it’s because vegetarian nationalism is doing something different to what vegetarians in the UK are doing-- and again, I must really not get out much because I have encountered no sanctimonious twattery. But maybe I’m the twat (albeit not a vegetarian) because I think that department meals should be vegetarian to ensure the food is more available (and because once a vegetarian in my department had no lunch because an omnivore grabbed one of the vegetarian options. I don’t think anyone thought I was being a twat for having made that call.
But then, I’m writing a response to you and reckon you’d be the first to call me a twat.
What’s weird, please?
An old joke or you not coming across the twattery?
As you say, you don’t know what the twattery would look like, so maybe you have come across it but just not realised. No worries though. ![]()
Our favorite Thai place in Berlin has significantly increased their vegan offerings, which meant the loss of several meat & seafood dishes. We’re not too happy about it, TBH.
A vegan Indian restaurant opened in the village about 5 years back. We went once not long after opening but never felt the need to go back. As omnivores, we prefer an Indian restaurant where we can choose to eat meat or vegetarian food. The website had noted that they had adapted dishes to suit local vegans’ palates. There were some understandable substitutions - tofu for paneer, for example ( a not entirely successful sub, IMO). And some odd ones - brocolli for cauliflower in the aloo gobi (different texture which didnt really work that well. Some decent dishes though that didnt need any adaptation - masala dosa and bharli vangi, for example. It’s understandably popular with local vegans.
As long as they don’t eliminate their muh krob from the menu we’ll still go, but… yeah, options are more sparse for sure now ![]()
Ok, but maybe you could offer an example so I know what you’re talking about and what I’m missing?
ETA: I love a good story.
Being an omnivore, I never understood the need to be “labelled” as any one thing anyway based on food preference. If I have lactose intolerance or celiac disease, I don’t go out and call me Glutenfreedomer or NaryDairy. They just present this as having a dietary restriction - that we assign a whole persona (and sometimes one of intolerance) based on what they want to eat is maybe funny for the occasional ribbing, but seems unnecessary.
We’ve evolved in educating populations on healthy eating, but more so in recent years the emphasis on eating more vegetables and plant-based diets. Even if fewer people call themselves strict vegetarians, vegetable forward dishes and cuisine can still flourish.
Personally, I really like the term pescatarian. Might just be the sound of it more than anything. I should probz include it in my list of words:
Ha, I was just thinking that. Needs to be on your favorite food words list. If I had to force myself to restrict on something, I’d be a pescetarian too. Love seafood!
Omnivores eat everything (or at least a wide variety). If someone can’t have a meal without meat, they’re not an omnivore; they’re a carnivore who maybe likes a little garnish on the side. IMHO.
