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In Asia, there are many options for vegetarians.
I recently had an appointment with a friend for dinner. Before that, we thought long and hard about where we would like to eat. Zurich offers so much. Japanese? Mexican? Lebanese? I think everything is great. A small culinary trip around the world in the city on the Limmat. If you want, you can escape everyday life here and dream of culinary faraway places.
For me, travel and food inevitably go together. You can only discover a country in all its depth if you also dare to try the local delicacies. I’m never reluctant to try, I just don’t eat meat and fish. And that doesn’t always make it easy to be on the go. It’s easier in some countries, more difficult in others. In some places I was even pleasantly surprised, like in China, where there was an unexpectedly large number of vegetarian options. Or at least that’s what we were told. Whether the offline translator swallowed a few words remains to be seen.
These are my culinary highlights from all over the world:
Latin and South America rather not for veggies
In Cuba things are different. I often go to bed hungry there. My stomach keeps growling as I remember it. After all, you get enough exotic fruits – and they are also a real treat – but the Cubans are rather reserved when it comes to vegetables. A little bit of beans, tomatoes and (often) bled rice, along with a juicy piece of meat. That’s it then. What I remembered though: the sweet smell of churros in the calles. I liked hitting them.
We continue to Argentina, where the mighty steak is part of good taste. There is also a glass of Malbec. You can see it. In the South American country it is a little better than on the Caribbean island. There are also vegetarian filled empanadas here in between. I was particularly taken with dulce de leche – also known as milk caramel – which is found in many dishes.
Basically, it’s the countries of Latin and South America where vegetarians occasionally reach their limits. “Pollo?” is often the answer when you ask about “plato vegetariano”. You usually find something, but whether it really contains no meat or fish and tastes good is another matter. I would also add the USA and Australia to the list of countries less suitable for vegetarians. Dripping burgers are usually served with meat patties. In parentheses I put the big cities that have more choice to offer.
Asia more suitable
In some places, the further development of the menus seems to have come to a standstill. In certain countries, eating without meat and fish has always been part of good etiquette. In Asia, we “plant eaters” have many opportunities. After all, Buddhists and Hindus also eat vegetarian food.
I got my money’s worth in Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, as well as in China. I ate my fill with red Thai curry with tofu and vegetables, vegetarian summer rolls or kottu roti without meat. I still dream of that today. Spices and herbs provide intense aromas and previously unknown vegetables make my mouth water. Exotic fruits that I had never heard of can be found on every street corner.
In addition to China, Turkey also surprises me positively. During my visit, I realize that the country has much more to offer than kebab. Well-seasoned Çiğ kofte, or pide, trigger a taste explosion, followed by sweet pastries like baklava, washed down with a cup of Turkish coffee. As in Spain, there are often plates with small “tapas” on the tables. You can try everything. The majority of the plates are mostly vegetarian. I like it!
So I really ate well everywhere – and above all a lot. Just sometimes “outstandingly good” and in between so-so. It’s important that I give every country the chance to find its way through my stomach and into my heart. Because how do you say it so beautifully? Testing is above studying.
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