Being a vegetarian in China

Tofu, anyone?

When I first moved to China I was a vegetarian. I'd been that since I was 16 (don't even remember why but it had something to do with me not liking the taste of meat?) and I wasn't planning to change. It didn't take me long to discover, however, that the term 'vegetarian' wasn't that useful in China. You tell the waiters you don't eat meat and they'll nod their heads and serve you tofu floating around in minced meat. Or, your eggplant will in a pot that also contains tiny meat pieces. Or, like once when I was in Yunnan, I ordered tofu that came with slices of pink ham.

-But I don't eat meat?! I told the waiter.
-It is not meat. It's a spice, that gives the taste. It's part of the dish! She replied.

After 2 months in China I gave up. We were in a restaurant and in came ribs, beef, and you name it. I took a rib and started munching. No one reacted. Cool. And that's how I left the vegetarian life and became a meat-eater again. (In case anyone wonders, I had a vague stomach pain that very night but except for that nothing big changed when I started eating meat after 8 years of being meat free. Only thing worth mentioning is that I got fuller faster and didn't have to eat full bowls of pasta anymore. I guess I should add that I still don't 'crave''meat, at least not pork which I still don't really like, so I mainly eat chicken and fish and the occasional hamburger -which is great. Gosh, I can't believe I didn't eat hamburgers for that long?!)

Anyways, last wknd in Shanghai I met a friend of a friend (British guy) who was travelling through China with his friends. He had been a vegetarian since he was 10 (now I believe he was in his late 20-ies) and in order not to ruin his diet he carried around a piece of paper with some Chinese characters that he showed at different restaurants.

-I have no idea what it says, he told me. But every time I show it people long quite concerned and I have never been served meat. I am positively surprised as I thought it was going to be hell to be a vegetarian in China.

I asked to see the paper. It said something like: "If this man eats meat, any kind of it, he will get very sick"

Doh. No wonder he got concerned nods. I am very impressed that it worked though!

So, maybe that's a tip to all you vegetarians planning to visit China. Because you know, just because it says 'tofu' on the menu doesn't mean it's only tofu in the bowl your are being served. Using meat as a 'taste enchancer' is a common standard over here.

I personally don't regret starting to eat meat (my dad is soooooo proud of me and have told me various times that now I am a 'real woman' again -gosh? Meathead or what?!? Haha!) and I am not worried about the meat over here like many tourists are.

I normally do project work for a German company twice a year and every time I have lunch with their Germans visitors, that are here only for the project work that goes on for 2-3 weeks, they are sitting there picking in their salads or fish free sushi. They are so scared of even touching a bit of meat/fish here that it's almost laughable. When they see me eat meat they always ask: "Aren't you scared of eating dogs?!" (and this is at very standard -even western- restaurants) and I always answer "No... I am not scared of eating dogs because we are not in a very dog-eating part of China, and, we are not in Korea... so you don't have to worry about that." And still, they roll their eyes behind my back as if I am 'the most naive thing'....

Having said all of this, vegetarian food in China can be great -you just have to find the right restaurants. There are some 'all vegetarian' restaurants in Shanghai, where 'Vegetarian Kitchen' is the best one I have tried. I also found a really good one in Beijing when I was there during the Olympics, but more about that some other time.