It may be tough but not impossible to find vegetarian food while travelling abroad
It may be tough but not impossible to find vegetarian food while travelling abroad
The good news is that you are finally going on that dream vacation to Europe. The bad news is that you are vegetarian.
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Even though vegetarianism has become more accepted and options can be found in restaurant menus across the globe, things can get a little tough if you only eat the greens.
Rohini Daswani, IT professional travels abroad on work very often and she rues the lack of decent vegetarian fare and says that for emergency measures she always carries snacks from home.
"The worst experience I had was in Germany where I could not locate a single restaurant that served a decent vegetarian meal. I had to rely on bread and cheese or go hunting for hole-in-the corner Indian restaurants."
Though things have improved in the last decade, travelling abroad is still not easy for those who follow an herbivorous diet.
One always needs to be careful because even if an item on the menu is classified as vegetarian on closer inspection, it may be found that the sauce has been made with meat stock or that the food has been fried in animal fat.
However even though options may be limited almost all restaurants will have at least a miniscule section on the menu devoted to vegetarian selection. It is important to clearly state what one wants or does not want to eat. Often the steward might get clarity only if he's told "Is there anything with no meat, fish or chicken on the menu?"
Ideally while traveling abroad the best bet is to get a phrasebook and learn the basic names of meat that need to be avoided. Another way of tackling the problem is by ordering a basic staple like plain bread or rice with vegetables on the side. While this option is simple, it is also very safe. When there is nothing on the menu placing a special order might work.
Before setting out for the destination research the country and its food options. Speak to travellers who might have visited the place or visit forums on websites like couchsurfing.com and ask for travel advice.u00a0 A great online listing of vegetarian-friendly restaurants all over the world is happycow.net.
Finally if it's a holiday and you want to avoid the stress of going hungry and running all over hunting for food, look out for destinations that will meet your dietary requirements.
Closer home there is Singapore, which according to happycow has more than a 100 vegetarian eateries.
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San Francisco is also a great option as it's the city that hosts the World Vegetarian Festival each year, so is Italy which revels in food that has olives, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese. Be a wee bit flexible and you'll find the world on your platter. Bon Apetit.
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