Ayesha Takia and Farhan Azmi have embraced the difference in their food choices

When actor Ayesha Takia switched to a vegan diet, back in 2011, it wasn't meat that she missed most, but her ritualistic morning chai. "I was a meat eater, but giving up on my daily dose of masala chai was the toughest. Of course, giving up favourite foods is never easy. Any substitute would have to mimic the total sensory experience elicited by it," she says. But Takia wasn't alone in her battle. Her mother and sister turned vegan around the same time, and would come up with dairy-free alternatives like soy milk and cashew cheese. "For me, it worked well, because we were doing it as a family," recalls the 31-year-old. Her masala chai substitute these days is cashewnut milk. "It tastes almost as good as masala chai," she smiles.