Vietnamese Vegans
 

Lately I have noticed the majority of vegan vegetarian, raw restaurants are run mostly by Vietnamese and occasionally Thai here in the US and I was wondering why that is. The food they serve isn't always just Vietnamese either. I have been all over the country and this seems to be a recent trend. Why is this more common in Vietnamese culture than any other. Has anyone here noticed this? Is there something perhaps religious or is it just a good marketing idea that only a few cultures have caught onto?

I wasn't aware of that, but am glad to hear it.

Veganism is growing fast. More and more people are waking up to the compassionate lifestyle.

The Vietnamese are very enterprising people, yes. Though they are also Buddhist, which has a spiritual heritage of compassion to animals. Not always observed, but it is most definitely there.
Perhaps the compassion displayed by the growing number of Americans is reminding the Vietnamese (and the Thais) of the compassionate core at the heart of their Buddhist faith?

There should be more vegan/vegetarian/raw food restaurants. When eating out there is often very little to choose from in a regular restaurant -even in the "vegetarian" bracket, and about nil for vegans. So many times I have eaten baked beans and chips and looked askance at for ordering that, because that isn't a-la-carte. Nothing wrong with baked beans and chips with a side salad, but I'd love to have a choice!

Right now I am probably living in vegan Mecca (Los Angeles) so finding food is not a problem. It's just in most other cities where Vegan is not really as available, there is always exclusively vegan/vegetarian places somewhere run by Vietnamese. Seldom ever Chinese, or Japanese, Korean, Philippine...That seems to rule out the Buddhism. I definitely appreciate it. It seems many of them have taken vegan and/or raw food to an art form.

Tobi,

I still have that problem in regular eateries. It's a market that isn't really being tapped I think. What is tad bit annoying is when I ask for something normal minus the meat and dairy and I still pay full price.

South Asian Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism adhere to vegetarianism.

Tibetan Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism don't.

The Philippines are predominantly Catholic.

There is a Korean vegan tradition too

http://www.vegan8korean.wordpress.co...mind-and-body/

It has become common in colleges as well so I have noticed. This suggest that it is a trend among younger people to me.
I think it is offered where there is a demand for it.

Thanks for clearing that up. Even though not all Asian Buddhist cultures are vegetarian I always feel like they are more accepting of my eating habits. When I eat out they don't give me any strange looks for asking for Vegan.

Also thanks for the link. Now I am hungry for bim bim bap and kimche "vegan style." Sorry I had to go there :wink:

Mostly Thai dishes are based on a vegetable base, including soy. Ancient traditional Thai dishes are simple and tasty.

I think it's a coincidence that you're seeing more Vietnamese vegan restaurants or maybe it's because Asian food lends itself more easily to veganizing and those are the sorts of restaurants you like to go to. What I do know is that some of the vilest cruelties go on in Vietnam as in other Asian countries. I can't imagine how horrible it would be to be vegan in any Asian country. A couple years ago, a young Chinese veterinarian killed herself because she could no longer live with the grief and horror that she saw coming into their clinic when rescues would save some of the victims. It destroyed her soul.