Vegan Foods From Around The World

Fee O'Shea
3 min readSep 23, 2020

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
— James Beard

Image created in Canva

It’s amusing how meat-eaters habitually question vegans “what on earth do you eat”? I’d be a wealthy lady if I had a dollar for every I’ve been asked that particular question. It seems they don’t understand that vegan foods can be as ordinary and down-to-earth, or excessive and exotic as any other manner of cooking.

One of the wonders of this style of cooking is its adaptability. There are lots of tempting options that are obtainable from all over the world if you take a moment to explore and be venturesome with your cooking. All of these cuisines can undoubtedly broaden your options.

The limitations of cooking vegan in the Western diet is swiftly becoming a thing of the past. The diversity of plant-based foods is on the rise with the global restaurants popping up and the Internet’s offerings of recipes from all around the world. (I’m not talking about the processed vegan foods).

Several cultures have a strong vegetarian element, and some are even solely plant-based through either monetary or religious reasons or both.

Some of these meals are typical examples of efficient and delightful food combinations and are served on tables in scores of homes. Mexico provides us with tortillas and beans, and from the Orient, we get silken tofu, tempeh and rice. Hummus with lavash or pita bread is from the Middle East and from North Africa and the Mediterranean we have couscous and chickpeas. There are numerous more examples and options.

One of the best and generally appealing sources of plant-based foods comes from Asia. If you are looking to become a vegan and you have never tried Asian food in the past, then begin by introducing this beautiful type of cooking into your family meals. Even if you are a vegan, do yourself a favour and indulge yourself. Both Thai and Indian lend themselves to pure plant-based cuisine.

There is such a wide variety of choices, and several of these foreign recipes can be served as either a primary or side dish. You can also buy them as an easy meal or a snack. What you have to have is a little comprehension, several appealing ingredients and a gist of alternative flavours and textures.

Many of your dishes can be improved with the accompaniment of spices and herbs. Particular ones go well with certain foods. Here is a brief look at some of them

• Basil with tomatoes.

• Chives in soups, salads, sandwiches, sauces, and potatoes

• Ginger and carrots are a great combo.

• Lemongrass in rice dishes and Asian-type sauces.

• Oregano and marjoram with salads, marinades, cauliflower and tomatoes.

• Paprika in sauces and casseroles.

• Parsley in salads, tomatoes and practically anywhere.

• Rosemary with eggplant, tomatoes, zucchinis.

• Sage with beans, roasted veggies and certain kinds of pasta.

• And my preference, Garlic — I insert it in practically any recipe.

So, replenish the pantry, think of a culture, grab a vegan recipe from the Internet and get into the kitchen to create a vegan meal that is both interesting and has great textures. This style of cooking is definitely not monotonous!

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Fee O'Shea
Fee O'Shea

Written by Fee O'Shea

Gold card carrying vegan NZ author. Passionate about all critters (including humans). Can be seen advocating for the animals or speaking at events.

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