AROUND THE WORLD - THE VEGETARIAN WAY
By Stan Becker, Ph.D.
How does a vegetarian manage in far-away lands? With modern air transport, many of us are able to travel to far and exotic places as tourists. A smaller proportion travel as students or technical advisors to give assistance to developing nations. Others go to developed nations. A still smaller proportion establish residence to work or retire in foreign nations.
What follows are some anecdotes and advice from my experiences in other parts of the world. These comments come from living three years in Bangladesh, three years in Belgium, one year in France, and half a year in Mexico; working for two weeks or more in Egypt, Tunisia, Liberia, Kenya, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Costa Rica, and Honduras; visits of one week or more to Senegal, the United Kingdom, Italy, Thailand, and India; and brief visits to other countries.
EATING ON THE WAY
I've never traveled by boat across the sea, and so what follows are tips about vegetarian meals on planes. First of course, always ask for a vegetarian meal when you book a flight.
The best prepared vegetarian meal I've ever had on a plane was one I received on a United Airlines flight in 1981 from Honolulu to the continental United States. I was asked what kind of vegetarian I was and as the vegan choice they had a tray which included soymilk! Now many airlines distinguish vegans from ovo-lacto vegetarians, but don't expect soymilk or tofu (yet).
Often the computers (or humans) aren't working properly, and the vegetarian request does not get forwarded. At every interaction with the system it is important to reiterate the vegetarian preference, especially at reconfirmation time. Once a plane I was on had just pulled away from the gate when it went back to get someone's luggage. A nice stewardess whom I had already told about my request for vegetarian food and who realized it was not there, took the opportunity to get a vegetarian meal on board. Thus, it might help to mention it when you board, too.
Often the plate looks so much better than the non-vegetarian meals. The occasion can lead to great conversations with neighbors, airline staff, or even passers-by — "I was a vegetarian once...;" "My sister is a vegetarian and...;" "How long have you been a vegetarian?...;" "I think I'm going to order vegetarian food next time...;" and so on.
COOKING FOR YOURSELF
One of the best ways to enjoy the variety of vegetarian foods in a foreign country is to cook for yourself. This option is available in rare hotels with kitchens in the rooms. I had one in Nairobi for three weeks; it was a tremendous experience, as Kenya has both temperate and tropical fruits and vegetables. Writing ahead is worthwhile to seek out this option, but the additional cost of such rooms may make it less attractive. I carry a bowl, spoon, sharp knife, and homemade trail mix on my trips so I can take advantage of local fruits in my usual breakfast of nuts and fruits. Though at home I eat this breakfast with soymilk, in many places yogurt is an available substitute. For vegans, a packaged fruit juice is great, or just plain fruit and nuts which can be excellent by themselves, since many ripe fruits provide their own juices when sliced.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OF THE WORLD
In other parts of the world, there are hundreds of fruits and vegetables that are not commonly available in the United States. Restaurants of large tourist hotels in most countries rarely offer more than a token of the local fare, but you can almost surely get bacon and eggs in any of them! Within each nation there is a class-associated hierarchy of foods. Just as black beans and grits are uncommon foods here for upper class folks, so are moori (puffed rice), cheera (rice flakes), etc., among the upper classes of Bangladesh. The higher the class you travel the more of these items you'll miss except for the high-class foods like mangoes and papayas. Local fresh-air markets are the best places to become aware of the full variety of foods available. Supermarkets are now present in big cities of many nations and do have a large variety of foods, but this is a very different experience.
Some special fruits (often available in gourmet stores in the United States) enjoyed during my trips have been: jackfruit, a wide variety of melons, naseberry and mamey plums, guava, guanabana, green coconut, and of course mangos and papayas. In the tropics, apples, grapes, cherries, and other temperate fruits are not usually available. There are exceptions, however — Kenya and Colombia, for example, are blessed with both temperate and tropical fruits and vegetables. Good tourist guides will sometimes tell what fruits (and less often vegetables) are special to a particular nation or region. An excellent source on fruits of the world is a book that I found in a Tunis book fair called Tous Les Fruits Comestibles du Monde, by Marie-Pierre Bonnassieux.
There are many vegetables unique to certain parts of the world — yucca, squashes of all sorts, all kinds of greens, etc. I had a habit of trying new vegetables when they came into the market in Dhaka. One such vegetable was a disaster. Locally it is called "kochu" and unless cooked one particular way it is extremely prickly. I cooked it and after one bite I nearly went into shock from the pain in my mouth. Fresh vegetables in the marketplace do not come with cooking instructions!
OTHER SPECIALTIES
Countries also have their other vegetarian specialties; ask and you will learn them. Many of these are found in international cookbooks (for example, gado gado of Indonesia; falafel and tabouli of the Near East; samosas, dals, and raita of India; frijoles and tortillas of Mexico, pastas of Italy, and chocolates of Belgium.) Delicious and commonly available products of Bangladesh include "mishti doi" (sweet yogurt), and "rosh-o-golla" and other "sweetmeats."
AVOIDING INTESTINAL PROBLEMS
"If you can peel it, you can eat it." That's good advice, but what about other foods? Which restaurants can one trust for safe food? Can one drink the water? I bought all my foods in the fresh food market in Bangladesh and soaked greens, carrots, etc., in water with iodine added. Cooked foods are generally acceptable, as heat kills most pathogens, but they will love foods left out on the counter. Despite precautions, during the three years I spent in Bangladesh I still had my fair share of intestinal bugs. It is hard to refuse food one is offered at invited meals.
Please note that contamination usually comes from food handlers. In restaurants one can tell the general cleanliness by observation (peeking in the kitchen or noting how clean the tables and cleaning cloths are).
Unfortunately, fresh salads are to be avoided. Regarding water, iodine tablets or drops are preferred to chlorine tablets because the former kills parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Actually, bottled water is available in many places now. You can also carry oral rehydration salts in case of dehydrating diarrhea. (Also see the references at the end of this article.)
WHAT WILL YOU EAT?
It seems clear that we each must choose a rather arbitrary line of what foods to consume. This section considers pressures to shift the line in some overseas situations.
A serious problem for the novice vegetarian traveler in some parts of the world, particularly some rural areas far from main roads or towns, is getting a wide variety of vegetarian food. Of course, tourists/novices rarely stray to such out-back areas. But hikers and others do. In helping with a survey to measure child mortality in Liberia, I was off the beaten track several weeks. The only food available in many roadside stands (there were no restaurants really) was rice with fish and sauce. So I had a choice of plain rice or rice with sauce cooked with the fish. In Liberia, as in the United States, greens and other vegetables are often cooked with lard. So one must decide on where to draw the line when little is available and you're hungry.
Another problem presented itself to me as a lacto-ovo vegetarian in Bangladesh. Many Hindus who say they are vegetarian there actually eat fish (Bangladesh is known for its rivers and abundant fish) but do not eat eggs.When I arrived in Bangladesh I ate eggs but not fish. This was an awkward position to be in and it made me reflect on my habits; I began to cut down on eggs. As usual, vegans have a tougher time, even in the Indian subcontinent where many tasty vegetarian dishes are cooked with ghee - purified butter.
LANGUAGE
Expressing oneself overseas is often a problem, and the fact that one does not eat meat needs to be expressed to any host, waiter, etc. Thankfully, English is spoken in many parts of the world now. Thus, many big restaurants have the menu in both the local language and English.
In smaller or more out-of-the-way places, it helps to learn the important words such as meat, vegetable, fruit, yes, no, and eat. I had learned a smattering of Bengali before going to Bangladesh. So the first day in the cafeteria at work I decided to try it and boldly announced to the staff behind the counter "Ami niramish." Everyone within earshot and soon many others broke out laughing. I had said "I am a vegetable" instead of the correct "Ami niramish khabo" which is "I eat vegetables." Make sure that you check out key phrases with someone you know before you try them in social situations!
Of course, because you speak a language does not mean that you will really be understood. I am quite fluent in French but in a nice restaurant in Paris, even knowing the French word for vegetarian, we had trouble explaining it to the waiter. When we ordered "une salade" he brought out a nice green salad topped with pieces of anchovies. He proudly presented it but we soon discovered what it was and called him back with frowns on our faces. We explained again that vegetarians did not eat fish; he felt sorry for us and took it away. Then fifteen minutes later, he brought back another beautiful salad but with small tuna fish (I believe) pieces in one layer. Oh well, we tried.
In China, English does not get you far. At the open shops there were luscious fruits and vegetables and pointing worked for defining the item and fingers for how many, but then I was stuck when it came to price. In such cases (this has happened in Egypt and other places where my numeracy in the language is weak) the best idea I've found is to put a sum of bills or coins that you know will cover it in your open palm and let the shopkeeper pick out the cost. (Good advice is don't buy anything until you understand the value of the local currency) To avoid being ripped off (usually not a problem but could be a temptation to some), it's helpful if other customers or the neighboring shopkeeper are looking on. On several occasions in such circumstances this had led to corrections, "Don't cheat the foreigner" or commendations, "One price for all is good policy."
VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS
There are good sources with lists of vegetarian restaurants in many parts of the world. Of course these are mainly limited to large cities. If there is a vegetarian restaurant in a city I'm visiting, I make a point to frequent it. In some places these are run by Seventh-day Adventists or other religious groups. I'll never forget a tiny vegetarian restaurant in Jakarta with terrible heat (especially when the electricity failed and we were reduced to hand fans) but delicious food. There was a superb vegetarian restaurant in Tegucigalpa (Honduras) right next door to where I worked! I was taken out to an exquisite vegetarian restaurant in Beijing where they had soy products. Even without specialized restaurants, one nice thing is that in the big cities of many nations there are Indian and/or Chinese restaurants, and these almost always have vegetarian dishes.
"I'll never forget a tiny vegetarian restaurant in Jakarta with terrible heat but delicious food."
SEASONALITY
We need to be continually thankful for the great variety of fruits and vegetables that we have in this country all year round. When I lived in Bangladesh, cold storage was virtually unknown. Thus the only fresh fruits available in the country for several months of the year were bananas and lemons. Vegetables were similarly limited in the off season.
POVERTY
Third world nations are by definition poorer than we are. In particular there are millions of homeless people and squatters in slums who must become beggars to survive. One nice thing about vegetarian cuisine in this regard is that it is less expensive and thus easier to share with others. In Bangladesh I fed a breakfast of local rice flakes and milk (and often fruit) to five or six children who lived in a nearby park. Probably all the food cost less than the price of a quarter pound of meat!
But when mangoes came in season, I bought a couple even though the price was considerably higher than that of rice flakes. The next morning I caught myself eating a mango early before the children arrived so I would not have to share it. I felt ashamed and resolved to minimize my consumption of foods that I would be unwilling to share.
One must also decide how to respond to beggars on the streets. A habit I developed while living in Mexico was to carry a tiny sack of peanuts or other simple food and give a few to beggars who solicited. This habit of carrying food to give to beggars serves me well in the United States as well since food, unlike money, cannot be converted into alcohol or drugs. However, this practice may be dysfunctional outside a crowded airport or train station because scores of beggars will approach within seconds of seeing the first peanut given to one of their group.
More generally, given the extreme poverty in much of the world, one must consider living more simply. This may not be obvious, particularly as a tourist staying in hotels. However, I can recommend one very simple thing — as a result of seeing people who did not have enough to eat, I am very sensitive about taking only as much food as I can eat and thus avoiding table scraps.
REFERENCES
- Dawood, R., How to Stay Healthy Abroad, Penguin, 1987.
- Seah, S., Health Guide for Travelers to Warm Climates, 1983.
- Bergman, P., The Concise Dictionary of 26 Languages, Signet, 1968.
SUMMARY OF TIPS
Eating on the Way
- Ask for vegetarian meals repeatedly in any contact with the airlines.
- Carry simple food just in case
- Carry water
Cooking for Yourself
- Carry simple breakfast food (e.g., trail mix)
- Carry a bowl, spoon, and knife
Fruits and Vegetables
- Visit local open markets to find the variety of local fruits and vegetables.
- Look up fruits and vegetables of the area before you visit or ask someone who is knowledgeable upon arrival.
Other Specialties
- Ask about vegetarian specialties
Avoid Illness
- Carry iodine tablets for water treatment
- Avoid fresh or cold foods outside of your own kitchen.
- Contact your physician or a travel clinic before departure.
Language
- By learning three words (meat, fish, no) in whatever language you encounter, you can probably express that you are a vegetarian.
- I recommend The Concise Dictionary of 26 Languages (see references).
Vegetarian Restaurants
- Ask if there are any.
- Consult lists of vegetarian restaurants (e.g., phone book).
Seasonality
- Expect the variety of fruits and vegetables to be restricted in many places depending upon the season.
Poverty
- Eat simple, inexpensive foods that can be shared.
- Avoid wasting food.
Stan Becker is an employee of Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. He and his wife are both vegetarian.
