Thursday, August 31, 2006

Where to Find Vegetarian Food in Some Main Tourist Areas in Thailand

Where to Find Vegetarian Food in Some Main Tourist Areas in ThailandChiang Mai While most restaurants are very accommodating, some especially good areas for vegetarian include the Tha Phae Gate area of Chiang Mai. Here you can find, on Tha Phae road outside the walled city and stretching all the way east to Santiwong Road and south to Sri Donchai Road, an excellent selection of restaurants specifically catering to vegetarians. Inside the wall near Tha Phae is a great location as well. Most guesthouses in Chiang Mai also are good places to try, as many of them survive by hosting Westerners and selling them package tours, trekking tours, day trips and the like. Thus they have pretty good contact with all types of diets and know how to cater to almost all tastes.

Phuket The island of Phuket, its economy largely dependent on fishing, is rife with seafood restaurants, so it may seem like slim pickings there at first glance. However, almost any restaurant can make special meals for you without including any of our friends from the deep. Every year in late September and early October Phuket has a vegetarian festival, during which Chinese Buddhists abstain from taking meat. Other area towns such as Pong Nga and Krabi also participate. Southern Thailand has been part of major trading routes for centuries because of its proximity to the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia. Thus, Chinese and Indian vegetarianism are not new to the people and the restaurants.

Bangkok Bangkok, one of the largest and most traveled-through cities in Southeast Asia, is a truly cross-cultural experience where you can eat almost any type of food and can even have pizza every day of your stay and not visit the same restaurant twice. Almost every block has some option for vegetarians. The signs will not be as targeted to the vegetarian market as in Chiang Mai, but simply going in and requesting the food be made tae or otherwise without meat can do wonders.

[Source from; www.thebackpacker.net]

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Monday, August 28, 2006

Staying Vegetarian in Thailand

Staying Vegetarian in ThailandThailand is not known for its vegetarian fare, but getting meatless foods there is much easier than you might think. Amid the ubiquitous chicken, fish and tiger prawn entrees is a host of vegetarian opportunities waiting to be discovered. In addition, the food in Thailand is very adaptable for different tastes, flavors and dietary needs.

Truth be told, most of Thailand is a relatively easy stepping stone into vegetarian Asia. The Thai beaches, countryside and of course its cities are frequently visited by Westerners who bring their diets with them. Bangkok especially is a very cosmopolitan city, and while it is not anything exactly like a Western city, many of the amenities cross the cultural barrier.

Lots of people assume that since Thailand is mostly Buddhist that vegetarianism is common among the people. However, Theravada Buddhism does not prohibit or even discourage the eating of meat except as a voluntary ascetic practice. Chicken, fish and eggs are all very common main ingredients in many dishes.

While it is possible to keep a vegetarian diet almost anywhere in Thailand, some restaurants are more accommodating than others. Safe bets for vegetarian fare include Indian and Chinese restaurants and noodle shops. The Indian places have to keep veggie options for their Hindu clientele, just as Chinese restaurants have to satisfy their Chinese Buddhist customers. Noodle shops are especially good because everything is made fresh, so you can specify which ingredients to include or omit from a dish. These restaurants typically have condiments on the table, including fish sauce. This leads me to believe that fish sauce is not part of the recipe for most noodle dishes.

Fish and oyster sauce are common ingredients and condiments in Thailand and may be difficult to avoid completely. To be sure that you do not eat these products you can request that they not be used. The food section of a translation book should have words for many of the foods you will encounter.

Venues to avoid include street vendors. These portable restaurants, many setting up as the sun goes down in night markets, are not known for their cleanliness and rarely make custom dishes to the diners’ requests. Most street vendors actually cook food at a different location and simply keep it warm in their pushcarts or on their portable grills.

While travelers can get by in most situations with broken Thai and creative pantomime, these communication tactics leave something to be desired when discussing more complicated things such as dietary restrictions. Having a good knowledge ahead of time about how to ask for what you need is key to keeping your diet. Most phrasebooks worth their salt will have a section dedicated to food and list some way to ask for food without meat.

One phrase that works well is pom kin tae pak, which means literally, “I eat only vegetables.” Women say dee chan instead of pom. Usually this phrase works fine. While in Thailand recently I was able to use this phrase very successfully. The few times I got confused looks, resorting to the listing method of saying no beef, no shrimp, no chicken, etc. conveyed the message adequately to the wait staff. The confusion comes from Thai not having a single word that means vegetarian. Thus, different guidebooks will offer different translations and different people will understand the phrases in different ways. Almost all ways of saying that you are a vegetarian will need some explanation. In addition, Thai has five tones, making it a difficult language for novices to use and understand.

Another phrase that works well is to use the word tae, meaning vegetable, after a dish name. You might ask for Pad Thai tae or Radna tae. This is similar to requesting vegetable fried noodles as opposed to chicken or shrimp fried noodles in the West. The assumption is that the vegetables and sometimes tofu will take the place of any meat.

For vegans to keep their diets should not be much more difficult than for lacto-ovo vegetarians. Most Vegetarian Thai cooking does not make use of dairy products. On top of this, it is as easy to request no eggs as it is to request no meat.

www.thebackpacker.net

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Son in Law Eggs is called Khai Look Koei, Thai Vegetarian Food

Son in Law Eggs is called Khai Look Koei, Thai Vegetarian FoodSon in Law Eggs or called in Thai “Khai Look Koei” is menu for vegetarian and most famous of Thailand local, it’s easy for cooking and delicious. And then use in period Kin Jay festival. That is good idea for Vegan.

This is a traditional Thai dish that can be interpreted in a humorous way, as male testicles in Thai are also referred to as eggs.

Ingredients for vegan version;

- 10 eggs
- 10-12 whole dried chilies (fried in oil)
- cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons sliced shallots or purple onions
- 1/3 cup palm sugar
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons Tamarind concentrate mixed with 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil for cooking

Method;

1. Hard-boil the eggs and let sit in cold water, then peel and set aside.
2. Put vegetable oil in wok and add the eggs and fry until the eggs turn golden brown around the outer surface.
3. Remove the eggs from oil. In the same oil, sauté shallots until brown and then set aside.
4. Then put palm sugar in the same oil together with the tamarind mixture and fish sauce. Let it simmer and stir constantly until it thickens.
5. Taste should be sour, salty and sweet. Turn off the burner.
6. Cut the eggs in half and place face-up on a dish. Spread shallots over the eggs. Pour liquid mixture over the eggs and garnish with cilantro and serve the chills in a separate dish.

Enjoy your cooking is Son in Law Eggs is called Khai Look Koei, Thai Vegetarian Food.

[Source from; importfood.com]

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Friday, August 18, 2006

Okra Fry (Bhindi Fry) is Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Okra Fry (Bhindi Fry) is Indian Vegetarian Recipes Okra Fry called in India is Bhindi Fry. This menu is Indian vegetarian recipes for vegetarian and most famous of India, it’s easy for cooking and delicious. It has for sale in Indian restaurant. And then use in period Kin Jay festival. That is good idea for Vegan.

Ingredients use vegan versions:

- 2 tablespoon(s) oil
- 4 big green chilies slit or as per taste
- 1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped ginger
- 4 medium onions finely sliced
- ½ teaspoon(s) turmeric powder
- 500 grams (about 20 oz.) okra washed, pat dried and sliced into fine strips lengthwise or cut into rings salt to taste

Method;

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the green chillies and ginger briefly till the ginger turns brown. Add the onion slices and fry on medium heat for about 3 minute(s) or till the onions are just about transluscent (do not brown).
2. Add the turmeric powder and mix well. Mix in the finely sliced okra stirring gently and briefly on high heat till it is well coated with the oil and looks glossy. Mix in the salt, cover and cook on low for about 12 minutes or till the okra is tender and well cooked. Saute briefly and gently till the okra is well fried and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.

TIP: It is very essential that the okra is completely dry before slicing. Water droplets tend to make it mushy.

Enjoy your cooking for Okra Fry Indian Vegetarian Food.

Serve hot with: Green Peas Rice (Matar Pulav), white rice or Indian bread (Roti, Chapati).
Serves for: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 15 minutes

[Source from; www.syvum.com]

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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Vegetarian Pho Bo is Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Vegetarian Pho Bo is menu for vegetarian food and most famous of Vietnam. It’s easy for cooking. That is good idea for Vegan.

Vegetarian Pho Bo is Vietnamese Noodle SoupIngredients vegan version;

- 8 cups Vietnamese style broth (see recipe that follows)
- 1 pound rice noodles
- One 8-ounce package seitan, drained
- 1/4 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (such as Napa cabbage)
- 1/2 cup tender greens, torn into bite-sized piecescup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (both green and white parts)
- 3 Tablespoons chopped, roasted, unsalted peanuts (optional)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 3 fresh red or green chili peppers, seeded and cut into fine rounds
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions;

1. Make the broth as directed. When broth has been simmering for about 10 minutes, soak the noodles as follows. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add noodles, and let soak around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are pliable and easily separated.

2. Drain the noodles and divide them among six bowls. Simmer the seitan in the broth until heated through, about 4 minutes. Remove the seitan with a slotted spoon and slice thinly into six portions. Add to noodles.

3. Assemble the soup by placing the bean sprouts, cabbage, greens, basil, cilantro, scallions, and optional peanuts on top of the noodles and seitan. Ladle the hot broth onto the noodle mixture.

Serve with a plate of lime wedges, chili rounds, and salt and pepper for individual seasoning.

Total calories per serving: 166
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Sodium: 726 milligrams
Fiber: 1 gram
Serve for; 6

[Source from; asiarecipe.com]

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Thursday, August 10, 2006

Pumpkin in Coconut Milk - Famuos Thai Dessert

Pumpkin in Coconut Milk - Famuos Thai DessertThis menu is Thai Vegetarian and Thai dessert. It’s easy yourself for cooking at home. You can this menu in Kin-Jay festival.

Ingredient for vegan version;

- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pumpkin
- 1/3 cup palm sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk

Method;

1. Skin the pumpkin, remove the seeds and julienne into small pieces.
2. Add water and coconut milk to a pot and heat over low heat.
3. Add salt. I would recommend adding half of the sugar and tasting before adding more. If you find it to be too sweet, add more water. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
4. Add the pumpkin. Let it boil and let the pumpkin cook. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

[Source: www.thaitable.com]

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Friday, August 04, 2006

Welcome to Japan Vegetarian Society (JPVS)

Japanese Vegetarian FoodJapan Vegetarian Society is a nonprofit organization (NPO) that was officially founded in May of 2001. Our motto is "to always consider the well-being of our earth and its people in Japan" and we aim to teach and promote vegetarian as it is concerned with general well-being, nutrition, ethics, respect for life, preservation of our environment, and stopping starvation in developing countries. We strive to spread necessary education and practical suggestions to anyone who may be interested. We hope our network will help vegetarians to help one another. Please join us if you are interested in living a vegetarian lifestyle.

With membership, you will be able to:
- receive our Japan Vegetarian Journal every half a year and our newsletter, JPVS-News several times a year
- participate in lectures on vegetarianism organized by JPVS twice a year free of charge
- participate in meetings organized by JPVS several times a year
- attend cooking classes for vegetarians
- have opportunities to get to know other vegetarians by joining in social gatherings in vegetarian restaurants
- exchange information on vegetarianism among JPVS members
- get information on the World Vegetarian Congress in Japanese

[Source from; www.jpvs.org]

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