• Taleya@aussie.zone
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    1 year ago

    One of these cultures has normalised vegan and vegetarianism for centuries, the other is trying to wean a meat-obsessed population.

    They are not the same thing, nor do they have the same requirements to reach their end goals

    • seitanic@lemmy.sdf.org
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      1 year ago

      How prevalent is veganism in India? Whenever I look at Indian food, it’s butter this and milk that. Sure, there are some very good vegan choices, but it seems to me that Indians love their dairy.

      • Taleya@aussie.zone
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        1 year ago

        Veganism is actually a fairly new phenomenon in general, a lot of Jains in particular have adopted it. But vegetarianism in India dates back over a thousand years BCE , so yeah, they’ve got a bit of a head start.

        • The Liver@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Where are the Indian vegans? I have only ever met ONE in my entire life except myself.

            • The Liver@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              Hi!

              I don’t mean like, online. I’ve met plenty of online Indian vegans. But still, I find it hard to believe that every 1 in 10 people are vegan. Where?!

          • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            I would say about 30% of my Indian coworkers over the years have been vegan.

            I think the challenge is that, unlike a lot of Western vegans, they don’t go out of their way to talk about it. My second job, I knew day 1 about the white girl who was vegan. It took me 2 years to learn that 4 of my Indian coworkers were vegan since birth. And I only learned it because they learned I was getting into Indian food so they all started bringing stuff in for me to try. Entire meals. Incredible meals. I miss that job, lol.

            • The Liver@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              My family loves to announce to the world that I don’t drink milk. It’s annoying. Idk they’re probably in shock or something that someone would choose not to abuse cows. (They’re vegetarians, I’m vegan)

              Where do you live? I assume outside India? Hmm

      • portside@monyet.cc
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        1 year ago

        Vegetarian? Yes. Vegan? No.

        I am a vegetarian. I eat dairy. I don’t eat meat and eggs.

          • Misconduct@startrek.website
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            1 year ago

            Except for the part where they’re kept in small cages or “free range” in dirty cramped pens. Luckily it’s easier to get eggs from chickens raised ethically than meats. You just gotta fork over a few extra bucks or get the hookup at a farmer’s market

            • AA5B@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Effing dinosaurs, with 6,000 years of eating cave men, deserve all the incarceration they get. /s

              More seriously, depending on your priorities, factory farmed chicken is less bad for the overall environment than pretty much any beef

              • Misconduct@startrek.website
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                1 year ago

                I never said they were? I’m not even a vegetarian stop being so sensitive. I don’t care for making anything suffer when I can still have eggs without the suffering. It’s that simple. If you’ve based too much of your personality on macho meathead bullshit then do you boo. I’m sure that’s a great replacement for an actual personality.

      • lobut@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Yeah I have a lot of vegetarian Indian friends, not as many vegan.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            If they can make animal-free cheddar and animal-free yogurt that tastes exactly like the real thing, sign me up. Right now, vegan alternatives are… not good.

            • AA5B@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Yes, this is why I think we take the wrong approach considering things as animal free substitutes. That’s a high bar.

              Meanwhile I’m perfectly happy dipping my veggies in hummus instead of cheese dip. Not as a substitute but as a different choice that is good on its own merit

            • Twista713@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              I’ve tried a few types of coconut-based yogurts that were tasty. I’m not a fan of almond milk, so didn’t like those varieties as much. On the cheeses though, completely agree! I had one that was tolerable, but definitely falls in the “not good” category.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Were the coconut-based yogurts sweet? Because I don’t want sweet yogurt. I want yogurt I can put chives in and put on my falafel (for example).

                • Twista713@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  The vanilla flavored one was a bit sweet, but that’s how I generally prefer it. I usually am throwing berries and granola in there too so admittedly can’t give you an unbiased recommendation! I think there are plain flavored ones either almond or coconut milk based, which might be more of what you’re looking for.

          • This is fine🔥🐶☕🔥@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I don’t know man, I’m from Mumbai. Check on swiggy for restaurants in your area.

            Or you can make it on you own. The recipe is simple, it just takes long time to make because you need to boil milk to make it thicker.

      • NuPNuA@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        It’s not vegan so much as veggie. They definitely respect those cows they get the milk from though.

      • sviper@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        Quite popular, in my city it’s quite hard to find meat in the popular restaurants. And these places are quite old and we’ll know.

        Most foods don’t have any form or trace of meat or eggs, although milk and related items are very widely consumed.

        It’s vegetarian and not vegan.

    • NuPNuA@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      This is what people don’t get, if you’ve been veggie for years then you don’t need meat substitutes, these products are for normies trying to cut back or give up while they break the cultural training.

      • Wren@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        I’ve been vegetarian for… more than a decade? I love meat substitutes and generally prefer having the substitute present in meals (either as the main thing, like a burger, or as an inclusion). I do agree that meat substitutes are a fantastic way of reducing meat consumption for meat-eaters, but that doesn’t mean you need to do away with it completely once you’re in ‘full veg’ mode

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Maybe. While I do sometime choose the plant-based meat, thinking of it as a substitute was my initial reluctance to try vegetarian food. Back then, I ridiculed the idea of a “veggie burger”, but really liked grilling a “black bean patty”. Did you realize Mac and Cheese can be vegetarian? “Greek veggie dip” is horrible, but I love hummus. I always loved various potatoes, but it was quite a revelation that you could spice them up and use them as a meal. My latest infatuation is Halloumi or Paneer - don’t ever call a nice grilling cheese a substitute for anything.

      At least for me, it is easier to choose foods for their own value, rather than suffer with a substitute, r a variation “without”. I’m not a vegetarian and have no interest in it, but I will choose what looks good to me at any given time, on its own merits

          • Taleya@aussie.zone
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            3 months ago

            what on earth are you on about.

            One of the earliest known vegans was the Arab poet al-Maʿarri, famous for his poem “I No Longer Steal From Nature”. (c. 973 – c. 1057).

            The first known vegan cookbook was Asenath Nicholson’s Kitchen Philosophy for Vegetarians, published in 1849

            These are documented historical facts. Not “saying something” which ironically appears to be the position you are claiming.

            Did the modern name come about in the 40’s? yes, that’s the etymology of it. But you’re treating that fact like the movement or ideology was formed at the same time, which is tremendously, provably wrong. It’s like claiming gay people are a relatively new invention because the term “homosexual” wasn’t coined until the 1890’s

  • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
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    1 year ago

    I mean, the United States has, to be fair, developed a food culture that emphasizes using a lot of meat, especially over the past century or so. It’s not surprising that people from an area that eats so much meat, who go vegan, are going to want to look for ways to still make dishes familiar to them

    • Neato@kbin.social
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      Yep. It’s all about helping people transition. So much of American food culture is centered around burgers, steak, BBQ, etc. It’s really hard to just drop all of that on a dime, even if you want to. These products help people with that mental itch.

      • Tak@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Not just the meat, there is cheese and milk involved in a lot of it as well.

      • pascal@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        It’s not just culture, or itch, or whatever.

        I just love the taste of meat! My body craves for it. But if I can keep that delicious flavour in my plate without killing an animal, that’s great!

    • agitatedpotato@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      If its any indication into other factors, every time I try to make butter chicken it ends up tasting like a British persons home made curry recipe so there’s that. Jokes aside as someone who likes cooking, a lot of traditional recipes, of any culture are simply much more labor intensive than slapping a bean patty on a pan then furnishing it. I’d wager the pace of a lot of western lifestyles, the choice gets weighted quickly.

      • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
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        1 year ago

        To be fair, a patty sandwich of any type (be it hamburgers, chicken sandwich, beans, or any kind of imitation meat) is going to be similarly labor intensive and time consuming if one had to make the patty and bread oneself rather than being able to just buy them. I’m sure traditional recipes for most cultures can be made similarly convenient if probably somewhat different from their original form, if demand exists for them to be premade and sold that way. There’s a specialty grocery store very close to my home that specializes in Indian food, tho also has some international foods from other places too, and it’s freezer section has all sorts of Indian dishes done up as tv dinners, or premade frozen samosas of various flavors one just has to fry in a pan for a few minutes, among other things.

        • agitatedpotato@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          I mean comparing a frozen vegetable patty to a whole frozen meal is a bit of a stretch in quality and affordability imo. Honestly a lot of it has to do with things like how many pans and utensils you use too. Even if I make a burger from ground beef its still only one pan, two cutting boards (one for meat one for veg) and all the fresh produce just needs to be washed and cut, if you wanna grill the onions, same pan no problem, all you need is a knife and a spatula. When I tried to make butter chicken the tastiest recipe called for two different marinades and a sauce you make in stages. I can go over the video and look at the kitchen hardware necessary but I think it’s easy to imagine its a lot more. I’ve found quite a few Indian recipes in particular are similar that way so it seemed topical.

        • agitatedpotato@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          Depends on if they’re capitol E English or not, then I’d imagine you’d probably have South Asian and Jamaican styles being dominant. I was referring to the englishmans home cooked take on it. If you want the story, years ago I was in Australia and my neighbors there were UK English, I don’t know how to describe it other than it tasted like my early attempts at traditional recipes. If it helps I remember “Man I did all that and mine still just tastes like someone used a strange ramen flavoring packet.” So that’s probably how I’d describe it.

    • ericbomb@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I was taught to cook a ton of things growing up.

      most of those meals involved meat. So took a bit of relearning. Being able to just make an old thing but with fake meat was nice. Then sometimes brain craves something from child hood, so have to find an alternative.

    • Auzy@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      From where I stand internationally though, it seems like a toxic culture too regarding it… Like, apparently, I’m meant to be considered more macho for eating meat somehow… I’m an omnivore, and I’ll eat what I want (the standard of vegetarian food actually seems much higher)

    • lemillionsocks@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      I think it is also a reason why a lot of vegetarian food options or certain ingredients like tofu in the US are seen as lesser.

      Like this isnt a meatless example but how tofu is presented in the west is a good showcase of this disconnect. There are people who dont care for tofu because tofu has been presented to them as a meat fill in. Tofurkey instead of turkey, tofu dog instead of hot dog, tofu nuggest, and etc. And tofu is not meat. It’s tofu. So yeah when you replace a Turkey dinner with tofu and are told its just as good or good enough you start associating it as an inferior tasting meat substitute.

      But tofu isnt a meat fill in and in fact many traditional recipes use it in conjunction with meat. Tofu is tofu. It is its own ingredient and recipe,and if you use it as such instead of trying to pretend it’s something else you can do good things.

      Like the same goes for a lot of western vegetarian dishes. Instead of leaning into the flavor profile of the dish or digging up some old traditional meatless recipe(of which many exist even western dishes when you consider lent and meatless fridays were a thing traditionally). And dont get me wrong I understand that someone who went vegetarian or vegan may want to emulate a spicy chicken wing, or a burger, but it feels like a lot of the mainstream western options are all just drop in replacements.

      • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Absolutely this. I eat meat, but I really like veg* cooking. I feel like it challenges me in the kitchen and there’s a whole world of veg* dishes especially in mediterranean/middle eastern, south asian and east asian cooking that are just amazing. But the number of wide-eyed vegans who have handed me a lump of some sort of isolated vegetable protein and insisted repeatedly that “it tastes just like meat, you’ll never know” makes me wonder if vegans can actually taste food. I’m sorry, Kaiyleigh, nothing you do to that tofu is gonna make it taste “just like a hot dog”. How about you press it, cube it, roll it in some seasoned corn starch and fry it until it’s a delicious golden brown crunchy little nugget of tofu instead? Let it be what it is rather than trying to force it to be something that it’s not. Either you’re lying to yourself, you’re lying to me or you physically cannot detect flavor compounds with your tongue.

        tldr - fuck a vegan, but I’d love another bowl of that lentil dal

      • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        But tofu isnt a meat fill in and in fact many traditional recipes use it in conjunction with meat.

        My best experiment with tofu to date involved a marinade and replacing half the chicken I would have otherwise used with it in a dish, and cooking it in the drippings from browning the chicken.

        Tofu is tofu. It is its own ingredient and recipe,and if you use it as such instead of trying to pretend it’s something else you can do good things.

        I’m good with tofu, but my wife HATES the texture of it. Is there some trick to make it less spongy?

        • lemillionsocks@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          Thats a tricky one if they dont like the texture its hard to say. You can maybe make a dish with a less firm tofu thats softer if thats something she’s ok? Maybe do a ma po tofu with rice or something vaguely related.

          Have you tried the classic of crispy tofu blocks? Just cube the tofu, toss in cornstarch and fry until the outside is good and crispy. Serve with rice and some kind of sauce or even eat it alone dusted with salt and pepper.

          • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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            1 year ago

            I tried something like that in the oven, with a sort of honey garlic glaze. Crisp outside, but the inside still has that spongy texture she doesn’t like. Maybe if I cut it really fine, into like thin pieces where there’s not much bulk to it, so theres a higher crust:sponge ratio? I hadn’t seen a recipe try really thin pieces, and I just assumed there was a reason.

  • qjkxbmwvz@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    I get that it’s a meme, but what’s the problem? I’m vegetarian/flirt with veganism; it’s purely for moral/ethical/environmental reasons.

    Indian food is delicious. An Impossible burger on a pretzel bun dripping with grilled onions, avocado, vegan aioli and mustard with a side of steak fries? That’s also delicious, in my opinion.

    Meat is delicious, and that’s not at all incompatible with my reasoning for being vegetarian.

    • zeekaran@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      Aioli is naturally vegan. Classically, it’s just garlic paste and oil. Flavoring mayo with garlic is not supposed to be called aioli.

      Try making the proper kind. You’ll be impressed.

    • Cyclohexane@lemmy.mlOPM
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      1 year ago

      Nothing against people who prefer meat substitutes. But I do think they should be brave and just abandon meat altogether. If you keep relying on meat substitutes, you haven’t let go of meat entirely, I found it easy to get back to meat eating.

      • Vegasimov@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        You’re chatting out your ass, this is like saying lesbians shouldn’t use dildos in case they go back to fucking men

        Complete ignorance of the thing you’re talking about

      • seitanic@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        Bravery has nothing to do with it. It tastes good, and there’s no harm to any animals. So why not eat it? Denial for the sake of denial is not a virtue.

        If you keep relying on meat substitutes, you haven’t let go of meat entirely, and it would be easy to get back to meat eating.

        That’s like saying that if you enjoy shooting people in video games, then you’re one step away from shooting people in real life. I’ve been eating fake meats for almost a decade now, and I’ve never been tempted to eat real meat.

        I know how horrible and senseless factory farming is, and I have images of the slaughtered seared into my memory from vegan documentaries. Why would I go back to that when I can have substitutes that are just as good, if not better?

        • Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          I can’t really answer the question of why, but the sample set of people I know who switch to vegetarianism and veganism bears out that the ones who rely in fake meats much more frequently switch back than those who focus on learning to cook foods that don’t imitate meat.

          On the counterargument, I did miss cheese quite a bit, and learning to culture my own vegan cheeses hasn’t led to buying animal milk cheeses again, so ymmv

          • Fades@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Your anecdote is meaningless as your sample size is not statistically significant.

            • Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              1 year ago

              It wasn’t meaningless, and I went out of my way to make clear the sample size wasn’t statistically significant.

              The point was that the parent comment implied there was no reason to start eating meat again after making a moral choice not to. My anecdote shows that some people do anyway, therefore there must be a reason.

              That in my experience they tended to be the people who relied on meat substitutes was presented as an observation of interest, not as hard evidence of universal truth.

      • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        Nothing against people who prefer meat substitutes. But I do think they should be brave and just abandon meat altogether.

        Looking at someone not eating meat: you should stop eating meat.

      • Wage_slave@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Being called stupid and criticizing my decisions kept me from “being brave”

        Like “You’re not good enough until you are this much” bullshit. If that’s the attitude, then fuck no. Why do I wanna go even further into things if y’all are assholes right off the bat. Like, no. fuck you. If it’s this complicated then I am going to do what has been a life of hassle free eating. My guilt is very easily wiped away like that.

        • jope@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I’m vegan and I eat plenty of fake meat. I’m vegan because I think it’s right, not because I dislike meat. Don’t listen to OP. You are good enough, and any reduction in the consumption of animal products is better than no reduction.

          I went through a long period of transition before cutting out animal produce entirely, but have now been vegan for a good few years.

          • Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de
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            1 year ago

            I went through a long period of transition before cutting out animal produce entirely, but have now been vegan for a good few years.

            This is the way. It’s like a relationship: if you have to force it, it’s gonna be shit.

            I cut down on meat significantly in the past 3 years. I eat mostly vegetarian, fish once a week and meat every once in a while. Overall, my meat consumption decreased by about 90% which I call good enough and I don’t really have the intention to change that.

          • AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz
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            1 year ago

            Yeah same here. I like fake meat. I mean, if it tastes good and has no animal parts in it, it goes into my mouth. It’s not that complicated.

          • Wage_slave@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            I’ve been talking a bunch of shit out of annoyance. And there’s a bunch of posts echoing exactly what I was complaining about.

            Even getting called a liar.

            This is the only reasonable or polite response I’ve seen. Missed one maybe?

            So thanks. I really shouldn’t be painting the entire lifestyle with the same brush, because well here we are.

            So I’ll shut up, and say thanks. And for the record, my kid still makes me get the impossible patties. She’s not veg anything, so ita just cause they’re good and that on its own should be good enough. Not all is lost in my removed.

      • marx2k@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        If I’m at a barbecue and someone is grilling up impossible burgers, I’m not going to request they instead make a bowl of curry for me. Likewise when I grill for people.

      • pascal@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Nothing against people who prefer meat substitutes

        That’s good.

        I do think they should be brave and just abandon meat altogether

        That’s bad.

        Now, firstly, thank you for defining a lot of people cowards.

        Secondly, while I like indian food, I like meat more. And I liked it since forever. If I can have the delicious taste of meat in my plate without killing an animal, that’s great. Fantastic! I’m eagerly waiting for lab crafted meat any day. I’m willing to pay it more than real meat, because I’m not fond of killing living beings to eat them. But if that’s not yet possible, I’d still have my steak and my hamburger.

      • apotheotic (she/her)@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Right so, I have literally never eaten meat in my life. I was raised vegetarian. I still think plant based burger patties or sausages or whatever are delicious. Its literally just food. You gonna think that I’m “relying” on meat substitutes or “haven’t let go of meat entirely” when I haven’t even eaten meat before? :P

        Just let people enjoy things! Plant based “meat” doesn’t hurt anyone and its a great option to add to your choices of meals.

  • ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    I’m vegetarian. Western food is so focused on meat that people often have no idea how to make a meal that doesn’t contain it. My mother once asked me how to make a vegetarian version of Chicken Parmesan. So keep the tomato sauce, cheese, and spices, but swap out the chicken with pasta. Congrats you’ve made vegetarian Chicken Parmesan. I like to call it Spaghetti.

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I think that speaks to OP’s point: instead of thinking in terms of trying to replicate the meat dish without meat, think in terms of making a vegetable dish that satisfies the same mood.

        • candybrie@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s just funny that someone was looking for a meatless chicken parm because the original recipe was eggplant parm, just someone thought it would be better with meat.

    • _number8_@lemmy.world
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      and people get so pissy about like ‘where is muh serving of protein??’ like just because you saw an infograph as a child doesn’t mean you have to have a hunk of a living creature every meal

        • Floey@lemm.ee
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          You know what has protein? Every whole plant food. You don’t need a dedicated part of a meal that is high in protein when the whole meal contains protein.

          • UnverifiedAPK@lemmy.ml
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            That’s delusional.

            Different plants have different macros. Ofc there are plants with high protein but don’t go around spouting carrots and fruit are a balanced diet. You need beans, legumes, nuts, etc.

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        like just because you saw an infograph as a child doesn’t mean you have to have a hunk of a living creature every meal

        Especially when said infographic was not only wrong, but also propaganda.

    • Patapon Enjoyer@lemmy.world
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      Not quite the same, but if you want to replace ghee with something vegan, try avocado or coconut oil. There is vegan ghee (made from palm oil I think?) but it’s bad for you the same way old timey margerine is bad.

      Incidentally, unprocessed red palm oil could be a nice replacement, but it has a characteristic earthy/almondy taste. I love it on fish dishes but it’s not the taste you expect from Indian food I think.

    • NuPNuA@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      “I fucking love Ghee, it’s like freebasing butter” - Malcolm Tucker

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    There’s actually a lot of plant based meat that are chemical / preservative free, Redefine Meat comes first to mind. As there is a lot of animal meat that is full of chemicals, preservatives, carcinogens, and antibiotics use.

    I would only assume most fast food meals, meat ones included, are not chemical / preservative free. That’s a western fast food problem, vegan or not.

    Lastly, vegan people broadly don’t eat plant based meats. Like it get the joke… It’s just broadly inaccurate. Meat eaters, people trying to eat less meat, and some vegetarians buy plant based meats.

    • Fades@lemmy.world
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      Very true, great points all around

      Now with that out of the way, this is literally just a lame “I’ve depicted the group I don’t agree with as the Soyjak and my group as the Chad, thus superiority confirmed”.

      It was never going to be a balanced take

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    Vegans are great, especially with garlic in a nice butter sauce.

    Edit: also you’re literally made out of chemicals.

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      Literally not a single thing in our world isn’t chemicals. Lemontek - chemicals interacting. Alcohol for some party - Chemicals. Every part of any meal - chemicals. All of it.

        • EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world
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          That one’s just for you. People always go off about it being a natural chemical reaction etc and it’s timely with all the conversation about growing acception of psychadelics for mental health

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        In general I think people are referring to things that are either A) heavily proccesed and/or B) something that isn’t naturally occurring. When they speak about “chemicals”

        Your body is made to eat natually occuring plants and animals. Any deviation from that is risking long term issues. Effects that are very often (at least here in the states) ignored unless they just straight up kill you. And even then it’ll probably take a couple decades before anyone actually does something about it. So, yes while many people misuse the word “chemical,” their fear is not misplaced. You should be skeptical of things that are synthesized until they are proven to interact with the human body appropriately

        • spauldo@lemmy.ml
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          It’s not a thing.

          Granted, there are things in this world that aren’t chemicals. Muons, stuff at the LHC, plasma… But everything that a normal person interacts with is a chemical.

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      I’m a vegetarian, but feel free to cover me in butter and smother me in garlic anyway.

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      It’s literally just heme, the same thing that makes meat delicious. They just get it from plants instead.

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      Don’t forget the preservatives!

      I, on the other hand, enjoy all-natural pickled vegetables, which are just regular vegetables immersed in water, sodium chloride, acetic acid & trace flavors — chemicals which act as preservatives for the vegetables sea salt and vinegar.

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    Most vegans in the US do not eat food that mimics meat.

    Most Western butt holes cannot handle Indian food that well. The couple times I went to Indian weddings, I was clamoring for anything that would not burn my butthole. The good combined with the ridiculous amount of alcohol made the toilets cry.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      I don’t know, that’s a stereotype that may not be true. I mean, I’ll also make fun of my culture’s lack of spice and spice tolerance, but I’m the opposite data point. I love spicy food, prepare very spicy food for my kids, and on my one trip to India had at least the spice tolerance of my Indian co-workers. We’re not all white bread and mayonnaise

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        “spicy food” doesnt mean the same thing depending on cuisine. Different types of heat are used in different dishes.

        I can eat mexican meals for days and have no issues, cholula and all.

        Meanwhile mild indian is usually a treat that sets off a small bomb in my gut.

        Also, people make fun of americans like we dont have fuckloads of hot sauce brands all over the place. We live next door to mexico, guys, we have plenty of spicy cuisine.

    • craftyindividual@lemm.ee
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      I’ll have you know our British digestive systems can handle almost anything from over 60 years of Indian, Pakistani, Carribbean and Mexican food. When Taco Bell arrived on our shores it was bland disappointment compared to existing burrito outlets, especially given all the hype that it apparently puts an American in the toilet for hours :(

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    Think this post confuses veganism and vegetarianism. Also it’s chemicals all the way down. Those spices? Made of chemicals.

    Those alternative burgers are actually pretty tasty but also very heavy because they are imitating beef. For American fare I’d generally prefer a sandwich with deli style meats made out of tofu or seitan, or a bean burger.

    • kvothelu@lemmy.world
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      vegetarianism minus butter/ghee = veganism. there are tons of dishes in vegetarianism without milk products

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    My only problem with Indian food. Whenever I try a restaurants it’s shit. But when my coworkers would bring in a feast on Diwali, it was my favorite time of year.

    I can’t find any restaurants that taste even similar to their home cooked meals.

    • Grayox@lemmy.ml
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      The best indian food I’ve ever had from a restaurant was from a truck stop in the middle of nowhere off I-80 in Nebraska.

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      Yeah, the same goes for Korean food. I think a lot of it has to do with the quality of produce. In the west produce is often picked before it’s ripe because we have to ship it hundreds of miles. They also tend to change the spices and sweetness to accommodate western pallets.

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      That may be more of a problem with the restaurants where you live. I live in San Antonio and we have dozens and dozens of exceptional Indian restaurants where everything feels like it’s a home cooked meal. I definitely miss Diwali before the pandemic though. My old company had a lot of Indian workers and the spread of food they would bring in was always incredible.

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      I don’t know what country you’re in, but lots of Indians in the UK are actuall run by Bangladeshis and the food is a bit middling. Once you find a good one you become loyal.

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        Dude fuck off. Bengali cuisine is great.

        The food those Bangladeshis serve aren’t generally Bengali cuisine, but rather what sells.

        • NuPNuA@lemm.ee
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          I’m sure actual Begali cusine is fantastic. Bengalis half arseing Indian dishes not so much.