As anyone who is a vegetarian will know, one of the questions that meat-eaters love to ask is: “If you’re a vegetarian, why would you want to eat fake meat?” This question annoys me intensely; mostly because it’s simply none of their business what I eat and I highly doubt they would appreciate me interrogating them on their food choices. I happen to think that a hot dog flavour sausage in a bun is a tasty snack and if that’s achievable without any little piggies having to die then why the hell not indulge?
Tonight, though, I discovered the origin of ‘fake meat’. We ate at a Lonely Plant recommended restaurant in Hanoi – Com Chay Nang Tam. As an entirely vegetarian restaurant they credit the Buddhist monks as being the first to desire a meat substitute in order to help their meat eating guests not feel too uncomfortable. The restaurant now serves all sorts of dishes made from Soy and other proteins which, according to my carnivorous boyfriend, are astoundingly close to the real thing. Check out the Beef and Pineapple below. Would you be fooled?
Fake Beef
Note for those not from the UK: The title for this post comes from the Cockney Rhyming Slang – Pork Pies -> Lies
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That looks amazing.
As a fellow veggie, I hear you on getting annoyed when people ask why we eat fake meat! That meal looks AMAZING!!!
It was very tasty!
As you well know I am not a veggie, but I see no reason to comment on other peoples tastes. Incidently that meal looked both colourful and apertising.
Thanks Nan, it was very tasty!