From carrying 'mathris' to ready-to-eat meals and packets of 'namkeen', vegetarians travelling abroad have to cope with a lot of extra baggage. Amitabh Agnihotri, who travelled to the US for a fortnight two years ago with his family, stocked up on ready-to-eat meals for the trip. After the experience, Amitabh, a teacher in La Martiniere, Lucknow, has decided to introduce his younger son to eating meat. "My elder son is nine-years-old and isn't comfortable trying out meat. However, our one-and-a-half-year-old chomped merrily on 'chicken popcorn' at an eatery. I don't want my son facing the problems I did."
Recalls journalist Ashok Easwaran, who travels mostly within the US, "One incident I remember is going to McDonalds in a US airport and asking for anything vegetarian. The counter clerk responded with a sweet smile, 'I suggest fries'. She did, however, manage to rustle up a salad for me eventually. With the number of vegetarians increasing in the US, it is much easier to get vegetarian food today."
In many countries, the concept of being vegetarian is difficult to explain. Baffled waiters in Bangkok and Hong Kong repeat after you in shock as you recite, "no meat — no chicken, no beef, no pork, no mutton, no fish — and no egg." Some are kind enough to let you know that even the 'vegetarian' fare has been cooked in pork stock! The Lonely Planet guide carries a statutory warning for vegetarians visiting Hong Kong. It says, "There are probably more than 101 ways to accidentally eat meat in Hong Kong. A plate of greens is probably cooked in meat stock and served with oyster sauce."
According to Karan Anand, head—relationships, Cox and Kings Ltd, the number of vegetarians who travel as compared to others is 50:50. He says, "To a large extent, it is not difficult to find vegetarian restaurants across the world. Having said that, the most challenging destinations are from Eastern Europe."
Says computer engineer Prameela Saligram, originally from Bangalore and currently based in Florence, "I remember being surprised at the large variety of yummy vegetarian options in Austria! In Florence, they pride themselves for their bistecca (It's one of the best beefs in the world, according to some), and proscuitto (cured ham). Not eating these things is like going to south India and not trying idli or dosa. The most important thing I've learnt (the hard way) is that you have to find out how to say you're vegetarian in the local language, because vegetarianism is different things to different people. Some think white meat / seafood is vegetarian."
From the time you board the flight, you can look forward to limited meal options. In-flight meals usually feature a biryani, rajma-chawal or an insipid cup of readymade noodles. Once you land, it's an uphill battle. Says Shilpa Mehra, "The tapas in Spain is like an omelete, stuffed with potatoes, cheese, etc. It's difficult to explain that vegetarian also means no eggs. In Germany, a lot of animal fat is used for cooking. England is the best, because it has lots of Indian restaurants."
She advises, "Stick to fruits, salads, chocolates, milk, cheese, bread, biscuits, tea and coffee and ice-cream. Try going to an Italian restaurant to order a familiar pasta or risotto." Adds Prameela, "It's not as hard as one thinks, though, to travel the world and be vegetarian. Sure, in some countries (like Japan), you may not get as many choices as you want, but one can survive on bread and cheese (and eggs), or rice and sauteed veggies and soya sauce."
Of course, on the positive side, if you're a vegetarian looking at knocking off some unwanted kilos, a foreign jaunt could be just what the doctor ordered!
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/No-meat-please/articleshow/7691620.cms
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