That's my culture

“So I would have to reject my culture, religious holidays, and family traditions which are a link to our past and identity if I choose to go vegan.”

-“My people are unbeatable at cooking delicious foods and hosting gatherings! Every celebration we have is filled with delicious traditional dishes!” Can you guess my culture or nationality from this? No! Because almost every person, every nationality, every culture has a rich relationship with food. Food is such a deeply personal and culturally embedded experience, and it can evoke strong emotions, memories, and a sense of identity.

Here comes veganism to destroy all of that, or does it?

Just needs a little more salt

If I take chicken or lamb and just boil it in plain water for dinner, I would be some sort of psychopath (or a serious gym bro) because it would taste so basic and maybe a little gross. When I think about my mums curries, the actual magic, the history, and the culture of the dish are completely contained in the bhuna like the mustard oil, the garlic, the ginger, the cumin, the turmeric, and the chilli powder. This is similar to the spices, the sauces, the char, the crunch, the fat, the salt, and the acid that make up the flavour of many dishes.

A dish is not just meat. Meat is the delivery mechanism for the flavours, the spices, and the cultural essence that make the dish special.

Are there other delivery mechanisms for the flavours?

Sub me in coach

Let’s take some of my favourite dishes pre-vegan and see if there are vegan versions?

• (Easy) Spaghetti Bolognese = Lentil Bolognese
• (Medium) Chicken Curry = Vegan Chicken Curry With Roti
• (Hard) Aromatic Duck and Pancakes = Vegan Duck Pancakes

Disclaimer: I haven’t made these exact dishes myself, because I’m still working on my cooking

Veganism isn’t that big right now but there’s already so many vegan alternatives for traditional dishes. I’m hoping that it just gets more and more easier as time goes on, making it possible for everyone to enjoy their cultural foods without compromising their ethics.

Appeal to Tradition

Basing our morals on tradition is the fallacy of appealing to tradition. Our world is complex and constantly changing. We have our traditions, but we also have the ability to question and adapt them as we learn and grow.

Culture is not a static, unchangeable set of rules. It is a living, breathing thing that evolves with every generation.

There are plenty of examples where human traditions were once widely accepted by society but are now considered unethical or outdated [1] [2] [3]:

• Slavery
• Child labour
• Gender discrimination
• etc.

They happened (and still happen in some parts of the world unfortunately) but it never made it morally acceptable. We have the ability to learn from the past and make better choices moving forward.

Why can’t I adapt? Why can’t I make simple substitutions in my own cultural dishes? Mum’s curry can stay, it just might have chickpeas instead of chicken in it.