Perhaps you have noticed the increasing vitality of Taiwan’s fruit and vegetable trade. Besides traditional markets and supermarket chains, there are neighborhood organic food shops and weekend farmers’ markets in many locations, all displaying a huge variety of fruits and vegetables in season. The diverse, colorful selections amaze foreign residents, and bring a bit of the countryside into urban life. In Taiwan, a vegetarian or vegan diet is convenient and available everywhere.
In my nearly 20 years in publishing, vegetarianism is one of the main topics I have devoted myself to learning about. Going from the largely religious vegetarianism of those days, with a less than ideal dining environment and the oily and salty processed food products then on the market, to today’s situation in which campaigners and celebrities are strongly promoting vegetarianism and studies about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet are continually appearing, vegetarians have increased from 10% of Taiwan’s population in 2010 to 13% in 2018. Taiwan now ranks second in the world by this measure, behind only India at 31%.
The motives behind vegetarian eating in Taiwan have expanded from religion, health, and environmentalism to include gourmet dining, giving Taiwan the world’s highest density of vegetarian restaurants. No wonder CNN in April 2017 again listed Taipei as one of the ten best cities worldwide for vegetarians. The freshness, aroma, and flavor of vegetarian food are simply markedly different from a meat diet. After all, the key to getting everyone to try it out is whether or not it tastes good. With the fragrance, taste, richness, and layered textures of vegetarian food, meat eaters will already have finished their meal before they even realize it contains no meat.
As global warming intensifies, not only has Microsoft founder Bill Gates extolled the advantages of a plant-based diet, the world’s two largest fast food chains, McDonald’s and Burger King, have begun offering veggie burgers. Meanwhile, The Economist declared 2019 “The Year of the Vegan.” More than merely a dietary trend, vegetarianism and veganism have become a force to be reckoned with in the global food market.
Who says that vegetarian food all tastes the same? Or that there is nothing interesting about vegetarian cuisine? In this month’s cover story, we explore the vegetarian movement, industry, and restaurants in Taiwan, as well as the vegetarian experiences of some well-known people. I anticipate that up-and-coming chefs will continue to create vegetarian cuisine with a strong personal style, further enhancing Taiwan’s reputation for top-quality vegetarian food.
