Vegetarian in practice
Though modern-day vegetarian cuisine takes innumerable forms, tofu, day lilies, wood ear, and pumpkin are essential to creating the classic vegetarian flavors and can be found in virtually every contemporary vegetarian kitchen.
This is especially true of tofu. Reputedly invented by Liu An, King of Huainan, during the Western Han Dynasty, tofu has given rise to the “modeling” that characterizes much of Chinese vegetarian cuisine. Tofu purees can be shaped into forms that recall chicken, duck, fish, beef, or pork, stimulating the imagination, but also stirring debate about the propriety of meat-like vegetarian foods.
In Qiong Zhong Tan Chi, author Shu Guozhi, an opponent of the practice, criticized vegetarian restaurants for creating vegetarian “sausage” and “ham.” “You aren’t eating any animal fat, nor any product of the slaughter of an animal, so you can justify yourself to the Buddha.” But for all that consumers of such products are eating vegetable matter, Shu argues, they’re still craving meat in their hearts.
In an essay on vegetarianism, author Jiao Tong takes a different position, lauding the creativity that goes into making vegetarian foods that taste like meat: “The similar texture is interesting, and recalls the experience of eating meat.” He further argues that vegetarianism doesn’t bar desire, and that we shouldn’t deny ourselves the pleasure of particular flavors or eschew a food because of how it looks.
In Vegetarianism, mainland Chinese author Shi Youbo writes that whether in terms of color, scent, or flavor, “vegetarian meat” made of tofu provides scope for the imagination, enabling eaters to enjoy the flavor of meat without killing anything. “With the invention of tofu, Chinese vegetarians took the diet to the next level,” he writes.
Ho Chien-pin, a vegetarian for over 20 years and former head chef at the Yangtse River restaurant in the Howard Taipei hotel, has a more measured take on the dispute. Chef Ho, now an assistant professor in Chinese cuisine at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT), notes that the practice of forming vegetarian foodstuffs into meat-like shapes originally had nothing to do with satisfying a craving for meat. Instead, it was a way of conforming to the custom of making religious offerings of the three varieties of domestic animal.
The Western adage that “one man’s meat is another man’s poison” aptly describes the dispute over “vegetarian meat.”
In fact, there are many reasons why contemporary Taiwanese choose vegetarianism. Some adopt the diet for religious reasons, while others do so for their health. Their motivations are different, but all agree on the principle of not consuming the flesh of animals.
Most of Taiwan’s new vegetarian restaurants feature innovative cuisine. The upper photo shows Hong Kong-style XO fried rice, and the lower, spicy noodles with basil.