Vegetarianism in Australia

[EmNew]

Hi,

My husband and I are committed vegetarians, and find that it's a lifestyle choice that is not widely accepted/understood here in South Africa. When Hubby attends work functions without me, he is constantly told to order meat / eat meat, because I am not around to monitor him. The irony is that it was his suggestion to become vegetarian in the first place!

I know Australians are generally big meat eaters, but are they more accepting of vegetarianism in general? I have seen a lot of vegetarian friendly restaurants based in Melbourne, our intended city, but am wondering more about the population's attitude towards it.

For instance, once we 'turned' around 10 years ago, the braai invites just stopped. It wasn't about people not wanting to eat meat around us ( which we made clear from the start was not an issue for us ) it was more about the fact that apparently there would be no point in us attending......??? We had to remind people that braais were not just about meat on the coals, but were also about spending time with loved ones. I had also yet to ever attend a braai where there were not a copious amount of accompanying salads and vegetable side dishes, so this completely confused me! Over the years, we educated our friends by hosting braais ourselves and finally the message got through that vegetarians can still enjoy braais!

Will we be met with the same attitude in Australia? Do you also think we will be met with constant ragging about it? Not saying we can't handle the ragging, just want to be prepared for it if that is the way the cookie crumbles.

Edited January 27, 2015 by EmNew

[blung]

Hey em, I'm vegan and am kinda expecting the same levels of ragging, same jokes about how lamb is actually vegetable and same questions about where i get my protein from etc etc

U'll be fine, stay strong!

[Sunnyskies]

I've worked with vegetarians and vegans and there was no ragging. Generally people just accept it and move on.

Fortunately in Melbourne the restaurants are also generally v good and usually have vegetarian friendly dishes on the menu.

[HansaPlease]

You will most likely come across the same jokes, possibly even more so - but at the same time, I think you may feel more accommodated, particularly at work functions and restaurants.

I find that those with various dietary requirements are far more catered for and far less unusual in Aus cities than in SA.

In small country towns you're more likely to get people scratching their heads.

[HadEnoughofJuju]

You'll find that Aussie's are far more tollerent of people's life choices than South Africans. Well that's been my experience anyway. My wife works with two vegans and recently we attended the year end function and the vegans were specially catered for by the restaurant we went to.

[Mara]

I used to organise our company functions and had a list of the staffs food requests, we always arranged special meals for them. I cannot remember any of the three of them ever being ragged about it, actually, the other staff were pretty good at ensuring that they were always catered for!

[AFreshStart]

I think it depends where you end up.

The terrace we rent is owned by a chef/cook/author who is a vegetarian, ran a vegetarian food business and there are several, at least 3 vegetarian or vegan restaurants where we live.

Our local grocer pushes veggies over meat, as does our on-line grocer, Harris Farm Markets. About Life up the road has a HUGE range of Vegan and Vegetarian Salads.

On our park wall is a large painted cow with the a speech bubble above his head that reads "Isn't it nice to know I taste good with Peppercorn Sauce", a slight dig at meat lovers

I think your community will play a large roll in how you are accepted and are made to feel welcome.

We are conscious omnivores, we still eat meat, very little and so live a largely vegetarian based diet. I started, or rather reinvigorated the local community garden where we now grow 40+ herbs and veggies, eat right out of it. Several of my neighbours are vegetarian and we accommodate them easily, even with barbeques where we prepare 5-6 hot and cold meat free salads.

It goes with the lifestyle, noticing your likes it's the same, FREE tai-chi and yoga in the park, weekend organic markets etc. Surry Hills where we live is a combination of Woodstock & Gardens.

Cheers

Matt

Edited January 28, 2015 by AFreshStart

[Riekie]

You'll find vegetarian options in most restaurants, cafe's, supermarket health isles, fresh food markets, at get-togethers and weddings - even at Maccas!

There are heaps of organic & health shops allover the place. You definitely won't go hungry!

[Mara]

And if you are on a Gluten Free diet, then you will more often than not be catered for as well!

[EmNew]

Thanks for the replies - really appreciate it.

@AFreshStart - I noticed the free Tai Chi offered once a week in Melbourne's Federation Square :-) ( I wanted to do a quote and reply directly to your post, but couldn't get it to work - managed this feat once, and for some reason never again! ) The community garden sounds amazing - read some of your other posts that refer to it.

It is nice to see that there is more tolerance. Ragging is one thing and that I know will follow us wherever we go , but complete lack of understanding and what I can only describe as - annoyance - of it is another.

[SurferMan]

Hi EmNew,

I am a die hard Meatasaurus, yes your worst kind! My experience has been that Aussies tolerate carrot nibblers more in the city than the outback, where the ragging can get a little more err, earthy. I cook for the odd vegan mate I have, and no it's not the usual boring crap like ricotta/spinach or mushrooms.

I try and delight my vegan mates with things like a risotto of wild mushroom, dandelion, pinenuts, sorrel, chives, and deep fried crispy wedges of butternut served with sour cream and snipped chives and roasted baby augergines stuffed with cheese and wrapped in seaweed.

You will be fine here. But I wont be skipping my 1kg steak anytime soon! I just love my meat too much! :ilikeit:

Edited January 28, 2015 by SurferMan

[EmNew]

Oh my word SurferMan, I am drooling now over the thought of what you have described as serving your vegan mates! I have read your recipe posts and am thinking of converting some of them into vegetarian options

It's not so much that I don't like meat, meat just doesn't like me. My husband never really liked red meat or fish, so when we were only eating chicken, he made suggestion that we just cut that out too.

We are not the preachy kind of vegetarians - we don't try to convert meat eaters, so no, you are not our 'worst kind' :DIt's a choice that serves our particular bodies well. Same as any diet - some thrive on the Banting, others don't. I firmly believe in listening to one's own body and avoiding what annoys it - and that is different for almost everybody.

[Bigvan07]

EmNew,

Glad to see you guys stuck to your guns since 10 years ago.

I am however with Surferman, I am a meat omnomnomasaurus. Hey, we doing the vegetarians a favour, we kill and consume what eats their food

As far as I have heard, vegans/vegetarians are generally very well catered for, just stay clear of the old "plaasdorpie" places and you will be fine. From what I gather from Matt is that you will be heading in the right direction and will be welcomed into the community there without any prejudice to your life choices.

Good luck.

PS: I'm also salivating listening to Surferman's veggie dishes, (Only smiley with drool, ignore the zZz) hehe

[SurferMan]

Okay buggers,

I have a confession...been unemployed for almost 2 months, spent my time on the beach, fishing, surfing, swimming, cleaning the garage, building stuff for the kids, driving the goose up the wall, doing community service and the like.

I am working with Tim Noakes on a new recipe book, it will have an ENTIRE section for carrot nibblers....Woohooo! And no, NO MORE BORING crap!!!

Exciting dishes that are universal, meaning you can toss on some meat or leave it just the same. The whole purpose of the book, (Banting biased) is to ensure that it is a real, practical way to cook. I have noticed that books either require you to be a ninja in the kitchen, and/or have access to the world's spice/herb emporium, or assume you have 29748293 seafood/meat/veggie delights 400m from your house.

Most of us just have the basics, and I have taken it to heart to rework the basics, in a fashion that allows stunner gastronimical delights in minimum time. I have 3 kids, so don't have time to bugger about. Big shout out to those who are supporting my feeble attempts to bring this book to life!

RESPECT!

Oh yeah,

I topped out at 140kg a year ago. Fat ass Jake. Since I took to Banting, (no we dont eat high fat) I've lost 20kg and dropping (I'm a big guy, 6'4...), feel like Superman, and have ZERO daytime flat spots. Lift weight I could not do ten years ago ( not gym, stuff like tree stumps etc)

Can walk and work for days on end now, all indicators down. Love this. Eat more of the protein stuff Iv'e ever done and it's all good. Oh, guys, get mommy to feed you L-Cartaine, err, all I will say is, umm...mommy watch out!!!!!! I feel 16 again. :ilikeit: :ilikeit:

Okay, I can't resist.. Here is a Surferman twist on an old classic.

Take a Butternut. Instead of stuffing it with crab meat (Which I colour in three colours for effect)

Stuff a whole deseeded jalapeno with your cheese of choice. Stuff olives in sequence, look at using green olives as a start. Wrap that with a pistachio and walnut crunch. Insert into hollowed out butternut. Add some real butter. Stud butternut with cloves. Roast on fire or in oven, or near mother in law, :jester:

Serve sliced with a dill/mint yoghurt and a lime spritzer with a dash of Angosutra Bitters, the flavours will blow you away. The chemical compostion will make you feel like you are on Barbados.....

Edited January 28, 2015 by SurferMan

[EmNew]

Ooh, great news on the cookbook and congrats on your weight loss journey and results!

chilli, cheese, butternut and pistachios - 4 favourite things combined in one meal! I know what I am trying out this weekend - thanks so much SurferMan.

Now back to my lunch......for some inexplicable reason, it has just lost its appeal..........

[SurferMan]

Hahha,

Tell me your lunch and I will try to transform it. I LOVE this stuff.

[Mikej]

Hi EmNew,

I am a die hard Meatasaurus, yes your worst kind! My experience has been that Aussies tolerate carrot nibblers more in the city than the outback, where the ragging can get a little more err, earthy. I cook for the odd vegan mate I have, and no it's not the usual boring crap like ricotta/spinach or mushrooms.

I try and delight my vegan mates with things like a risotto of wild mushroom, dandelion, pinenuts, sorrel, chives, and deep fried crispy wedges of butternut served with sour cream and snipped chives and roasted baby augergines stuffed with cheese and wrapped in seaweed.

You will be fine here. But I wont be skipping my 1kg steak anytime soon! I just love my meat too much! :ilikeit:

You serve cheese, ricotta and sour cream to your vegan mates? It's a nice story.

[rozellem]

You will be just fine. Australian city dwellers are (mostly) pretty enlightened beings.

Do yourself a favour and make this vegan, raw food desert. ps. you dont have to make the base if you cant be arsed, just make the mousse and put it in glasses as a desert.

http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/laura-coxeters-raw-chocolate-ganache-tart/

[SurferMan]

So,

Chilli, cheese, butternut and pistachio...Here goes. Slice the butternut into wedges. Fry in oil of choice until crunchy. Set aside to drain and cool. Whip up some Philladelphia cheese with fresh chopped chillies. Add a tiny knob of grated ginger or ginger powder to taste. Blob this onto the wedges, and sprinkle some pistachios over that. Serve with watercress on the side and a bit of lime. Done.

[Mikej]

Hi EmNew

My wife is vegetarian and I am not.

We have had no negative reaction to her vegetarianism it is quite main stream.

There is always a lack of vegetarian options in restaurants, unless you specifically choose a vegetarian restaurant. Sometimes a restaurant might have one or two good dishes but they need to change the menu otherwise you get sick of them.

I do most of the cooking and I find the cook books quite amusing. The vegetarian sections particularly of the Asian cookbooks always have meat or fish. So you might have this great dish with lots of veg but the twist is you need to add chopped ham or shrimps or use fish sauce or oyster sauce.

Restaurants often surprise me as we recently visited a very expensive French restaurant and they had no vegetarian options. The surprise was the owner telling us that the French don't eat vegetables. A similar thing happened to us in Johannesburg years ago we went to a Portuguese restaurant and the owner also told us that the Portuguese don't eat vegetables. It is all a lot of Who Shot John that they use as an excuse for not having vegetarian options.

The reality is that you will always have fewer options than the meat eaters you just have to find the places that cater for you in the area you live but there will be little or no 'attitude' as you put it, to being vegetarian.

[SurferMan]

Oi MikeJ,

When you come up FAR north from the big xmoke down in Albany, give me a yoller. I will make you a feast on the Weber dude. Then you can tell your veggiesarus friends your T-Rex mate cooked for you!!! :jester:

That was what i meant with my earlier comment, these eateries have the same spinach/ricotta crap, or some feta stuffed this, that or the other. NO imagination AT ALL. Quite disappointing actually. By the way, we do have non-meat days in our house, we eat fish and chicken! :jester:

I have a freezer down in the garage that is just for lamb and beef. Happy to put a little peasants fare on for you and your missus if you are ever up this neck of the woods.

[Mikej]

Oi MikeJ,

When you come up FAR north from the big xmoke down in Albany, give me a yoller. I will make you a feast on the Weber dude. Then you can tell your veggiesarus friends your T-Rex mate cooked for you!!! :jester:

That was what i meant with my earlier comment, these eateries have the same spinach/ricotta crap, or some feta stuffed this, that or the other. NO imagination AT ALL. Quite disappointing actually. By the way, we do have non-meat days in our house, we eat fish and chicken! :jester:

I have a freezer down in the garage that is just for lamb and beef. Happy to put a little peasants fare on for you and your missus if you are ever up this neck of the woods.

Thanks mate that's very kind of you.

I think I am more like you in that I like my meat and I like it a lot. It makes for interesting meal times because I like meat most meals but I need to keep the veggie wife in mind when cooking. In fairness to her she is not very demanding and is happy with something simple. Fortunately she does eat dairy and eggs which gives a lot more options.

[AshB]

Look out for the Govinda's restaurants in Melbourne, there is one in the city in Sydney,part of ISKCON .

[Sunnyskies]

There are Govindas in Brisbane as well. I was a bit sceptical at first but the food is really good and very reasonably priced.

[RAD]

In Melbourne there is also OM restaurant in the city....but try any indian restaurant for vegetarian options, of which there are an abundance to choose from....I'm not sure about vegan though cos vegans don't eat animal byproducts.....I met a young Ozzie woman in Melbourne who was passionate about animal rights and as such a strict vegan. She told me that Lord of the Fries( in Melbourne) made a vegan burger....I was extremely surprised at this but I had no reason to doubt her....I have of course not sampled this.