What is a vegetarian?

[Beef Oven!]

I’ll eat anything. Gutted I won’t be around when insects become a daily dish

[umslopogaas]

This is all potentially unpleasant, but must be faced. If we all want cheap animal protein - and a lot of us do - we have to EITHER accept the consequences of cheap mass production methods OR pay a lot more money for "acceptably" farmed meat.

Since, personally, I have a healthy appetite, but very little sense of taste, I'm afraid I'll keep buying the cheap meat.

[EdgeleyRob]

"I'd be vegetarian if bacon grew on trees"

Homer Simpson

[oddoneout]

In this country being vegetarian seems to involve a lot of dairy produce(much of it imported from intensive farming systems), and a great deal of processed soya or quorn based 'food'(vegetarian bacon rashers anyone....). On environmental grounds(often cited by vegetarians) neither of those strike me as particularly good options, and the dependence on processed food is not the best health option either. . It's not as if either of these is necessary in order to be vegetarian, there is a rich choice of vegetarian cuisine from all over the world using a wide variety of ingredients.

[oddoneout]

This is all potentially unpleasant, but must be faced. If we all want cheap animal protein - and a lot of us do - we have to EITHER accept the consequences of cheap mass production methods OR pay a lot more money for "acceptably" farmed meat..

That leaves quite a lot of 'middle ground' - ie eating a bit less of better produced more expensive meat. I don't subscribe to the 'meat is bad' lobby at all but the fact is that we eat far more than we need, and far more than we did in the recent past. We also don't eat nearly as much of a given carcass, which results in a lot of waste.

[Old Grumpy]

My sister is pretty sour about Mrs. PG's mink coat despite the fact that she smokes and owns a beagle. When I point out that Beagles were exploited to test smoking in the 70's she doesn't see the irony of her position.

Mink are now vermin in the UK so Mrs PG is doing a service - although I dare say the mink used to make the coat were not wild. Round here you can buy (grey) squirrel pie - greys are vermin too.


OG

[Richard Tarleton]

In this country being vegetarian seems to involve a lot of dairy produce(much of it imported from intensive farming systems), and a great deal of processed soya or quorn based 'food'(vegetarian bacon rashers anyone....). On environmental grounds(often cited by vegetarians) neither of those strike me as particularly good options, and the dependence on processed food is not the best health option either. . It's not as if either of these is necessary in order to be vegetarian, there is a rich choice of vegetarian cuisine from all over the world using a wide variety of ingredients.

Whole tracts of Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cookery are vegetarian without a hint of soya or quorn. Soy sauce of course - made from fermented wheat, soya beans, water and salt - otherwise think vegetables, pulses, grains of all types, rice, eggs, dairy..... It's the processed vegetarian food industry which (I absolutely agree with you) is a really bad idea - including one very well-known brand (think Wings) and one promoted by an Olympic gold medallist who I can't imagine actually eats the stuff. Fave cookbooks in this house are Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian and Arto der Haroutunian's Vegetarian Dishes from the Middle East. We don't own a deep freeze *, which helps - I cook everything from scratch. I'm not a vegetarian by the way, we eat fish a couple of times a week, chicken generally once. Like a former vegetarian food writer in the Guardian (whose name escapes me) I like eating game - like a good hunter gatherer I don't mind eating something that has lived a good life in the wild and met a sudden death - but limit my meat eating to organic, rare breed, outdoor reared etc. etc. because apart from anything else it tastes better. Not often - I never cook red meat at home because my wife doesn't eat it, so generally only if we're out, and I can see the provenance. A favourite Suffolk gastropub has a smallholding next door, so you can actually see the menu grazing and rootling. And I have killed, skinned, gutted, jointed and cooked rabbit from scratch.

*PS or a microwave!

PPS that Guardian wrter said that to be a vegan you really did need to know how many beans make five. Too often today, veganism starts to look like an eating disorder.

[Alain Maréchal]

If one is concerned about animal welfare (and I believe one should be), then life is full of tank-traps. Yesterday I read the label of my bottle of Advokaat, and discovered the eggs used were Barn Eggs. I shall seek out a brand which uses Free Range, but I think it may be difficult.

I also read recently that a 5ml spoon of honey contains three weeks worth of nectar gathered by a bee, representing its entire life.

[MrGongGong]

http://wundergroundmusic.com/vegan-horrified-to-discover-fiver-he-uses-to-snort-child-slave-farmed-coke-contains-animal-fats/

[Serial_Apologist]

http://wundergroundmusic.com/vegan-h...s-animal-fats/

[oddoneout]

If one is concerned about animal welfare (and I believe one should be), then life is full of tank-traps. Yesterday I read the label of my bottle of Advokaat, and discovered the eggs used were Barn Eggs. I shall seek out a brand which uses Free Range, but I think it may be difficult.

Warninks do a free range version - where and how to get it is another matter. Might be worth asking Waitrose or M&S whether they have any plans in that direction?

[Serial_Apologist]

Warninks do a free range version - where and how to get it is another matter. Might be worth asking Waitrose or M&S whether they have any plans in that direction?

I always thought Advocaat was just bottled custard for alchoholics. Something I wouldn't... advocate.

[MrGongGong]

"I'd be vegetarian if bacon grew on trees"

Homer Simpson

Vitamin P ?

[cloughie]

Warninks do a free range version - where and how to get it is another matter. Might be worth asking Waitrose or M&S whether they have any plans in that direction?

Worcestershire Sauce is not suitable for vegetarians but Henderson's Relish, much loved in South Yorkshire is. Actually I can't see the problem with the new fivers - they're not edible, just for spending and you never have them long enough to worry about any contamination.

[Alain Maréchal]

Warninks do a free range version - where and how to get it is another matter. Might be worth asking Waitrose or M&S whether they have any plans in that direction?

Warninks produce a disgustingly liquid version only suitable for export. The genuine article requires a spoon both to help it out of the bottle and to consume it. (I have not enquired if Warninks produce such a version - I despise the brand).