I don’t know why so many people think fish is vegetarian, but as someone who doesn’t eat any seafood it is one of my biggest pet peeves. It sneaks its way into fucking everything. Caesar salads, kimchi, most Thai food, bahn mis, you name it
I generally avoid Asian restaurants that don’t specifically advertise as vegan or Buddhist because I’ve received authentic food that was definitely riddled with fish sauce or some form of shrimp even though the staff reassured me it was ‘veggie safe’.
I don’t blame them, a lot of the food is preprepared and I’m the 1 in 100 weirdo that is asking for their most popular dish with all the delicious stuff removed.
I once got an order of pad Thai (no fish sauce, no meat, no egg) that was just oily noodles and cilantro. They even left off the peanuts, probably to be on the safe side allergy wise. I have that soap gene so the cilantro was nearly overpowering.
If I hadn’t been on a date I would have just paid the bill and given the leftovers to the crazy woman that sings to pigeons down the street.
I’m not even vegetarian, seafood is one of the only things I don’t eat, but I’ve learned I can’t even trust “vegetarian” options at Asian places. I’m super cautious around Italian food as well. Unfortunately they’re among my partner’s favorite cuisines so we end up at them often
I’m not a fan of seaweed either, which is often the vegetarian option. It tastes like low tide to me.
I don’t know why so many people think fish is vegetarian
It isn’t. But it’s relatively common to be vegetarian + fish. And historically fish didn’t really count as meat which is why Christians were allowed to eat it during pre-Easter “fasting”.
I’m sorry you’re being served fish and other water animals as “vegetarian”, that’s fucked up.
Caesar salads and kimchi has always been made with a little seafood though. The anchovies is what makes it a Caesar dressing, and lots of kimchi recipes have those tiny shrimps or at the very least some type of shrimp paste in them, and are heavily seasoned with fish sauce.
Fish sauce is a huge staple of Asian cuisines in general, so this stuff you’re complaining about ‘sneaking in’ has always been there. You sound like a crazy person to me, complaining about these foods having seafood in them.
I typically avoid those foods because I know they have fish sauce, but it’s not always obvious and restaurants tend to forget/mislabel/misrepresent them. It’s also worth noting that they can be made without fish, and fish-less versions are common (ie: kimchi).
To give a different example, I ordered stuffed mushrooms at a diner once after asking the waitress what was in it. She said it was mainly bread crumbs and cheese. Surprise surprise, it was crab.
I personally am a practicing carnivore, I accept and understand those who aren’t, and yet I have no fucking clue why some think fish is “better” meat. I think it must be some christian holdover, scraping for moral superiority.
i am not nutrition specialist, but i think fish is generally considered healthier than pork or beef.
on the moral part, i think it may have to do something with fish not talking. everyone can imagine pig or cow crying in desperation when being murdered, while fish is just silent, it is easier to convince yourself “it doesn’t feel anything in its little brain anyway”.
any meat? at all? what about fish?
I don’t know why so many people think fish is vegetarian, but as someone who doesn’t eat any seafood it is one of my biggest pet peeves. It sneaks its way into fucking everything. Caesar salads, kimchi, most Thai food, bahn mis, you name it
I generally avoid Asian restaurants that don’t specifically advertise as vegan or Buddhist because I’ve received authentic food that was definitely riddled with fish sauce or some form of shrimp even though the staff reassured me it was ‘veggie safe’.
I don’t blame them, a lot of the food is preprepared and I’m the 1 in 100 weirdo that is asking for their most popular dish with all the delicious stuff removed.
I once got an order of pad Thai (no fish sauce, no meat, no egg) that was just oily noodles and cilantro. They even left off the peanuts, probably to be on the safe side allergy wise. I have that soap gene so the cilantro was nearly overpowering.
If I hadn’t been on a date I would have just paid the bill and given the leftovers to the crazy woman that sings to pigeons down the street.
I’m not even vegetarian, seafood is one of the only things I don’t eat, but I’ve learned I can’t even trust “vegetarian” options at Asian places. I’m super cautious around Italian food as well. Unfortunately they’re among my partner’s favorite cuisines so we end up at them often
I’m not a fan of seaweed either, which is often the vegetarian option. It tastes like low tide to me.
It isn’t. But it’s relatively common to be vegetarian + fish. And historically fish didn’t really count as meat which is why Christians were allowed to eat it during pre-Easter “fasting”.
I’m sorry you’re being served fish and other water animals as “vegetarian”, that’s fucked up.
“pescatarian”. Not vegetarian.
no it is not, vegetarian+fish is oxymoron. vegetarian means you don’t eat meat. not eating pork and beef does not make you vegetarian.
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Caesar salads and kimchi has always been made with a little seafood though. The anchovies is what makes it a Caesar dressing, and lots of kimchi recipes have those tiny shrimps or at the very least some type of shrimp paste in them, and are heavily seasoned with fish sauce.
Fish sauce is a huge staple of Asian cuisines in general, so this stuff you’re complaining about ‘sneaking in’ has always been there. You sound like a crazy person to me, complaining about these foods having seafood in them.
I typically avoid those foods because I know they have fish sauce, but it’s not always obvious and restaurants tend to forget/mislabel/misrepresent them. It’s also worth noting that they can be made without fish, and fish-less versions are common (ie: kimchi).
To give a different example, I ordered stuffed mushrooms at a diner once after asking the waitress what was in it. She said it was mainly bread crumbs and cheese. Surprise surprise, it was crab.
Ah yeah, I get your point now. That is annoying. Restaurants should know exactly what they’re serving people and be up front about it.
Yeah i get that a lot. Just trying to not eat animals, that’s all.
Beans and rice? (“Sure! Lots of pork fat in there!”)
Uh, vegetable soup? (“Absolutely! With ‘healthy’ beef stock!”)
Glass of water? (“Coming up! Infused with delicious bacon!”)
I personally am a practicing carnivore, I accept and understand those who aren’t, and yet I have no fucking clue why some think fish is “better” meat. I think it must be some christian holdover, scraping for moral superiority.
Nothing but meat at all? You must have to eat a bunch of organs eh. Gotta keep them vitamins up.
i am not nutrition specialist, but i think fish is generally considered healthier than pork or beef.
on the moral part, i think it may have to do something with fish not talking. everyone can imagine pig or cow crying in desperation when being murdered, while fish is just silent, it is easier to convince yourself “it doesn’t feel anything in its little brain anyway”.
Can’t say I’ve ever had that problem, but I didn’t t eat those foods you listed even before going vegetarian
Do you know about fish sauce? It’s the only thing that makes most SE Asian food difficult to verify as vegetarian.
Well, I don’t eat any SE Asian food 🤷
Fair enough. You’re missing out. Good stuff. 😄
*sigh* yes, i get that too. Still. After 30 years.