Global Vegetarian

Vegetarianism in America may be something for the left-wing or the hoity-toity, but in many parts of the world, "vegetarianism" just means not being able to afford to eat much meat.  This week's Global Food for Thought Meal took on this issue with a vegetarian meal showcasing a variety of meat substitutes borrowed from other cultural traditions. But we turned those "meat substitutes" into a top-notch, three-course meal, featuring a wealth of tofu, tempeh, and jackfruit:

The BBQ Jackfruit Sliders and the Keto Prak Salad:

The Oseng Oseng Tempeh and the Jackfruit, Tempeh, and Vegetable Curry:

And, finally, the vegan "cheese"cake:

The mash-up menu was a hit, as was the discussion with our guest chefs afterward. The conversation got me thinking deeply about lots of questions that I hope to tackle in tomorrow's post, such as:

• How did the rise of vegetarianism in the U.S. shape the place of "meat substitutes" in other parts of the world?
• What are the central reasons that the people in my social world avoid meat, and how do those reasons stand up to arguments from the "ethical meat" side?
• What place do "fake meats" and other such meat alternatives have in the average vegetarian diet, and how do those play into or undermine arguments for vegetarianism?
• If we are concerned about environmentalism or conscious consumerism, then what are the best choices to make when it comes to getting our protein?
• And more!