Silly vegan, can't ya taste the fish sauce?

[Guest]

There are loads of vegan restaurants and foodstalls in pretty much any city in the country.

There are actually more vegan (jay) restaurants than vegetarian (mangsawirat) ones. Neither will use fish sauce. (They use soy sauce instead)

Jay food is awesome; I think most of us agree that vegan food in the West is crap. Try some jay food in Thailand.

I AM

The Millennium Man

[Brink15]

The only time I saw ahan jay (jei) in quantity was Phuket during the vegetarian festival. Very good food.

I never saw lots of food stalls, as all the Thais I know (friends, family, co-workers) only eat jay as a form of tambun.

Having been actively in and around the US Thai restaurant scene for about six years, the only time vegetarian dishes are actually vegetarian, is if the chef speaks directly with a customer who explains that they want soy sauce sub'd for nam plaa.

I have heard much laughter in the kitchen when I have explained to various cooks the customer's potential reactions if they knew they were eating fish juice.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Millennium Man:

"There are actually more vegan (jay) restaurants than vegetarian (mangsawirat) ones."

Actually, both are vegan. The difference is that in "jae" food garlic and onions won't be used, as they are perceived to be "passion inducing".

"Jae" food is preferred by many Thai-Chinese who may be worshippers of Chinese goddess Kuan-Im. The food served during the Vegetarian Festival in Bangkok, Phuket or Trang is usually "jae".

"Mangsa-wirat" ("meat-foresaking")is regular vegan, onions and garlic no problem.

Usually there would be no animal products whatsoever, though there is one restaurant that I know of (Khun Churn, Sathorn Soi 10), which uses egg in some dishes.