Plant power: discover the vegan cultures that predate veganism
Veganism is often portrayed as a modern movement. A militant group borne out of online chat rooms, who won’t rest until every cappuccino is frothed with oat milk, and every burger is made of soy protein.
But this is far from the truth.
Plant based diets are the norm for millions of people around the world, not just out of a respect for the health of both humans and animals but also because the food is easy to produce, preserve - and most importantly - it’s delicious!
As Plant Power day blooms again this week, we wanted to take a deeper look at the cultures where Veganism has been a natural part of everyday life for hundreds of years...
In the Veginning
Arguments rage over whether or not humans have evolved to eat meat or not, and for every piece of conclusive proof from one side, you are likely to see a comment section exploding beneath it.
That being said, archaeologist and anthropologist Richard Leakey states that our earliest ancestors would have undoubtedly had a plant based diet of seeds, nuts, fruit and wild cereals simply because we didn’t have tools yet.
“You can’t tear flesh by hand, you can’t tear hide by hand, and we wouldn’t have been able to deal with the food sources that required those large canines.”
Our introduction to meat came mainly through the use of tools, as until then the only animals in our diet were usually scavenged from other predators.
As humans settled into an agricultural lifestyle and we started domesticating animals, meat and animal products became the food of the rich and powerful because it was more costly to produce them.
While some groups envied the meating eating upper classes, another unlikely force would spur a return to our neolithic plant based days: religion.
Nearly all of the oldest plant based cuisines have some root in religion - and there might be more out there than you think!
India
The world’s largest concentration of Vegans and vegetarians is found in India where an estimated 400 million people live either plant based or meat free.
India has the lowest rate of meat eating out of any country in the world, and while there are a number of factors involved, you can boil this plant based preference down to two major factors, the first being religion.
Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are all major religions in the country and all three share the concept of Ahimsa, which teaches non-violence towards all living things.
Hinduism is the most common religion in the country, and the impact of the religious teachings can’t be underestimated on the lives of devout hindus. One such school of teachings is Ayurveda.
Spirituality and nourishment are completely connected in the Ayurvedic teachings and this means all processed foods, meat and dairy are off limits.
Religion is only one factor of course, with another large reason for many Indians sticking to a plant based diet coming out of the immense variety of dishes and flavours there are available.
From Thali to Daal, and roti to chutneys, India is a country that has perfected the plant based diet because they know how to get the most out of natural ingredients - not simply replicate animal based products with synthetic alternatives.
Ethiopia and Eritrea
East Africa is another region with a close relationship between veganism and religion - only this time the faith in question is Orthodox Christianity.
Many Ethiopians and Eritreans will forgo animal products for 200 days of the year as part of their fast.
This strict adherence to their Christian doctrine means that they have a lot of time to get creative with plant based dishes throughout the year. Injera is arguably the most famous dish of the region and it consists of a sour fermented pancake usually made from the indigenous Teff flour.
This tangy pancake serves as meal, eating utensil and plate all rolled into one, and is often eaten alongside a host of delicious stewed pulses and vegetables.
