Vegan foods are taking over the world. Walk into any supermarket nowadays, and the chances are that you will see several products labeled as vegan, plant-based, or dairy-free. A report by GlobalData found that only 1% of U.S. consumers claimed to be vegan in 2014, but by 2017, that number had risen to 6%. A 600% increase in veganism in the U.S. in only three years. Wow. 

The main factor for the rise in veganism is consumer awareness. More and more people are learning what unnatural dyes and chemicals are put into their “comfort foods,” leading to many eye-opening moments. Furthermore, a long-term study found that vegans/vegetarians are at a lower risk of heart disease. As a result, 114 million Americans intended to “eat more vegan food” in 2019. With increased consumer interest, companies that add vegan items see considerable boosts in revenue across the country. 

Not only is veganism spreading in the U.S., but it has also become a trend in Asia. Dietary guidelines released by the Chinese government in 2016 recommended that the nation cut its meat consumption by 50%. In South Korea, many people also show interest in a plant-based diet: 1.5 million South Korean citizens already practice vegetarianism, and 500,000 adhere to a vegan diet. The Asia-Pacific region has the highest share of vegetarians (19%) and vegans (9%) globally, which begs the question: why is veganism so popular in Asia?

The answer lies in the rich culinary history of Asia. Although the modern-day impact of veganism is apparent, many people are unaware of the history of veganism in Asia. Indeed, tofu, soy milk, and seitan, popular foods among vegans globally, originated in China because killing and eating animals was considered impure by Chinese folk religions. Moreover, classical Chinese texts imply that people abstain from meat before events of great importance, in part because Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty (502 CE – 557 CE) told monks to never consume meat.

The Indian subcontinent also plays a notable role in Asian vegetarianism. Shockingly, India has more vegetarians than the rest of the world put together. In 2007, UN statistics showed that Indians had the lowest rate of meat consumption globally, estimating that 40% of the Indian population was vegetarian. The history of veganism in India is profound: Faxian, Chinese pilgrim to India (399 CE – 414 CE), remarked, “India is a strange country. People do not kill any living creatures; [they] do not keep pigs and fowl and do not sell live cattle.” With veganism holding such an extensive role in Chinese and Indian culinary history, it should come as no surprise that Asia dominates the global vegetarian markets.

Despite the popularity and rich history of veganism, many people still consider a vegan diet a daunting change and struggle to find a place to start. To help any of you who are interested in vegetarianism and veganism, here are a few Asian dishes that are entirely plant-based: