Chinese Buddhist cuisine
Buddhist cuisine is known as 齋菜 (pinyin: zhāi caì) among Chinese.
One basic tenet of Buddhism is that of reincarnation and the belief that animals can be reincarnated as humans and vice versa. As a result, Buddhists do not kill animals, and many do not eat meat or fish because this is considered to be bad for their karma. Compassion for other beings is another common reason.
Buddhist dietary restrictions are structured very differently than
those of the Abrahamic religions such as Judaism and Islam. In those religions, the dietary restrictions make a clear distinction between permitted foods and unpermitted foods. By contrast, there is no such clear distinction between permitted and unpermitted foods in Buddhism.
The theory behind Buddhist dietary restrictions is that eating certain foods necessitates actions that result in bad karma. For example, it is common for Buddhists to believe that vegetarianism is better for their karma than eating meat, but to eat meat anyway and consider it something of a bad habit. In some areas, such as Japan, vegetarianism is not a large part of Buddhism. Even Buddhist monks in some parts of the world eat meat. The Buddha himself taught that food that is offered to monks and nuns should basically not be refused, so there is a clear difference made between killing and eating meat.
Buddhist cuisine is not vegan. Many adherents allow milk and (unfertilized) eggs in their diet, but some strict believers do not. Such beliefs may be due to objections about the environment in which the animals producing such products are raised. Some Mahayana Buddhists in China and Vietnam also avoid eating onion, garlic, ginger and leek, and refer to these as the 'five strong-smelling vegetables' (五荤; wu hun). These vegetables' strong flavours are supposed to excite the senses and thus represent a burden to Buddhists seeking to control their desires.
Some Chinese eat vegetarian only once a month or on special occasions such as annual visit to the ancestor's graves.
To cater to this type of customers, the menu of a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant usually shows no difference from other Chinese restaurant's with a full menu of "meat" dishes.
Buddhist vegetarian chefs have become extremely creative in imitating meat using gluten, tofu, agar and other plant products. Gluten and tofu are very versatile materials, because they can be manufactured into various consistencies and textures. With the proper seasoning and flavour, they can mimic various kinds of meat quite closely. Many fermented soy products provide a meaty favour.
Buddhist vegetarian restaurants can be profitable businesses because the material cost is much cheaper than meat, but dishes are sometimes priced similarly. Also, particularly in Taiwan and Hong Kong there are many Buddhist vegetarians, ensuring a constant supply of customers.
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