Salty Vegetarian Congee
Vegetarianism and Congee
Throughout vast swaths of history, vegetarianism has been the choice of the overwhelming majority of Chinese people. China's vegetarian food culture has never been monotonous, dull, harsh, or static. Westerners have long been amazed by Chinese people's ability to utilize plant-based foods in different ways, including the various permutations of vegetarian congee. There are perhaps more types of Cantonese vegetarian congee than meat congee dishes. Thus, we have organized vegetarian congee into three categories: sweet vegetarian congee, salty vegetarian congee, and congee with Chinese medicine and herbs.
Chinese Vegetarian Culture
When one hears the word 'vegetarianism', one typically thinks of various western-style dishes. However, western vegetarianism is a world apart from the vegetarianism of ancient China. Throughout western history, livestock farming has been the primary means of food production. This has made meat and dairy the staple foods of the western diet. China, however, is the oldest agrarian civilization in the world, and thus the Chinese diet gravitates toward plant-based foods. In this way, vegetarianism is deeply rooted in the hearts of Chinese people.
Vegetarianism in China has never had the type of hard-line stance that it can have in the west, nor is there such strict classifications of vegetarianism: lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, pescetarianism, fruitarianism, raw veganism, etc. Chinese vegetarianism is more practical, incorporating Taoist health principles, Confucius self-cultivation ideals, and the Buddhist concept of compassion. It also includes an understanding of common taste with imitation meat dishes that reflect the greater spirit of inclusivity in Chinese culture.
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