Buddhist Vegetarian Culture

Understanding Buddhist vegetarianism enriches your appreciation of why Taiwan is so vegetarian-friendly and why the food tastes the way it does.

The Five Pungent Roots（五辛）

Buddhist vegetarianism traditionally excludes:

1. 蔥：Spring onions, scallions, Welsh onions
2. 蒜：Garlic and garlic shoots
3. 韭：Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, garlic chives
4. 薤：Chinese onion, rakkyo, pickled in Taiwan as 蕗蕎, 蕎頭 or 小蒜
5. 興渠：Asafoetida (though in Taiwan, onions often fill this category)

Why Are They Avoided?

Buddhist texts suggest these pungent vegetables stimulate desires and passions when eaten raw, and increase anger when cooked, both of which disturb the mental clarity needed for meditation and spiritual practice. For devout practitioners, avoiding these ingredients is about maintaining mindfulness rather than dietary restriction.

What This Means for You

Traditional Buddhist vegetarian restaurants create deeply flavoured food without any garlic or onions: a remarkable culinary achievement. They use aromatic oils infused with celery, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms, plus generous amounts of ginger, which isn’t forbidden. If you’re accustomed to garlic-heavy cooking, this might initially taste bland, but pay attention to the subtle layering of flavours: it’s a different culinary philosophy.

If you want garlic and onions in your food, seek out restaurants using the 植物五辛素 label or modern vegetarian establishments that aren’t Buddhist-influenced. Conversely, if you have an allium intolerance, Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are your paradise.

Religious Observance Days

Many Taiwanese Buddhists eat vegetarian on specific days:

• 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar: Traditional vegetarian days
• 49 days following a family death: Period of vegetarian eating for mourning families
• Before major religious festivals: Some practitioners increase vegetarian eating

This means vegetarian restaurants get notably busier on these days, and regular restaurants are more accommodating to vegetarian requests because staff are accustomed to serving vegetarian customers.

The Mock Meat Tradition

Buddhist monks couldn’t eat meat, but they still participated in communal meals and festivals where meat would traditionally be served. Mock meats were developed between the 10th and 13th centuries: initially as temple offerings to deities in place of animal sacrifices, and later as a way to help new vegetarians transition whilst still enjoying familiar textures and the social experience of shared meals.

Taiwan is the world’s leading exporter of vegetarian mock meats, supplying Asian restaurants globally. Far from being a modern “processed food” trend, Taiwanese mock meats represent a thousand-year-old culinary tradition of incredible technical skill. The best versions are works of art: not trying to “trick” anyone, but rather celebrating the versatility of plant ingredients.

What Mock Meats Are Made From

• Soy Protein: Dried soy protein (often textured vegetable protein/TVP) rehydrates into meat-like textures. Higher quality products use whole soybeans processed to retain more nutrition.
• Wheat Gluten (Seitan): Extracted from wheat flour, gluten becomes bouncy and fibrous when cooked, perfect for mimicking chicken or duck. Often called “mock duck” in Western countries.
• Mushrooms: Shiitake stems, shredded and fried, create convincing “shredded meat.” Oyster mushrooms and other varieties add umami and texture.
• Konjac: This gelatinous root creates convincing seafood textures, particularly for things like fish balls or sashimi.
• Tofu Skin (Yuba): The film that forms when making tofu, dried into sheets. It absorbs flavours beautifully and creates layered textures.