Know Your Vegetarian Food In India

Most Indians who practise vegetarianism do so for religious or cultural reasons — though cultural taboos have their roots in ethical concerns. Indians' dietary restrictions come in all shapes and sizes and the two symbols (see right) do not capture the full range. Here is a quick guide:

Veganism is practically unknown in India, because milk and honey are enthusiastically consumed by virtually everyone. But eggs are considered non-vegetarian by many, though you are very likely to find people who are otherwise vegetarian eating eggs. These people are often referred to as eggetarians.

The strictest vegetarians are some Jains and some Vaishnava sects - they not only abjure all kinds of meat and eggs, they also refuse to eat onions, potatoes or anything grown under the soil. While such dietary restrictions were common earlier, they are rarely practised by the young. These restrictions may still apply during fasts, etc.
Even meat-eating Hindus often follow special diets during religious days or during fasts. Counter intuitively, Hindus while fasting do not really give up all food, but eat a restricted diet — some take only fruits. What is acceptable during fasts varies from region to region and is a fascinating topic that is sadly out of the scope of this guide.

A very small group of Indians are, or used to be piscatarians — i.e. they count fish as a vegetable product. Among these are Bengali and Konkani brahmins. Such people are increasingly rare as most have taken to meat-eating. Most Hindus do not eat beef and Most Muslims do not eat pork, but you already knew that.