Buddhist cuisine

Buddhist cuisine is known as 齋菜 (pinyin: zhai caì) among Chinese.

One basic tenet of Buddhism is that of reincarnation and there is a belief that animals can been reincarnated as humans and vice versa. As a result, many Buddhists do not eat animals 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.

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.

Buddhist cuisine is not necessarily 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 Buddhist vegetarians, particuarly those from China and Vietnam, also don't eat onion, garlic or leek either, referring to these as the 'five strong-smelling vegetables' (五葷; wu hun).

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.