Fake Meat
If you have visited a vegetarian restaurant in China, you may be familiar with the names of the dishes on the menu sounding like they are prepared with meat and fish. Pan-fried ”steak” with pepper is actually dried tofu, and ”baked salmon” may turn out to be mashed yams in the shape of a fish and stuffed with vegetables and herbs! Have you ever wondered why the chef would think his vegetarian customers want to be reminded of the animals they are choosing not to eat? Not only is the name reminiscent of a popular meat or fish meal, it also often resembles it in shape, taste and texture.
The tradition of serving ”fake meat” dishes has a long history in China and is thought to have begun over a thousand years ago when Buddhism flourished in China and people were abstaining from meat for religious, as well as ethical reasons. According to books dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty ( 386-534 CE), this way of serving vegetables was created by the Buddhist monks for alms givers at their temples and to cater for vegetarians who used to eat meat. Soon restaurants serving fake meat opened up near the temples, and the tradition continues today in vegetarian restaurants throughout China. The cuisine of vegetables posing as meat or fish has established itself as an art form, and in some cases the cooking process of such dishes may be so special that only highly trained chefs are allowed to cook them. As a result, eating fake meat may cost you more than a real meat meal.
So next time you are thinking of making a vegetarian dish, be creative with its shape as well!
Leave a reply →