Why do Asian restaurants use fish and beef broth in every one of their meals, or eggs in their noodles?

Question

It's so difficult for a vegan to eat out at an Asian restaurant. And I ALWAYS thought that Asians (especially the Japanese) were known for their HEALTHY, RAW PLANT-BASED FOODS. I guess my perception of them was wrong!

Answer 1

It depends on the country, culture, religion, etc. I can only really speak for Japanese since I'm part and used to live there. I've had good Taiwanese and Korean vegetarian food (I'm vegan). When I was in Korea, my brother would ask around because he's fluent and he didn't even have to say I'm vegetarian, just by asking if it had meat or eggs, they knew. So I think their concept might be more vegan-like. In Japan, vegetarian means no land meat, basically so fish is OK. To cut off fish from the Japanese diet is to cut off their limbs. Those who are more vegan-like are the devout Buddhists and that food is called shojin ryouri. And since I'm Okinawan, I'm going to debunct the fad of Okinawans are healthy because their traditional diet is so. Okinawans eat TONS of pork and I'm sure many think that it's not healthy. (I'm not talking modern diet because traditional Okinawan food is full of pork.) It's more about knowing what you're eating, balancing the diet, exercise, and managing stress. The only Okinawans who eat healthy in the vegan sense you're thinking of are those that are vegan-macrobiotic-organic like my cousin who's pretty much considered a freak in Okinawa and the rest of Japan. I think some diets like Asian ones are healthier overall because they eat everything, they balance, they don't just eat one or two things but 20 vegetables a day from all sources and colors (just a number guess). Though as a vegan I'd rather they omit the fish flakes in everything (soups, sauces, etc. so go to a Japanese restaurant knowing you're cheating that day).

Answer 2

Thats really not true, my bf owns an asian resturant..

and at first they were serving egg drop soup but switched to a tomato and cabbage soup to fit vegans and vegetarians

and all of their sauces are animal free becuase they thought of vegans and vegetarians.. if someone wants chicken stock added to their sauce they are more than happy to.. but everything is extremely flavorful and robust.. i quit enjoy it

Answer 3

Yes, your preception is wrong...

Japanese food is high in salt.  Soy sauce and miso contain huge amount of salt.  Also, the broth and cooking liquid almost always contain bonito.  Vegetables are almost always cooked - raw food, such as Salad is actually a foreign adaptation in Japanese cuisine.

Japanese food rarely contain beef when cooked in traditional way....  pork or chicken maybe.  You must be talking about either Vietnamese food or Americanized Japanese foods.

Now, you are relating animal based products as unhealthy.  I don't agree with it.  While it may be your preference, diet rich in fish products are said to be healthy.

Answer 4

I'm Asian and they do eat healthy, raw plant-based foods. What do you think buddhist monks eat? It's just that restaurants tend to cater to non-vegetarians.

I know quite a few vegetarian dishes that I know is not usually served at restaurants. These are traditional cuisines.

Make some Asian friends and they can perhaps show you those types of foods.

Answer 5

they cook that way b/c its traditional and b/c it is healthy. Just b/c you are making decisions about the way you eat doesnt mean the way someone else eats isnt healthy.

If you dont like it, ask them when ordering to not put those things in your dish.

Answer 6

It's tasty

Not sure where you heard about Asian food.  They eat basically everything that it edible plant or animal.

Answer 7

Their foods are plant-based. They use meat as a flavoring agent rather than a main food source. Plant-based means plant-based, not "only plant." You should be able to find menu items that are vegan, with or without slight alterations.

Answer 8

Some Japanese are known for their leanings towards plant based diets or diets low in meat, like the Okinawans.

As for American versions of Japanese food, not all use fish and beef broth in all of their foods. You have to ask.

From personal experience, I have found that is has to do with what is already established and wanted in your region. For example, when I lived in a certain city in Missouri, there was maybe 2 vegetarian restaurants and hardly any that were vegetarian or vegan-friendly. The Asian restaurants in this area *tended* to also use fish broth and beef broth in their products. Since moving to more vegetarian and health conscious areas/markets, the need is higher and so restaurants in these areas try to appease both the omnivores and vegetarians by offering vegetarian-friendlyvegan-friendly items.

Also, Japanese do consume fish and sushi- so fish oil is probably not uncommon in traditional meals in Japan. And not all Japanese people, like any group, all eat the same way and therefore will not market their restaurant that way- if they have traditional family meals that have worked in their families for generations they may not want to modify it's taste more than it has to.

My advice is to cook for yourself and research more restaurants in your area to ensure they do not all use animal byproducts in their noodles, soups, sauces, etc. Good luck. I know this can be hard some times.

Answer 9

when u say asian you have to be specific. because theres so many kinds. chinese,vietnamese, japanese, thai, hawaian, laos resturants. and u cant say all asian resturants because obviously u havent been to all or know the difference, if your a vegatarian i say get a nice salad with noodles and vinegar its reall good. you can always ask them to not put any meat or use any meat product in whatever dish u order theres always a subsitute. im a cook. u always have to have a alternate to make people happy.

Answer 10

Uh... Asians are known for their healthy foods, with an emphasis on plant-based meals, but I know of no Asian diets that are vegan.  Why did you think Asians are vegans or on raw foods diets?  

If at a Japanese restaurant, you could order veggie sushi -- I loooove avocado nigiri -- or vegetable tempura, or edamame or seaweed salad.  All but cheap Chinese-American places (which are more American than Chinese, with much more emphasis on oil, MSG, and meat than actual Chinese cooking) should have some good variety available.

I'm not sure why you single out Asian restaraunts for this. My mom is a very strict vegan, and she makes a big fuss at ANY restaurant other than ones with huge salad bars, and usually has to order something custom with lots of warnings about what she can't eat.

Answer 11

In fact, chicken broth is used more that beef or chicken broth.  There is nothing wrong with chicken or with any of the other broths.  Just because other cultures don't prepare food to our specifications does not mean that there is something unhealthy about them.

Answer 12

im asian. my uncle actually owned a vegetarian restaurant. he had lots of loyal customers. maybe its the town that you are in that you cant find any asian vegan alternatives. there are tons in the bay area. asians are a healthy race. lots of japanese people live past 100. my grandma lived to 97. Fish and beef broth are not unhealthy. eggs are also not unhealthy. everything in moderation.