Those who get by without eating dead animals – at least for 10 days each year – are counting down to the Vegetarian Festival, which starts next week.
An annual tradition in which vegetarians and vegans can actually readily find street food to eat, the festival is a Chinese-Thai tradition that runs from Sept. 23 to Oct. 3 this year.
Chinatown is epicenter of the festivities, and there’ll be rows of temporary stalls selling a wide variety of dishes from sweet cakes to noodle soups.
During tesagan gin je as it is known in Thai, yellow flags with red lettering fly at shops or food stalls selling “je” food.
For westerners, the je tradition is closer to vegan than vegetarian, with even “emotional” vegetables such as garlic and onion disallowed.
Shops are also loaded with special vegetarian items prepared only once per year by many food manufacturers, from frozen CP meals to a wider variety of faux-meats.
Photo: Kajonsak Intarapong
Reader Interactions