Can I be a polite vegetarian in Eastern Europe?!
Can I be a polite vegetarian in Eastern Europe?
I am going to be spending a month in Eastern Europe. I am a vegetarian, which my host family understands, but I will also be visiting other families, etc. How can I politely tell people that I can't eat the dish they have spent so much time on? How do I deal with people trying to convince me to eat meat? How can I help people understand what EXACTLY I don't eat? And what do I do if I find out that a dish that I thought was vegetarian has meat? I want to be respectful of the time and energy they have put into hosting and feeding me, but I DON'T want to compromise my beliefs.
Additional Details2 days ago
I have talked to my host family about it and they are fine with it. The Polish woman who helps arrange the trip is vegetarian as well! I repeat, I am NOT TRYING to be rude. I will do my best to NOT be rude. I am fine with other people eating meat, I just choose not to. What I am asking for is tips on being polite about this. I am NOT asking for a debate on whether or not I should be a vegetarian! I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be rude, but I'm sure there are other places where you could share your oppinions on that. Anyway, sorry about that little tangent!
Answers:
2 days ago
I have talked to my host family about it and they are fine with it. The Polish woman who helps arrange the trip is vegetarian as well! I repeat, I am NOT TRYING to be rude. I will do my best to NOT be rude. I am fine with other people eating meat, I just choose not to. What I am asking for is tips on being polite about this. I am NOT asking for a debate on whether or not I should be a vegetarian! I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be rude, but I'm sure there are other places where you could share your oppinions on that. Anyway, sorry about that little tangent!
I’m not from Europe, nor have I ever had the pleasure of visiting, so my opinion comes solely from how I would personally approach the situation.
First of all, if I had already broached the subject with the host family, I would go a step further and ask their opinions on how to handle the situation when eating elsewhere. That’s a biggie.
Beyond that, I would handle it just as I do here pretty much, although I would be a bit meeker in my questions and explanation out of respect to their culture.
At a meal, if there was a question about what was in a certain dish, I would probably avoid any dishes that weren’t obvious. (Now, if it turned out to be a very relaxed type of situation, I might ask the cook before the meal which items didn’t contain meat.)
If I was questioned as to why I was passing on certain things, I would simply explain that I was a vegetarian and don’t eat any meat, seafood, or meat products. (of course here you would add what you do not eat specifically as there are different types of vegetarians and different degrees)
If they seem offended, you can politely tell them it’s simply a personal belief of yours, but that you respect their beliefs on the matter and have no issue with it.
If anyone pushes it further and tries to get you to eat the meat, you can explain to them that since your body is not accustomed to eating meat, it is likely to make you quite ill if you were to eat it. (which is true for many people, including myself) That should hopefully end the matter, without having to get into any heavy discussion where you have to defend your beliefs. If they go beyond that point they are the ones being rude and if it were me, I would stick with a persistent and repeated “no thank you” or “it’s simply how I feel”. (and know inside that you are right to stick to your guns and they are being disrespectful!)
It’s possible they may be more curious than anything, and from there I would say feel free to explain (without specifics as you don’t want to make the meal unenjoyable for the others) a bit about why you choose to be vegetarian if they want to know.
I realize it’s a different culture, but seeing as being a vegetarian is not so unheard of it places like England, they should be alright with it I would think.
I hope some of this is helpful, and that you have an AWESOME trip!!!
Source(s):
It's Just My Opinion! ;-)
tell them ur alergic with the food they give u and they should understand
eat meat. we didn't claw our way to the top of the food chain to munch on carrots!
You deal with those issues in the same way you do in the West, Eastern Europeans live in the 21st century, too! Unless you are going to some really rural, undeveloped place, you'll be fine!
Stay home or just eat it and don't be so rude
Your beliefs, which I respect, are a reflection of what you value within your culture. The values in Eastern Europe are different, which include times of having no food, so the choice between meat and no meat is a silly concept there. If you cannot be a part of the culture, do not go. You will quickly be an unwanted guest and there will, I PROMISE, be issues.
That's the problem with getting moral values separated from their proper function, which is group survival. You start having problems with people whose "beliefs" aren't the same as yours, even though both you and they are "good" people.
I'm a vegetarian... most of the time. My usual meal is bean & rice soup, spiced with red pepper, paprika, oregano and cumin. But I am not _morally_ opposed to eating meat. I just avoid it because it's expensive and has cholesterol in it. Eating bean soup and sprouted wheat is cheaper and healthier; which means its more practical.
Still, I'm not going to make a moral fuss if I go visiting with friends who eat meat often. I'll eat the meat, and it'll probably taste good. Meat usually does have a special savoriness if it's a good cut, properly cooked. When I get back home, I'll go back to being a vegetarian... most of the time.
Well, Eastern Europeans eat a lot of Potatoes and cabbage. Just fill yourself on them!!