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I am not a vegetarian because I love animals. I am a vegetarian because I hate plants. (A. Whitney Brown) |
Vegetarians are horrible, self-righteous and demeaning people. They think they have all the answers and are better than you. If you meet one – run! Yes, my ex was a vegetarian.
When I first met her I was so enraptured that when she told me she didn’t eat meat, I replied with a little white lie,and told her that I didn’t either. As things got more serious and dating turned to boyfriend/girlfriend, I was forced to live up to my statement. It was pretty difficult giving up hamburgers and steaks at first, but I told myself that I wasn’t really giving it up, just trading it for another kind of flesh to be devoured. And it was a worthwhile trade. After our rocky breakup I started eating animals with a vengeful ferocity; chicken, cow, fish, pig, snail, insect – I didn’t care. As long as it once lived, I wanted it dead and in my mouth. With each smug bite I relished the thought of how angry she would be. Even if I couldn’t win her, I felt somehow that I had won.
It’s been a couple of years now since we parted ways and as the dust has settled I’ve begun to rediscover the positives of vegetarianism outside of the increased chance of hooking up with beautiful hippies.
Of course there is the ‘killing an animal’ element, the sourcing out of which I think is morally questionable at best. If you aren’t ready to walk up to a cow and chop its head off so you can eat it, why should you have no guilt about someone else doing it for you?
What really gets me though is the environmental impact of eating meat, which is actually pretty considerable. They say that for most people, going vegetarian is the biggest positive environmental impact that you can produce through a lifestyle change. It’s not hard to see why when a typical hamburger requires about seventy-five calories of production energy for every calorie you consume, whereas most vegetarian dishes are closer to a ten to one ratio.
Besides reexamining these benefits recently, I also discovered something called weekday vegetarianism. The idea is that from Monday through Friday you only eat vegetables, but then on the weekend you ingest whatever you gosh darn please. Since the most difficult part of becoming a vegetarian is committing to giving up meat forever, weekday vegetarianism is an easier way to commit to limiting your consumption. Unlike flexetarianism (being “mostly” vegetarian), this method gives you a structure that you’re accountable for – which makes for less of a slippery slope. Because it’s more manageable, the idea is that more people will be willing to try it. Since participants have the same effects as if five out of seven of them were completely vegetarian, the number of vegetarians could be theoretically doubled if just three of every twenty meat eaters were willing to give it a try. That’s like all of America and Canada and Mexico going vegetarian! Not bad.
When I moved to Budapest, the land of sausage and meat soups and gyros, I knew I needed to seek out some good vegetarian restaurants. I’ve tried several, but the three below are by far my favorites. Each of them is so good in fact that I would suggest all you meat-eaters get out there and try them as well!
Yeah, so I guess my opinion has changed and I no longer believe that all vegetarians are evil. Just one.
Indian Vega City
Akacfautca 57
This restaurant opened in January, and already it’s one of my favorites in Budapest. I ate there with one of my Indian friends and she said it is not only the best, but the most reasonably priced Indian food she has had in Budapest. I don’t doubt it, I am craving some right now, and I ate there just a couple hours ago – my third time in a week! Do plan on waiting quite a while for your food (probably partially related to them just opening). Don’t plan on leaving without a very full stomach and a smile on your face! I asked the owner if he would offer CEU students a deal, and he said to mention that you are from CEU for a free mango lassi (a delicious yogurt based drink). Get on it!
MacskaBérkocsis ut. 23, (at Joszef Korut)
+36-1-7868370 6:00pm – 1:00am
Strictly vegetarian, with a rotating menu that also offers daily vegan options. They use local and seasonable ingredients, and also offer organic Hungarian wines, juices, homemade syrups, and have a couple delicious microbrews on tap.
Napfenyes ÉtteremRozsa ut. 39, (at Kiraly u.), Budapest,
+36-1-3135555
Napfenyes Étterem is a vegan restaurant offering Hungarian specialties in a more upscale setting. They have a menu in English and feature seitan dishes, pizza, traditional Hungarian, desserts, and more. The portions are large and there is an organic shop attached with faux meat products for sale. Prices are a bit higher than the other mentioned places, but they have a weekday lunch menu for 1300 forints that I highly recommend.
Graham Patterson, USA, Public Policy
Image: randyotter3000
Photos: Caroline Dang
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