Redefining Vegetarianism

Being a vegetarian in today's society is not always easy.

This is especially true in the United States. I come from a meat oriented society. We eat meat all day every day. It is in our fast food, on the shelves of countless grocery stores, and found in nearly every meal. As such, being a vegetarian means making the committed (and conscious) decision to deviate from the social norm.

As such, being a vegetarian in today's society is not always easy.

I have had my fair share of difficulties in the states in the past. Ranging from restaurants to dinner invitations, I have learned to cope with it it and make the best out of any given situation. However, I didn't anticipate having difficulties once I got to Mexico. I mean, I have been eating beans and rice for over five years now! I am in the land where corn and beans were originally domesticated. They are a common staple in every household! Who would expect being a vegetarian would be such an issue?

Truth be told, I am very fortunate. My mom is an excellent cook and makes me a wonderful variety of vegetarian delicacies every single day. Not only do I get to try a fair amount of new foods, but I am also constantly learning how to prepare them myself. I have even trained my mom to constantly keep beans, rice, tortillas, and queso de Oaxaca in the fridge. It is a vegetarian-dream-come-true.

I should have realized though, that things are not always this easy, especially considering the difficulties a friend experienced last time I visited Mexico. David was vegan and had the worst possible time trying to find food he could eat. Every time we went out together, we would spend hours walking up and down the streets asking every single restaurant if they served rice and beans. Fortunately, he operated under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it came to potential meat-based flavorings. Otherwise he would have probably starved to death...

Although I haven't had to struggle to find food (per se), I have had my fair share of difficulties here in Mexico. For one thing, my mom doesn't completely understand the concept of being vegetarian. Although I am not the first vegetarian she had had in the house, she has already cracked my resolve regarding lard, meat-based bouillons, fish, an seafood. I don't mind the seafood so much and the rest I just pretend isn't there.

Yet sometimes it seems as though she doesn't get it all. For example, during the welcoming party hosted by the EEE, she went out of her way to make me tortas de frijoles (bean sandwiches), to ensure that I would have something to eat at the party. Yet she made the decision to flavor it with chicken chorrizo (sausage). To say the least, I had to explain that chicken is NOT vegetarian.

It is not only her though. I have encountered quite a few people with similar mentalities regarding vegetarianism. Some, like Carmen, don't quite understand that vegetarian means no meat. They are always trying to come up with some sneaky to make meat "vegetarian friendly". Regardless of the presentation, meat is meat.

Then there are others who think that being vegetarian means you are a god-forsaken space alien from outer-space. As such, most respectable establishments don't offer "that type of food", when in reality, they usually do. I encounter this mentality nearly every time I step into a restaurant, as I always ask before being seated if they serve vegetarian options.

For example, walking into a local market yesterday, I asked the patrona of the first street-style restaurant whether she served vegetarian food. Clearly scandalized, she vehemently shook her head and said "claro que no!" With a sigh, I asked if any of the restaurants in the market served vegetarian options. Distressed, the women continued to shake her head, as she turned her back on me. Then, to my surprise, she opened a giant pot and began to stir the yummy looking rice inside. Next to the pot of rice was a pot of black beans. Next to the pot of black beans was a stack of tortillas. Really now?

Then again today, I experienced something similar at the Museo Antropologia. I had a bad reaction from my low blood sugar and had to eat something from the museum cafeteria. With a splitting headache and sharp pains in my belly, I asked the patrona if the restaurant offered any vegetarian options at all. Shaking her head, she iterated the now common-place response: "no". Needing to eat something, I all but begged for food, anything. "Tortillas? Queso?" The woman's face brightened, "Ah si! tenemos!" Placing an order of cheesy tortillas, the women shocked me by asking if I wanted beans with that. Then, to my amazement, she pointed to the menu and recommended I order antefrijoles. To those of who you don't know what antefrijoles are: four tortillas folded up and filled with beans, cheese, and crema; covered in beans, cheese, and crema. I still can't wrap my head around that one.

Then again, it isn't all bad. Although the majority of the gente don't seem to understand the definition of vegetarianism, I still manage to find food to eat. I have only really been plagued by one bad experience. During Carnaval, I could not find food to eat. For the first day and a half, I struggled to find cheese and tortillas. It wasn't until the third day that I found a restaurant that served beans and rice. I'll tell ya, after not eating adequately for three days, you learn to appreciate the simplicity of a plate of beans and rice. There is nothing more delicious in the world when you are starving.

When all is said and done, it has been an eye opening (and stomach filling) experience.