Can you be a vegetarian in South America?

Answer 1

South America is famous for its meat. Especially Argentinian steaks and Patagonian lamb and not forgetting the fried guinea pig of Peru. As you can see meat is central to South American diet and culture. But what if you're a vegetarian?

"I'm a vegetarian" is not a phrase the South American's are particularly familiar with, but don't let that stop you from having the adventure of a lifetime. Put down your quorn burger, book your flight and grab a phrasebook. Vegetarian ventures into the carnivorous continent of South America isn't as simple as ordering "no meat" please (we will come to why this is so later), but it is definitely feasible. Especially if you read the rest of this post!

First of all do some research. Happy Cow is an excellent resource. It provides a comprehensive list of vegetarian restaurants and stores worldwide. It also has some handy traveller's reviews with the addition of a travel forum for some great advice and tips. Also have a quick look at Circle Our Earth for some vegan-specific travel info.

Any trip requires planning, and staying vegetarian whilst away will indefinitely require some extra logistics and negotiation. Some light research and well-chosen purchases will greatly reduce hassle, hunger pains and those protein craving moments!

My greatest tip is to decided whether you want to take a jar of peanut butter (or something similar like vegemite) with you. Although a slight investment in space and weight, this bulky purchase may save the day. It's almost impossible to locate in South America but come breakfast time, ripe bananas and a dollop of peanut butter will go down a treat. Or how about a personal favourite of mine: Toast, thickly spread peanut butter, with chopped banana on top. The rest of your fellow travellers will be green with envy.

Another tip is to stay places with kitchens, whether it's cooking on your campfire at at campsite, or using the kitchens in the refugio, you'll end up creating great dishes to suit you and save money in the process!

As stated before meat is central to Latin American culture, and most South Americans are baffled by the decision to decline what is viewed as a vital part of a healthy (and normal!) diet. Communicating your dietary restrictions will involve more than a couple key vocabulary words. You're likely to encounter all sorts of interpretations of vegetarianism, as well as strange looks and curious questions ("Sorry, did you just say that you live on vegetables?"). Graciously not compromising your vegetarian values will mean being as explicit as possible. And saying please. With a smile.

You'll quickly learn that 'carne' refers in most countries and regions only to red meat. Simply asking for something "sin carne" (no meat) will more often than not lead to chicken on your plate. Stating "soy vegetariano(a)" will be similarly unsatisfactory, as the varying understandings of vegetarianism can lead to anything a plate of fish to a dish with meat chunks more-or-less picked out. Vegan? The closest Spanish phrase is the incredibly inadequate vegetariano stricto. The best way to communicate that you don't eat meat, is to list all the meat items that you DO NOT eat. Tedious I know, but after a while you will be able to reel of the words for "pescados" (fish), "pollo" (chicken), "carne roja" (red meat), "productos lácteos" (dairy products) and "huevos" (eggs). And, if all else fails. State that you are dairy intolerant. A little white lie, but it will work a treat!

Despite Argentina and Chile both being renowned for their meet, they also have lots of famous vegetarian dishes too:

Argentina: Despite being renowned for its beef, the culinary diversity of Argentina affords vegetarians many options. Look for vegan empanadas de humita (corn) and croquetas de arroz con calabaza (croquets with rice and pumpkin). The country's Italian influence means lots of polenta, pasta, Pizza and farinata.

Chile: You know thos sinfully sugary nut treats sold on street stands in most cities, well they were actually invented by a Chilean, who brought the business to the UK. You'll find stands through big cities like Santiago. Empanadas de queso (cheesy empanadas) can be found in McDonald's. Porotos con rienda (boiled beans and spaghetti) and porotos granados (pumpkin and bean stew) are other good dishes to try.

One of the best things about traveling vegetarian is that you see a whole other side of a destination that other tourist don't. You have to hunt for your food, which adds a certain element of adventure, but will also take you to parts of the region that you otherwise wouldn't have considered visiting. And, more than likely they will be away from the main tourists spots. In South America especially, most of the vegetarian restaurants are run by religious groups, such as the Hare Krishnas, which means you'll get taste of an entirely different sub-culture.

Here are a few examples from Lonely Planet of some vegetarian restaurants to help you on your hunt:

Bio, Artemesia or Arte Sano in Buenos Aires.

El Huerton in Santiago

¡école! Restaurant in Pucón Chile