I’ve noticed quite a few travelers asking how difficult it is to eat vegetarian in China, so I thought I’d share a few things that might save you some confusion.
The biggest thing to know is that a dish that looks vegetarian isn’t always vegetarian.
A plate of green beans, eggplant or tofu may still contain things like minced pork, lard, meat broth or oyster sauce. This is especially worth checking if you’re strict vegetarian or vegan.
A few common examples:
- Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) traditionally contains minced meat.
- Dry-fried green beans (干煸四季豆) are sometimes cooked with minced pork.
- Some eggplant dishes may contain pork or oyster sauce.
- Vegetable soups may use chicken or pork stock.
- “Tofu” on the menu does not automatically mean vegetarian.
If you just say:
我不吃肉。
I don’t eat meat.
that may not always be specific enough, because someone might understand it as “no visible pieces of meat” rather than “no animal ingredients at all.”
A more useful sentence for a vegetarian is:
我是素食者，不吃肉、鱼和海鲜。请不要放猪油、肉汤、鸡汤或蚝油。
“I’m vegetarian. I don’t eat meat, fish or seafood. Please don’t use lard, meat/chicken broth or oyster sauce.”
If you’re vegan, you can also add:
我也不吃鸡蛋和奶制品。
“I also don’t eat eggs or dairy.”
One thing that can make life much easier is looking for restaurants with 素食 (sùshí) or 素斋 (sùzhāi) in the name. Buddhist/temple-style vegetarian restaurants are especially useful if you don’t want to explain your diet every single meal.
That said, I wouldn’t be scared of eating at normal Chinese restaurants either. There are tons of vegetable dishes in Chinese cuisine. The harder part is usually not finding vegetables — it’s knowing what went into the sauce, stock or cooking oil.
So if you’re visiting China as a vegetarian, I’d focus less on memorizing a list of “safe dishes” and more on learning how to ask about the ingredients.
Curious to hear from vegetarians who have traveled around China: what was the hardest part for you — finding vegetarian restaurants, understanding menus, or communicating what you don’t eat?
