Thai Vegetarian Festival
I have been traveling the last few weeks. The first two were through
A lot goes on during the festival; it’s not just eating vegetables. Devotees are known to pierce the cheeks with sharp objects and slash themselves with swords. Participants in the week long ceremony wear all white (as did Kathy, my vegetarian girlfriend). For me, trying strange foods as I travel is natural. I can eat anything, and do (the roasted crickets I had in
It’s been a few weeks since I was there, and I really did not have much of an idea what we were eating at the time, so it’s hard for me to describe the items in the pictures below. I remember that there were a lot of fried foods, and almost all of them were spicy. Kathy told me that the uppermost picture was a black jelly that is added to drinks. The brightly colored juices that you see below were available all over
As I was finishing this post, Kathy wanted to add to what I have written since it was such an intense experience for her, so here are her thoughts on the festival:
I know very few vegetarians, which causes me to be filled with a great deal of excitement whenever I meet another one of my kind or a restaurant that is exclusively–or even predominantly–vegetarian.Oh, and I also love food. A lot.
Needless to say, when I read online that there would be a huge vegetarian festival taking place at the very same time that we would be in Thailand, I was absolutely thrilled. We were planning on going to Bangkok, but I decided that a little side trip to Phuket was going to have to happen for the sake of participation in a little Thai culture. And maybe a little vegetarian food. Or maybe a lot of vegetarian food.The second we walked onto the street lined with booths of delicious-looking, mysterious food, a huge grin broke out onto my face. Everyone was dressed in white, and I was surrounded by food that I could eat without fear of meaty contamination. If there is a heaven, I hope it looks like that street did. I have no idea what the majority of what I put into my mouth was, but I know that it was one of the most wonderful (and delicious!) experiences in my life. I love trying new foods, and I was almost overwhelmed by the opportunities! I wanted to try everything we came across. I wish I had an endless amount of tummy space, so that I really could have tried it all.
At the festival, I felt the need to blend in and say “I am one of you! I may not be Thai, but I’m vegetarian too!” I bought an entirely white outfit from one of the booths on the street, to signify my own purity in eating. I know that the reasoning for the vegetarianism amongst Thai Vegetarian Festival participants and myself are vastly different, and that most people there are not “year-round vegetarians.” However, regardless of one’s reasoning, I cannot help but bond with others who practice vegetarianism for any given length of time. Whether it is religious, political, ethical, or any combination of reasons, I innately appreciate and respect that choice. Being surrounded by an entire population of people practicing vegetarianism was truly a memorable experience.
Wow - such colorful photos! What is the black jelly made out of?
@Jaden:
It’s called Chao Kuay and is also referred to grass jelly. I just did a search because I did not really have any idea what it was, and since my Thai is limited to less then twenty words…
Turns out it’s not grass at all. The best link I could find would be to this blog:
http://roushdat.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/la-mousse-noire-%E2%80%93-grass-jelly/
[...] downtime of two plus weeks! I have been traveling through Thailand in what looks like will be an annual pilgrimage. I am sorting through the videos and photos now. The first bits of the trip should by up [...]
Its called Chao Kuay I know this because i’m Thai.
Its sold every where in Thailand as a drink.Oh and I’m happy that you love Thailand and hai food