Are you a vegetarian or planning to switch to this diet soon? If yes, then there’s a big vegetarian out there waiting for you to discover and explore.
The following are some of the best countries you need to visit if you love your meals to be plant-based:
Barcelona
If you think that cured pork and shellfish are what Catalan cuisine is all about, well, you might want to think again. The truth is that Barcelona has lots of spots for vegans. Vegan Food Tours offers a three-hour walking tour that will take you through the city’s most famous neighborhoods.
La Rambla is a good starting point, and from there, you can walk to El Barrio Gothic, El Borne, and El Raval, where you can get a taste of plant-based tapas while marveling at the stunning architecture. You will also find patatas bravas and paella with vegan takes, and even veggie dishes that can surpass their meat counterparts.
Tallinn, Estonia
For its size, Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, has an extraordinary list of healthy food spots that whip up vegetarian-friendly choices made using local ingredients. Estonia is a country situated on the North Sea with a cold climate that gives its cuisine a healthy and hearty feel.
The country abounds with carrots, beets, potatoes, and root vegetables, as well as seasonings such as dill and onions. New-age chefs are also starting to give the tradition a unique twist.
The eateries in Tallinn will get you far as far as a vegetarian diet is concerned. For starters, a small historic center is dotted with cafes offering lovely baked treats that are guaranteed to please the palette of vegetarian travelers with a sweet tooth.
Cafes in Tallinn such as NOP and Must Puudel also have vegetarian-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free choices on their menus, including plant-based dinners that will remind you of home.
Shopping at local grocery shops such as Rimi is also easy because you can just shop local, whip up your own, or grab a few different food products from the rest of the EU.
India
Vegetarians have always been fans of Indian cuisine because it focuses more on the vegetables, spices, and sauces in most of the country’s staple dishes. Vegan tours are famous in the area, with most of them running through Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi, where you’ll get to see the less-traveled spots of the cities as you grab some vegetarian street food that you won’t likely discover otherwise.
Rajasthan’s Castle Kanota is a great place to indulge in a vegetarian feast and learn how to cook vegetarian straight from the locals.
Israel
Many people love Israeli cuisine for a reason. This is the perfect combination of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Northern African, and European treats and flavors that are guaranteed to make your mouth water.
While Israel has long been known for being big on meat, for the past several years, many major cities, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, have started catering directly to vegetarians, with a wide range of restaurants catering to this diet.
The salads are no doubt one of the best highlights of dining as a vegetarian. And no, this is not your ordinary salad that features spinach and some toppings. Instead, Israeli cuisine means enjoying a meal in tiny bowls with everything from fresh olives to Israeli salad, cucumber salad, matbucha, and more.
Shakshuka is a vegetarian dish that deserves all the focus. This is made of a tomato base with bell peppers, eggplant, and cheese added on top of eggs for ultimate flavorful goodness.
Most vegetarian dishes in the country are available in traditional-style Israeli lunch or brunch establishments, although you can always have them for dinner if you want.
Italy
Italy abounds with city-specific vegetarian tours. Most three-hour trips will take you through the Monti neighborhood of Rome, where you can sample vegetarian pizzas, pasta, and antipasti. Some tours last for up to 10 days and will take you through Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Venice. You can also join vegetarian food tours through San Gimignano, Rome, Venice, and Bologna.
Mexico
Torta de huevo is a type of bread sandwich from Mexico City’s streets with fried eggs right in the center. You can always inform the vendors not to add meat so that your sandwich will be completely meat-free.
Mexico is my absolute favorite travel destination because it’s a certified foodie paradise. Chilaquiles, for example, are a meal of tortilla chips soaked in salsa with eggs in place of chicken.
Although small villages and rural towns have traditional dishes with pork or meat bases, bigger cities such as Cancun, Tulum, and Mexico City have you covered.
Montreal
While Montreal is best known as a city with smoked meat sandwiches and egg-heavy bagels that don’t make it a vegetarian paradise, there are table tours that involve a bike tour around the city to dig into the sustainable eating practices of the area.
You’ll pass through the green alleyways of Montreal, the sites for growing mushrooms, beekeepers, and urban farms. You can also visit urban food production sites and drop by an organic vegetarian restaurant to indulge in its tasty vegetarian menu.
Paris
Although Paris might be filled with dairy-fueled treats, you’ll discover that French vegetarian food is just as delicious. Vegetarian tours will take you to cooking classes and Eiffel Tower picnics, and you can do almost everything that non-vegetarians do during their visit to the city.
It means you can indulge in chocolate and wine tastings, pastry, and high-party tours. You can even indulge in a private Versailles tour, bike through the less-explored backstreets of the city, or embark on a Seine cruise under the moonlight.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the best places to visit if you want to avoid chicken, pork, and meat. This is also the perfect destination for all fruit lovers. Located to the southeast of India, the island of Sri Lanka has a cuisine that resembles those of India’s southern provinces, capitalizing on coconut parts and coconut milk as the main highlights of the cuisine.
Don’t let your vegetarian diet stop you from seeing the world! Check out the food tours in these countries for the ultimate gastronomic experience!
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