What Are the Most Vegan-Friendly Countries?

From peta.org/living

Passport? Check. Leather-free carry-on? Check. Vegan eats mapped out? Not yet? Well, you’ve come to the right place. 

If you want to travel and eat in the kindest way possible, useful tools like the Vegan Passport (an app from The Vegan Society that explains what you might want to eat in languages understood by 96% of the people on Earth) and HappyCow (an app that lists and reviews vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants all over the world) can help you every step of the way. PETA’s website also has resources that will make compassionate travel a breeze.

Better yet, some countries are overflowing with delicious vegan cuisine. Below are our picks for the most vegan-friendly destinations:

India

India is famously home to the largest concentration of vegetarians by far: 40%, or more than half a billion people. At 9% or almost 130 million people, the country is also home to the most vegans. Vedic traditions of nonviolence have informed an evolving tradition of meat-free eating that has resulted in today’s India: a place where being vegetarian is so common that restaurants serving meat put up “non-veg” signs.

Still, Indian vegetarian cuisine can contain paneer (cheese), yoghurt, and ghee (clarified butter), all made from cow’s milk. As long as you steer clear of those, you’ll have a table full of vegan curry in no time.

Germany

HappyCow lists 657 vegan spots in Germany, so you can find great vegan food in almost any German city.

For international eats, you can always find a vegan falafel sandwich in most parts of Germany. And at the other end of the spectrum, you can visit Frankfurt’s Seven Swans, a Michelin-starred vegan restaurant that features produce from the owner’s permaculture farm.  

Spain

Throughout Spain, and especially in cities, you’ll find great vegan dishes, including local staples like paella and tapas.

Barcelona in particular is a vegan haven, and hosts two of my favourite vegan restaurants on the planet: Blu Bar, which serves innovative vegan comfort food on a sunny patio, and Rasoterra, a high-end vegan slow-food restaurant where everything is seasonal, local, and delicious.

Blu Bar

Thailand

With Buddhist traditions plus millions of vegan and vegetarian visitors, Thailand has emerged as a major vegan destination.

Traditional Thai cooking does not use animal milks or cheeses. In dishes like Thai curries, though, you may have to watch out for fish sauce and shrimp paste.

Most restaurants you encounter will have vegan options, plus there are lots of vegan Thai restaurants where you can enjoy the full range of Thai flavours free from cruelty. One of my favourites is Mr Green in Chiang Mai, a hole-in-the-wall that turns out impeccably seasoned dishes like Khao Soi (a northern Thai curry noodle soup) and Green Curry (my personal favourite Thai dish).

© iStock.com/KHellon

Street food is a big deal in Thailand, and you can find vegan options there as well. You can find vegan food stalls like Youta Vegan Foods in Bangkok—look for yellow signs; the colour of Buddhism, it is used here to indicate meat-free food.

There are plenty of veg gatherings around the world, but the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is in a class of its own. Primarily a religious event, the nine-day event includes an unbelievably raucous parade (think everyone throwing firecrackers all the time while people in the parade walk past with large metal objects piercing their cheeks and other body parts) as well as an unbelievably large and delicious meat-free night market.

The United Kingdom

In the midst of a surge in going vegan that saw a million new vegans in a single year, the UK is filled with choices. The term vegan was even coined there in 1944. It includes everything from fine dining at Michelin-starred Plates London (they even have rooms you can stay in) to the vegan option at the local pub.

Whether you’re craving fragrant curries in India, tapas in Spain, or street food in Thailand, the world is full of places where kindness is always on the menu. So pack your (vegan) snacks, open your HappyCow app, and get ready to collect stamps in your passport one delicious, compassionate meal at a time.

Spread the Word!

Want to help the world go vegan? Share your animal-friendly travel tips and your meals. Tell everyone you know that pigs can play video games, chickens recognize over 100 faces, and some fish even sing together. Just like the dogs and cats we dote on, animals used for food can experience pain, joy, curiosity, and suffering. Post pics of your delicious vegan meals on social media to inspire others. With every small action, you help create a kinder place for all of us.

https://www.peta.org/living/food/most-vegan-friendly-countries/