The end of this series is not the end of this exploration. Looking into the historical influences of religion on cuisine has made me more curious about what modern influences shape the choices we make today in an increasingly global society. It also feels, to me, that in an increasingly chaotic world, the small decisions we make for ourselves are even more important.
I discovered an unexpected vegetarian paradise in China when I traveled there in the summer of 2008. With vegetable-heavy cuisine influenced by ingredient availability and long tradition of religious practices that encourage a plant-based diet, I rarely had to worry about what I could eat. While there I learned about China’s long and skillful tradition of mock meat dishes, of which I took full advantage.
Indian food has been a staple for me as a vegetarian, but dairy plays a big role in Indian cuisine, so I was unsure about turning to this part of the world for this series on veganism. It turns out that many Indian recipes are actually vegan or vegan friendly, in part because of the wide availability of plant-based ingredients across the country.
The world’s oldest monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism, influenced the others we’ve already covered in this series: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. However, with more of a focus on ethical behavior than prescribed actions, the guidelines of this ancient religion leave a lot of room for interpretation. “Everything in moderation” and religious tolerance went hand in hand with centuries of peace and prosperity in the Persian Empire.
One region in the Mediterranean, called the Levant, is made up of a set of small countries that demand a lot of attention on the world stage. Located at the intersection point of Africa and Asia, this region has been host to many wars over several millennia. Despite religious and political conflicts between them, these countries share a lot of the same foods.
While I have some friends and colleagues who are Muslim, I knew little of the religion’s general food restrictions beyond pork and alcohol. With Islam currently practiced by 2 billion people across the globe, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to examine the overlap between halal (“legal”) and vegan foods. Interestingly, many highly Muslim countries already had vegan or vegan-friendly cuisines to start.
My knowledge of the Eastern Orthodox church is limited, aside from their fantastic food festivals and some basic history about their split with Catholicism in 1054. Given their continued practice of strict fasts throughout the year, countries with ties to this church have developed some delicious (and even indulgent) vegan-friendly dishes. I happily produced a delicious Georgian recipe in my own kitchen.
Coming into 2026 I wanted to make a concerted effort to eat less dairy. Coming into Lent, I was curious to learn more about how religion has influenced one of my favorite vegan-friendly cuisines: Italian. Not all heavily Catholic countries lend themselves to plant-based diets, so I’m kicking off a Lenten exploration of culinary adaptations to religious limitations (and religious adaptations to culinary limitations).
Is it possible to reduce our resource consumption without abandoning a certain quality of life? The 2000 Watt Society thinks so. I first encountered this group in a near-term climate fiction novel following the lives of people trying to avoid the worst of climate change impacts. A recent trip to Switzerland showed me it can be done better than we’re doing it back home.
Physical exercise, play with others, and mental down time are all critical to build resilience to stress, but the majority of us abandon efforts to adopt healthy New Year’s behaviors before the end of January. With record levels of stress in my life and on the world stage, I for one am in desperate need of resilience, however I can manage to create it.