Question Might Become Vegan

[Andy_T]

In that case, Jamie, I would suggest to read a few good books and watch documentaries....

OK, going through the first posts of this thread I remember that you have done some extensive reading already.

Also, like Indian Summer, I really want to say that I am happy to see how you are progressing
I understand it is not as easy for you as for somebody living in a more vegan-friendly place, but it seems you are finding your way!

 

[robert99]

Christian Koeder: The vegan "gringo" survival guide to Chile
have you seen this?

 

[Andy_T]

Robert99, that's an awesome guide!

Was totally surprised to find out that there is also condensed soy milk! Had never seen that before (not that I would be missing condensed milk much, but it is used much in Asia and I always need to watch out in some shops that they do not try to add it, e.g. on shaved ice dessert).

Jamie, I guess you have also checked out this already...
Vegetarian Restaurants Chile - Healthy Food Stores by HappyCow
Indeed, from the list it looks as if vegetarianism and veganism still have some way to go in Chile
More food for thought ... Vegan.cl - Portal de recursos veganos and Vegan in Chile: Mission Impossible?

Best regards,
Andy

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Robert99, yes I have seen that guide, I think I copy and pasted the whole thing to my hard drive even. It helped my find the vegan butter and cheese, and I also saw quite a few products which we already get on there.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Thanks Andy, I've seen some of those, but not all. It's certainly a lot easier if I make the effort and take the time to get into Santiago, but it's really a 3-hour return trip that I don't need to make very often for other reasons.

 

[Andy_T]

It's certainly a lot easier if I make the effort and take the time to get into Santiago, but it's really a 3-hour return trip

Hello Jamie,

I understand that. However, I am quite confident that you can manage to find some local restaurants who are able to whip up something that is vegan for you if you tell them about your requirements

I found that ethnic restaurants (Italian, Chinese, African etc.) offered the best chances for me to get something vegetarian when I stopped eating meat in my home country Austria some 25 years ago.
Even today, in the German and Austrian countryside, there are many areas where "normal" restaurants would not have anything on their menu that is vegan to start with... But I found that many chefs enjoy the challenge and will be able to prepare something if you tell them clearly what is not acceptable to you...

I must say that I have also had less than fortunate experiences ... e.g. in the Indian restaurant where I clearly stated I can not eat meat, fish, eggs, milk, and the waiter beamed at me happily when he brought me the curry prepared with ... cream ... "But sir, it is CREAM, not MILK"
Luckily I was eating with some colleagues that day who then ate that dish.

I also found out, that if you have a business lunch upcoming and know where it will take place, it greatly increased my chances to call or email them in advance and ask them if they would have any vegan options...

 

[robert99]

Chile Forum - Chile Forum - have you been on this forum?

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Yes, I contribute to that forum. It is the best known, perhaps the only established Chile (ex-pat) forum.

I didn't find much info on there, especially not recent info, about veg/vegan. However I thought I might start a related thread myself.

I think the 3-hour trip into Santiago might be more of a problem re finding a vegan group or vegan specific store, rather than restaurants.

 

[robert99]

It sounds like you'll have to bunker up with vegan mat and fit it in with the wife's cooking. I've been there. Try not to stick to veggie copies of other foods (cheese, meat etc) - looking for "accidental vegan" foods is rewarding
Would suggest getting on the 'phone before going on your 3 hour trip.

 

[Second Summer]

I am not really the kind of person that needs a lot of emotional support and circle of supportive people around them; I am mostly more of a logical, rational, analytical sort.

Same here - which is how I coped on the veggie path back in the day. However, I found that in the longer term it was a drag being the only vegetarian in my circle of friends, in fact the only vegetarian in my whole town, and living in what was at the time a culturally backwards country (Norway). These days things have improved a bit on the vegan front even there, and there is also the Internet with places like this, FB groups, recipe sites, online stores etc. which have made life a lot easier.

Anyway, I wanted to say that meeting like-minded people is not all about emotional support. It's also about exchanging useful information about places to eat, products and shops. Also, veganism is a movement, and if we want it to grow we need to organise and help each other. Over the years I've met some wonderful people who really get that aspect of it.

 

[robert99]

Good points - might be worth checking out the animal rights groups too as they're normally veggie types.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Good points all. We were in the mall food court today, and they had Pizza Hut, so I asked if they would do a pizza without cheese and they said yes but then I looked up and they had 5 options all with meat on so I went to another pizza place in the mall and they had a vegetarian pizza and I asked for that without cheese, and they offered to substitute asparagus for cheese. The end result was a pizza that looked slightly odd and I was slightly embarrassed about, however it actually tasted very earthy, healthy, like I was eating something quite pure and organic.

I don't really miss meat so far and I don't mind if I don't get substitutes but I do miss the butter and cheese so glad I found vegan substitutes there.

 

[robert99]

Asparagus? Why not! Pizza is basically leftovers thrown on a bread dough so go for it! Top service marks for the pizzeria too.

 

[Andy_T]

Actually, pizza with tomato sauce only and no cheese is known as "pizza rossa" (red pizza) in Italy....

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Hello again,

I was going through my house looking at the brands of toiletries that I have. I am interested in identifying which products I use that are tested on animals, and stopping using those. Two that I use that I am not sure about are Colgate and Gillette. I can't seem to google a definitive answer about whether they animal test or not. It seems they generally don't (or not a large amount) but might occasionally or in accordance with a law. However, I can't seem to a definitive answer. I found 2-3 sources saying that they do, and 2-3 saying they don't. Has anyone ever looked into this?

Would you guys and girls use these brands? Or what brands do you use for toothpaste and shaving foam.

 

[robert99]

Colgate-Palmolive are selling in China so ...
China – what’s the story?
At the moment CCF is very concerned about cosmetic companies selling, or contemplating selling, their products in China and Brazil. It is true that both offer very lucrative markets. Unfortunately, the respective governments currently require that a sample of product ingredients be tested on animals before they are registered for retail sale to consumers (although there are exceptions).
Brazil is going in the right direction - Brazil to End Most Animal Testing for Cosmetics
Gillette is Procter & Gamble (P&G) so that is a no-no too ...
The Peta database is a good place to check for big international companies Search for Cruelty-Free Cosmetics: Makeup, Personal-Care Products, & More | Beauty | Living | PETA
You can also search by country, which might also help.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Thanks for that, especially for mentioning the company-specific list which I hadn't seen yet.