Vegetarian food popular on first full-moon day
The vegetarian food market is becoming more busy on the first full moon of the lunar year.
This year the first full-moon day falls on February 11 and so the vegetarian foods market has also been very busy over the last few days.
“Vegetarian dishes are becoming more popular,” Nguyen Phuong Nga, a customer in Hanoi's Phuong Liet Street, said, adding that her family usually have the non-meat dishes twice a month, one on the first and the full-moon or 15th day on the lunar calendar.
"I know that many people have turned to vegetarian foods for religious or health reasons," Nga said. "And it is becoming easier to find these kinds of food at local stores."
BigC and Vinmart all have vegetarian stalls which sell common fresh, frozen or dried food like vegetables, fruit and mushrooms, or fake pork-pie, instant meat porridge, chicken porridge and processed meat.
There are also many shops selling vegetarian foods in Hanoi where customers can find fake beef, chicken, pork, eggs, fish and shrimps both locally made or imported.
At a shop in Tay Son Street, fake chicken is priced at VND 70,000 a kilo, while prices of fake fish and shrimp range from VND 100,000 - 300,000/kg.
A trader at Sang Market in Nam Tu Liem District, Pham Thi Ly, said that her sales had increased by three or four times compared to normal days.
"Spring rolls, fake pork-pie, mushrooms and tofu are the most popular vegetarian foods sold at this time," Ly said.
There are many vegetarian restaurants catering for demand.
The Co Noi Restaurant at the Bong Sen Saigon Hotel on Hai Ba Trung Street in HCM City's District 1 has introduced its vegetarian buffet with 50 different dishes.
Also in District 1, the newly-opened Khanhcasa Vegetarian & Tea Garden is offering a wide range of 100 vegetarian dishes on its menu.
Marketing manager of Bo De Tam vegetarian restaurant chains in Hanoi, Dang Huan, said the number of customers visiting his restaurants has increased rapidly.
"Modern life is trending towards vegetarian food. I’m sure that more families will consider vegetarian food because of people’s health and environmental protection,” Huan recently told Vietnam News Newspaper.
A tray of vegetarian foods for the first full moon day
With a majority of population claiming to be Buddhists, vegetarian foods are largely consumed on the 1st and 15th day (full moon day) of the lunar month, especially on the first full moon day of the year when local people have had enough with Tet parties full of meat.This year the first full-moon day falls on February 11 and so the vegetarian foods market has also been very busy over the last few days.
“Vegetarian dishes are becoming more popular,” Nguyen Phuong Nga, a customer in Hanoi's Phuong Liet Street, said, adding that her family usually have the non-meat dishes twice a month, one on the first and the full-moon or 15th day on the lunar calendar.
"I know that many people have turned to vegetarian foods for religious or health reasons," Nga said. "And it is becoming easier to find these kinds of food at local stores."
BigC and Vinmart all have vegetarian stalls which sell common fresh, frozen or dried food like vegetables, fruit and mushrooms, or fake pork-pie, instant meat porridge, chicken porridge and processed meat.
There are also many shops selling vegetarian foods in Hanoi where customers can find fake beef, chicken, pork, eggs, fish and shrimps both locally made or imported.
At a shop in Tay Son Street, fake chicken is priced at VND 70,000 a kilo, while prices of fake fish and shrimp range from VND 100,000 - 300,000/kg.
A trader at Sang Market in Nam Tu Liem District, Pham Thi Ly, said that her sales had increased by three or four times compared to normal days.
"Spring rolls, fake pork-pie, mushrooms and tofu are the most popular vegetarian foods sold at this time," Ly said.
There are many vegetarian restaurants catering for demand.
The Co Noi Restaurant at the Bong Sen Saigon Hotel on Hai Ba Trung Street in HCM City's District 1 has introduced its vegetarian buffet with 50 different dishes.
Also in District 1, the newly-opened Khanhcasa Vegetarian & Tea Garden is offering a wide range of 100 vegetarian dishes on its menu.
Marketing manager of Bo De Tam vegetarian restaurant chains in Hanoi, Dang Huan, said the number of customers visiting his restaurants has increased rapidly.
"Modern life is trending towards vegetarian food. I’m sure that more families will consider vegetarian food because of people’s health and environmental protection,” Huan recently told Vietnam News Newspaper.
Leave your comment on this story