HCM City (VNA) – The vegetarian foodsegment has been attracting a great deal of attention from businesses in recentyears and gradually satisfied the tastes of customers.

According to Nguyen Thi Ai Trinh, CEO of AuLac Vegetarian Food, previously people often thought of the religiousperspective when talking about vegetarian food. Hence, the vegetarian foodmarket was limited.

However, in recent years, this market has expandedand developed strongly, she said, boasting that her company has built 80vegetarian food stores and run 11 restaurants across the country.

To meet the increasing demand of customers,local businesses have improved quality and design of products to expand thevegetarian food market in densely populated areas.

Besides vegetarian instant noodles, domesticfirms also sell various kinds of vegetarian spices made from mushrooms.

On the occasion of the Buddhist Vu Lan Festival,which is annually observed on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, nearly80 restaurants, hotels, pagodas and vegetarian stores in Ho Chi Minh City areparticipating in the vegetarian cuisine week at Dam Sen Cultural Park fromAugust 19 to 26.

The week offers more than 300 vegetarian dishessuch as brown rice, oat porridge, “bun rieu chay” (vegetable noodle soup) and“banh xeo gac” (spiny bitter gourd pancake) and 50 types of drinks.

For many Vietnamese, a vegan diet istraditionally confined to two sacred Buddhist days a month, an observance ofcompassion for all sentient beings.

But increasing numbers of people are alsoturning to a plant-based diet for health reasons, and are strengthened in theirresolve by environmental considerations.

With its abundance of delicious vegetables,fruits and roots, Vietnam has all the conditions to cater to vegans.

Vegans can find a variety of dishes in Vietnam.However, the most common vegan dishes are made of soybeans. Apart from tofu,soybeans lend themselves to soya paste, fermented tofu, veggie Vietnamese hamand a wide variety of other dips and dishes.

Since soybeans are nutritious, rich in proteinand calcium, and non-fattening, they are a good replacement for animal meat.They are also said to be useful in treating several illnesses, including heartdisease and cancer.

Vegans can also find in Vietnam many dishes thatlook like they’re made with real meat. For example, chicken legs are made ofcitronella stems with a special tofu wrapping that even has the texture ofmeat. The dishes even include Barbecued pork chops, beef wrapped in la lotleaves, stewed chicken and steamed fish.-VNA