It’s Vegetarian Festival Time

For vegetarians in Bangkok, “that time of year” is nearly upon us. The ten days of yellow flags. That’s right- it’s the Vegetarian Festival! Did you ever wonder how it got started?

As you might have guessed the tradition started in the South, on the island of Phuket. The Vegetarian festival has its roots in Chinese culture and legend has it that one year, about 150 years ago, a large number of immigrant Chinese tin mine workers in Phuket got sick. That year, coincidentally, the community hadn’t paid their respects to Kiu Ong Iah, the Nine Emperor Gods. To remedy their disease, they petitioned and paid their respects to the Nine Emperor Gods by not eating meat and observing other dietary restrictions. The Gods were pleased and intervened, stopping the epidemic. Ever since that time, during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar year, Thai people all over the country eat jae, or “J” which helps them attain good health and peace of mind.

While colloquially we call it the vegetarian festival, for adherents, it actually encompasses more than just abstaining from eating meat. It also means avoiding alcoholic beverages, having sex, getting into arguments, lying and killing. In addition, those who gin jae also do not eat onions or garlic. There are several rationales for this, two of which come up most often—that by uprooting onions and garlic, we are ostensibly killing the plant and second is that by avoiding pungent foods, it is a means of purification.

In Phuket, residents celebrate with an all out festival, but here in Bangkok things are a little more subdued. Most notably, food sellers will, for nine days, substitute meat with fake-meat products. This gives vegetarians a very special opportunity to enjoy renowned Thai dishes without sacrificing our principals.

On small sois all across the city, food sellers are whipping up specialties like kao moo dang (rice with barbequed red pork), kanome jean (Chinese noodles), and specialty curries. Even in fine, five-star hotels and restaurants, chefs proudly serve gourmet meals sans meat. Additionally, now is a great time to stock up on all things vegetarian for your kitchen. This time of year, grocery and convenience stores will feature large displays of vegetarian products that they usually sell for just a few weeks out of the year. For example, it’s a great time to pick up several packages of mushroom and veggie Mama instant noodles, as they are difficult to find at other times.

This year, the Vegetarian Festival is being celebrated from October 8^th through the 16^th. Just look for the yellow flags with the words, “เจ” written in red on them.

Stay tuned for more about how the people in Phuket celebrate the festival, and let’s just say, it isn’t for the faint of heart.