Where should we begin? Honestly, we have such a burning passion for the vegan food in Sri Lanka that it’s hard to collect our thoughts.
The truth is that Sri Lanka is one of our favorite countries in the world and the cuisine definitely plays a part in that.
So what is it that makes Sri Lanka so special?
First off, just like in the neighboring country of India, the Sri Lankan people have a similar relationship to vegetarian and vegan food.
It has been a part of their culture and tradition for so long that you will never be the only one in a room that refrains from eating animal products.
Sri Lankan cuisine could even be considered more vegan-friendly than India's cuisine due to the island’s heavy use of coconut milk in place of dairy.
With an abundance of coconuts, exotic tropical fruits, and vegetables, there is no wonder that the Sri Lankan cuisine is so vegan-friendly.
If you venture away from the restaurants catering to tourists, you will be introduced to some of the best vegan food of your life. Also, in the capital of Colombo, there is a large number of pure vegetarian restaurants.
Whenever you order food in Sri Lanka, you always get served a feast.
Sri Lankan meals typically consist of multiple side dishes which is a great way to try a bit of everything.
Let’s say you order a fresh jackfruit curry, then you should expect to be served rice (which tends to be unlimited and refilled), at least two sambals, papadums, salad, and sometimes even fruit.
If you’re lucky, they might throw an extra curry or two in the mix depending on the restaurant.
But flavorful curries and unlimited amounts of rice are not the only reasons why we loved being vegan in Sri Lanka.
No, our favorite Sri Lankan vegan dish is a breakfast item called string hoppers which is made from fermented rice and served with the most delicious coconut chili sambal.
Book a home stay or a hotel and experience the Sri Lankan hospitality today!
Taiwan
Nepal might seem like an odd addition to a list of vegan-friendly countries in Asia. But the fact is that being vegan in Nepal is as easy in the capital as it is 14,763 ft (4,500 meters) up at base camp.
Once again, this is mostly due to the traditional cuisine being vegan-friendly by default.
Dal bhat is the most popular Nepalese dish and is made of lentils and rice.
It’s served at most Nepalese restaurants in the country and is accompanied by several smaller curries.
Momos are another popular dish in Nepal.
These South Asian dumplings are of Tibetan origin and are served with a local chutney dipping sauce.
Veg momos are always vegan, and you can get them served steamed, fried, in soup, or spicy in a vegetable curry.
Due to Nepal’s location between India, China, and Tibet, there is more to the kitchen than traditional Nepalese dishes.
For example, one can enjoy Chinese inspired veg chow mein, Tibetan thukpa soup, North Indian dishes, and many other regional delights as a vegan in Nepal.
Although, the most impressive thing about Nepal is the availability of vegan food.
In both Kathmandu and Pokhara, you will have plenty of options to choose from, but the same goes for the Himalayan treks that Nepal is so famous for.
Victoria first visited Nepal in 2013 and did a 10-day trek to Annapurna Base Camp and not once did she have an issue finding vegan food. All the tea houses provide dahl baht and other local vegan dishes by default. You will not go hungry, that’s a guarantee.
The two of us later returned to Nepal in 2016 and decided to do a smaller more unknown trek called Mardi Himal, and even though the tea houses on the trek had just opened up to the public, there were plenty of vegan dishes.
We even ate freshly made momos at Mardi Himal Base Camp one night!
Pro Tip: Note that many of the “dairy-free milks” sold in Nepal aren’t actually vegan and some even contain fish so be careful when you order milk for your coffee or smoothies. If possible, ask the restaurant to see the dairy-free milk package to check the ingredients for yourself.
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Bonus Tip:
One of the most vegan-friendly cities in Southeast Asia is Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. This small little city is just a few hours from the Thai border, and it is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines.
Little India boasts a large selection of pure vegetarian restaurants while Chinatown is filled with several vegan-friendly eateries.
Combine that with cute coffee shops serving coffee and vegan churros, and you have one of the most vegan-friendly cities in Asia.
Penang is also one of the easiest places in the world to get a visa for Thailand.
The city is also a convenient place to do a visa run if you’re already in Thailand but want to stay for longer. We’ve covered the process in detail and recommend you check it out.
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