Fortunately, it is becoming easier than ever to eat vegan food when dining out in the UK. The same can’t always be said when on holiday though so we have put together a quick guide to help you on your next trip!
Overcoming the language barrier
Language is a beautiful thing. Barriers can, however, make eating out in an unfamiliar location more stressful than enjoyable. With some quick planning ahead of your holiday, you can greatly improve your culinary experience while away. The understanding and acceptance of a vegan diet varies around the world so not being able to communicate your wants in a foreign language can be a major issue!
Most of us travel with a smart phone on us at all times and they are a true travel companion. Google Translate is free to use and will enable you to get basic messages across such as, “I don’t eat meat!”. If you are looking for a more bespoke solution to this tricky translation task then the Vegan Society have created just the thing for you!
The Vegan Passport is available as a book or mobile phone app for under £5 and is your definitive language, signal and cultural guide to travelling the world on a vegan diet. This also comes in handy when navigating markets to source your vegan shopping list.
Never let language get in the way of a good meal again!
How to say “vegan” in foreign languages
We have taken a look at popular (by usage not accents we like!) foreign languages and how to say “I am vegan” in each of them. This list may come in handy to say to your waiter when you arrive at a new restaurant abroad.
Croatian: Ja sam vegan
Dutch: Ik ben een veganist
French: Je suis végétalien
German: Ich bin vegan
Italian: Sono un vegan
Portugese: Eu sou vegana
Spanish: Soy vegano (you’re not restricted to just Soy with this sentence, don’t worry!)
Swedish: Jag är en vegan
You can find this handy phrase in many more languages here.
Finding the right restaurant
You may be armed with ready-to-go translated sentences to declare your food choices but if you are in the wrong establishment, no amount of Google translate will be able to help!
Hundreds of food lovers globally share information on where and what to eat via Happy Cow. Browse for recommendations near your holiday destination and see what comes up. First party reviews are a great way to know what you are walking in to before taking a step! The service relies on contributors so you should be sure to add your own reviews of venues and dishes to help those who follow in your path.
TripAdvisor and Instagram searches can also throw up some useful pointers. Search for #vegan and related terms on Instagram in a certain town or city and you are visiting to be hit with a feed of foodie delights!
