Types of Vegetarians

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India is primarily a vegetarian country, but there are so many types of vegetarians there that it gets confusing.
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India is primarily a vegetarian country and there is no dearth of vegetarian food wherever you go. Few Indian religions like Jainism and Buddhism lay great emphasis on vegetarian food. Hinduism is the most common religion in India and a large chunk of Hindus are also vegetarians. All this has led to many variants of Vegetarians in India. In fact, it is quite interesting to read about the type of vegetarians India has. Let us have a look.
This is the most common type of vegetarians that can be found all over the world. They eat all plants and dairy products but don't eat eggs. Non-vegetarian food is naturally taboo. 
The second type is the Jain vegetarians. Jains believe in 'Ahimsa' - you should not harm plants as well as animals. They eat plant products but refrain from eating the roots. When you eat the root of a plant, the plant naturally dies. So no onion, garlic, carrot, ginger, beetroot, etc. They eat all the dairy products. Rajasthan has lots of Jain population.
Then we have the Eggatarians. They are basically vegetarians but have decided to include eggs in their diet.
The next types of vegetarians are a bit confused. They practice vegetarianism and avoid eggs. However, the sweet temptations are too much for them to resist. They are fine with eating cakes, pastries, and other desserts with eggs. As long as they can't see the egg, it works for them. 
Buddhist vegetarians are a breed apart. They eat only plant products. Milk and milk products like cheese, paneer, curd, ghee, etc. are not eaten by them. Eggs are also not allowed. There are very few people in India who follow Buddhism nowadays.
Pescetarians are vegetarians who eat fishes. These types of vegetarians are hardly found in India. Fishes are considered non-vegetarian everywhere in the country. However, when Indians go abroad, they are often served fish when they ask for vegetarian food.
The newest entrant is Veganism. This is the latest fad and people from all over the world are part of the vegan revolution. These types of vegetarians prefer to eat plants but do not eat dairy products. In fact, they avoid all animal products and so refrain from eating products like honey and gelatin.
The last breed of vegetarians is the health-conscious one. They eat vegetarian food as they feel it is a healthier option. The option of eating non-vegetarian food is always open for them if they feel the need or the craving to do so.
With all the types of vegetarians listed above, it is not surprising that people get confused about the meaning of vegetarianism in the present times. This leads to lots of confusion when Indians travel abroad. Many times they are served non-vegetarian food as people do not understand what does being vegetarian means. It is advisable to make yourself very clear before placing any order. If there is a language issue, use an App to help you in translating words. It is better to be safe than sorry. 
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Last modified 8mo ago
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