| First time visitors arriving in Thailand | | | | flesh free food and the restaurants will |
| at the start of any October might be | | | | have adapted their usual recipes to |
| puzzled by the myriad of eye-catching | | | | meatless cooking. |
| bright yellow pennants displayed by | | | | In Bangkok, the Vegetarian Festival is |
| street vendors or nowadays even strung | | | | best seen in Yaowarat - the city's |
| out in front of restaurants. What it | | | | picturesque Chinatown. It begins there |
| simply means is that the annual | | | | on the first day of the 9th month of the |
| Vegetarian Festival is upon us once | | | | Chinese lunar calendar with ceremonies |
| again. | | | | similar to those on Phuket. Even before |
| This unique Thai festival had its | | | | that, Chinatown residents will have |
| origins on the southern island of Phuket | | | | started stocking up on vegetarian meat |
| some 180 years ago and has gradually | | | | substitutes - usually high protein soy |
| spread to virtually all parts of the | | | | bean products, and it has been estimated |
| kingdom. Rather surprisingly, it is | | | | that meat sales drop by as much as 70 |
| actually of Chinese origin and not | | | | percent during the ten days of the |
| really Thai at all. It began among the | | | | festival. |
| Chinese immigrants who had flocked to | | | | But the festival is not merely limited |
| Phuket in the early 19th Century to work | | | | to Chinatown or the Chinese-Thais. Many |
| in the tin mines that once provided the | | | | ethnic Thais and even foreign expats |
| island's economy. According to local | | | | welcome the change to a vegetarian diet, |
| historians, about the year 1825, a | | | | and perhaps one restaurant in five will |
| mysterious epidemic struck the Chinese | | | | switch over. In fact, vegetarian |
| miners and their leaders met to discover | | | | tourists have been known to plan their |
| the cause. They noted that the | | | | visits to the kingdom to coincide with |
| traditional Chinese rituals were being | | | | this period. |
| neglected, and the mining community was | | | | The dishes offered during the Vegetarian |
| accordingly ordered to undergo a period | | | | Festival are nothing short of |
| of fasting as a penance. After nine | | | | delightful. All of the Thai favourites |
| days, the disease vanished as | | | | are available, but with a slightly |
| mystifyingly as it had arrived. | | | | different twist. Instead of tom yam gung |
| Now no one likes going hungry for days | | | | (spicy shrimp soup), there will be tom |
| on end, so the village elders decided on | | | | yam jeh (spicy vegetable soup). Gaeng |
| a compromise. They vowed that each year | | | | matsaman, a delicious southern Thai |
| on that anniversary the Chinese on the | | | | curry made with chicken, potatoes, |
| island would practice a period of | | | | onions and peanuts, instead will have |
| cleansing by adopting a vegetarian diet. | | | | the chicken replaced by tofu. Gaeng kiao |
| Offerings to the Chinese divinities | | | | wan, a mild green curry usually made |
| would naturally be made and a strict | | | | with chicken or fish, will now be made |
| code of conduct would be followed, which | | | | with soy protein. Mushrooms of all types |
| included sexual abstinence and foregoing | | | | will be used in abundance, and the big |
| the consumption of alcohol. As the years | | | | yellow Japanese soba noodles are used to |
| went by, something bizarre also took | | | | produce a version of kweitiou pat Thai |
| place. Individuals spontaneously began | | | | (noodles fried Thai style) that is well |
| to be "possessed by spirits" during the | | | | worth waiting for. |
| festival and would take to impaling | | | | In fact, Thailand's Vegetarian Festival |
| themselves with sharp object or slashing | | | | is probably one of the best times to |
| themselves with razor sharp knives. Yet | | | | visit the country, even though it does |
| once the spirit had left them, there | | | | fall within the rainy season. After all, |
| would be no visible wounds or even the | | | | you can always carry an umbrella. And |
| slightest scars. This Hindu like | | | | the choices of food offered at this time |
| self-mutilation naturally drew Thai | | | | of year rival the best of any cuisine |
| tourists to the island, and these Thais | | | | that Asia has to offer. |
| carried the idea of a vegetarian | | | | So next time you come to Thailand, look |
| festival back to their home provinces. | | | | for those yellow pennants. If it is not |
| Nowadays, the Vegetarian Festival is | | | | that time of year, just tell your waiter |
| observed in virtually every fair sized | | | | you want to try the aharn jeh, the |
| city in Thailand. The yellow pennants | | | | dishes on the vegetarian menu. Most |
| one sees bear a Chinese character in | | | | restaurants will have one. It makes a |
| red, with the Thai word "jeh" next to | | | | pleasant break from the usual meat heavy |
| it. Both mean vegetarian. Any vendor | | | | diet that is so common in the west. |
| displaying these flags will be selling | | | | |