# Has the word "Egg" been redefined when I wasn't looking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 28, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354 "2021-10-28T03:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/41 "2021-10-29T02:09:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I could be wrong, but I still think the default for “vegetarian” is ovo-lactovegetarian, and not full-on vegan. In my view “vegetarian” unqualified by default means dairy is okay but eggs and fish aren’t. That’s the norm for Indian vegetarians. “Pure vegetarian” means dairy is in, but garlic and onions are out. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/42 "2021-10-29T02:50:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > In my view “vegetarian” unqualified by default means dairy is okay but eggs and fish aren’t. That’s the norm for Indian vegetarians Aren’t most Indians lactose intolerant? If so, that doesn’t really make much sense. This topic reminds me of the time I was looking for a way to add blueberries to my diet. I checked out one product (a blueberry muffin, IIRC) which claimed to have blueberry bits in it. However, on reading the ingredients, I found that no blueberries were harmed in the making of that muffin. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/43 "2021-10-29T03:02:26Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > In my view “vegetarian” unqualified by default means dairy is okay but eggs and fish aren’t. I was about to ask if you were Indian, but you covered that. So “pure vegetarian” – is that basically like Jain meals? I do a lot of work with Gujaratis, and their events are typically veg (though they usually still have a chicken dish or two like chicken 65 and butter chicken), but their often is also a Jain station for the Jains, and their food is how you describe “pure vegetarian.” I just hadn’t heard that term before. Or is there some difference? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/44 "2021-10-29T03:48:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Holy crap. At this rate we aren’t looking at redefining the word “egg”-We may have to redefine the word “Just” to mean “anything but”. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/45 "2021-10-29T04:36:47Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > “Pure vegetarian” means dairy is in, but garlic and onions are out. More for meeeeeeeeeee! Seriously/ those are fightin’ words /not seriously /s ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/46 "2021-10-29T14:01:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > “vegetarian” chicken soup as just broth and noodles, but no visible pieces of meat. This is actually the Roman Catholic stance for “meatless” for Lent - “essence” from the meat is OK, but no flesh. Got this directly from a Deacon for a Lenten soup dinner. > [@Acsenray](#): > > “Pure vegetarian” means dairy is in, but garlic and onions are out. Ya lost me here. Why would garlic and onions not be part of a vegetarian diet? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/47 "2021-10-29T15:22:24Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > This is actually the Roman Catholic stance for “meatless” for Lent - “essence” from the meat is OK, but no flesh. Got this directly from a Deacon for a Lenten soup dinner. That’s correct. I actually was going to bring up that this definition of “meatless” and conflation with mainstream “vegetarian” makes some sense in the Catholic countries, at least, as not only does meat-based broth satisfy the “meatless” requirement, but the Friday abstinence would also allow for fish and seafood, which often also get lopped into “acceptable for vegetarians” by many. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/48 "2021-10-29T15:23:31Z")
One can be a vegetarian plus, or indeed because of, avoiding certain foods following religious principles. So, following rigorous minimization of violence, food that contains or might injure insects or other small organisms, or even plant life, is avoided. Root vegetables may then be out for those reasons, not because they are not real vegetables or not nutritious. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/49 "2021-10-29T15:28:32Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Ya lost me here. Why would garlic and onions not be part of a vegetarian diet? With Jains, at least, and I believe Hare Krishnas, as well (who don’t eat onions & garlic, either), the foods are considered “tamasic,” which are associated with darkness, laziness, ignorance, stir the passions, etc. Oh, looks like Brahmins, too, looking this up. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/50 "2021-10-29T20:16:03Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Aren’t most Indians lactose intolerant? [A majority, yes,](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/60-per-cent-of-indians-suffer-from-milk-intolerance-and-many-dont-even-realise-it/photostory/75807121.cms?picid=75807260) although a smaller percentage than among East Asians such as Chinese and Japanese. However, AIUI South Asians are more likely to consume lower-lactose dairy products like yogurt, buttermilk and paneer rather than swigging straight milk on the regular. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/51 "2021-10-29T21:21:10Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Aren’t most Indians lactose intolerant? If so, that doesn’t really make much sense. I don’t know the exact proportion. However, pretty much all major Indian sociology-cultural groups—vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike—include in their diet milk, yogurt (curds), butter (ghi), cheese (panir), milk-based desserts, and other dairy products. Vegetarian Indians tend to consume a higher proportion of dairy products than non-vegetarian Indians. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/52 "2021-10-29T21:23:56Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > “Most” Indians aren’t lactose intolerant, depending on your definition of “most.” I was surprised, as I always associated lactose intolerance with East Asians, but while Googling yesterday, I found this in the Times of India: > **[60 per cent of Indians suffer from milk intolerance (and many don’t even...](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/60-per-cent-of-indians-suffer-from-milk-intolerance-and-many-dont-even-realise-it/photostory/75807121.cms#:~:text=Lactose%20is%20a%20type%20of%20sugar%20found%20in%20milk.&text=Almost%2C%2060%20to%2065%20per,question%20should%20we%20consume%20dairy%3F)** > > Milk and other dairy products have been a major source of calcium for vegetarians. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/53 "2021-10-29T21:23:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > was about to ask if you were Indian, but you covered that. So “pure vegetarian” – is that basically like Jain meals? I do a lot of work with Gujaratis, and their events are typically veg (though they usually still have a chicken dish or two like chicken 65 and butter chicken), but their often is also a Jain station for the Jains, and their food is how you describe “pure vegetarian.” I just hadn’t heard that term before. Or is there some difference? So far as I know the Jain diet and the “pure vegetarian” are similar but not identical. Strict Jains won’t eat any root vegetables at all. I believe “pure vegetarian” diets generally include root vegetables except for garlic and onions. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/54 "2021-10-29T21:27:11Z")
Oh, so another question: I do know the typical Indian vegetarianism to be lacto-vegetarian, but while in Mumbai I came across a reasonable number of egg dishes like egg bhurji, for example. And an Indian roommate in college would make egg curry with hard boiled eggs. Is this a regional/religious thing or are ovo-lacto vegetarian Indians somehow otherwise distinguished? And, yes, I know plenty of Indians are non-vegetarian, I’m just wondering where that paricular split of ovo-lacto vs just lacto comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/55 "2021-10-29T21:28:36Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Ya lost me here. Why would garlic and onions not be part of a vegetarian diet? As noted above, it’s complicated. Suffice to say, If you’re in India and someone offers or requests “pure vegetarian” food, it won’t have garlic or onions. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/56 "2021-10-29T21:32:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Oh, so another question: I do know the typical Indian vegetarianism to be lacto-vegetarian, but while in Mumbai I came across a reasonable number of egg dishes like egg bhurji, for example. And an Indian roommate in college would make egg curry with hard boiled eggs. Is this a regional/religious thing or are ovo-lacto vegetarian Indians somehow otherwise distinguished? And, yes, I know plenty of Indians are non-vegetarian, I’m just wondering where that paricular split of ovo-lacto vs just lacto comes from. I really don’t know enough to give tremendous detail. Did your roommate otherwise identify as a vegetarian? I have known Indian vegetarians who do eat eggs but they admit to not being “good vegetarians.” Me, I couldn’t say as I don’t come from a vegetarian group myself. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/57 "2021-10-29T21:36:41Z")
That’s a good question. As far as I know, no. She was from Hong Kong; I don’t know what region in India her family comes from. Certainly in the States she ate meat, as do most of the desis I’ve met here (mostly Gujarati, as I mentioned before, who are culturally vegetarian. I photographed a wedding in Ahmedabad, and, while officially a vegetarian state, chicken in the form of chicken tikka and chicken malai were served at all the wedding events. Gujarat is also supposed to be dry, but there was no shortage of Johnnie Walker Gold around, so these are perhaps not the most traditional Indian subgroup.) I think I see what you’re saying – that the egg-eating Indians I encountered are perhaps not vegetarian at all, and not simply ovo-lactovegetarian, as I had assumed. I think the reason for my assumption was the cafe I was at in Mumbai didn’t serve anything with animal meat in it; just eggs and milk products, but I may very well be misremembering that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/58 "2021-10-29T22:07:07Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I think I see what you’re saying – that the egg-eating Indians I encountered are perhaps not vegetarian at all, and not simply ovo-lactovegetarian, as I had assumed. I think the reason for my assumption was the cafe I was at in Mumbai didn’t serve anything with animal meat in it; just eggs and milk products, but I may very well be misremembering that. Yeah, just because you don’t see meat around in a particular place or occasion doesn’t mean that there is a vegetarian rule in place. In a lot of situations in India, meat might still be considered expensive or otherwise too indulgent for the occasion. That doesn’t mean that everyone present is vegetarian. Or, like, you wouldn’t expect necessarily to see Korean food on the menu at a pizzeria or taqueria. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/59 "2021-10-30T00:43:04Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > > > Ya lost me here. Why would garlic and onions not be part of a vegetarian diet? > > As noted above, it’s complicated. Suffice to say, If you’re in India and someone offers or requests “pure vegetarian” food, it won’t have garlic or onions. Also. Onions and garlic have become culturally associated with Mughlai (muslim) cuisine and so a lot of Hindus will avoid them. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354/60 "2021-10-30T01:50:49Z")
Just to note that my failure to capitalise “Muslim” above was inadvertent and not intentional. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-word-egg-been-redefined-when-i-wasnt-looking/953354.md?page=4)