# This is the problem I have with Vegans: **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160 "2010-11-10T12:14:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![supergalactic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@supergalactic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergalactic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/1 "2010-11-10T12:14:06Z")
Personally, I don’t have problems with them on a personal level. I have several friends who are vegans, and my wife is a vegan also. The issue I have is thus: taking non meat and non dairy foods and trying to pass them off as the real thing. Example: Recently, wifey asked me if I would like some tacos for dinner. You bet your ass sweetheart, and thank you for asking! What I was handed, however, was a failed impostor. It contained: ground-up walnuts, ground up sunflower seeds, small chunks of tomato (acceptable, but in levels nowhere NEAR taco-worthiness), avocado, and wrapped in a collard green. What kind of Frankenstein’s monster IS this? “Honey?” I stated, “I love you dearly, and you’re the shining light in my life, and although this culinary contraption is pretty to look at, it is not, I repeat NOT. A taco. This is the food equivalent of me calling my VW bug a Lamborghini Gallardo.” In the world I live in, tacos arrive in a hard shell (I’m a white boy. Sue me), with layers of juicy ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and enough cheese to bankrupt a small fledgling nation. What is this vegan habit to name counterfeit dishes after their legal counterparts? Can’t the vegan community come up with clever independent names for their food without hijacking the identities of innocent foodstuffs? I’m not bagging on the vegan lifestyle. I admire it, and in some ways, even respect it, but this kind of theft is really getting out of hand. I’m not even gonna START on vegan ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/2 "2010-11-10T12:19:42Z")
The problem I have is the cost of getting to Vega to visit the bastards. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/3 "2010-11-10T12:31:09Z")
Sorry, OP, but as much as I understand your disappointment with the “taco” it’s more likely the fault lies with you. Unless your wife is a sort of vegan I’ve never encountered in the wild - one who is okay with cooking meat for others - you really should be more wary about the offers of food from people like her. Learn to ask, “Uh, what’s in that?” because otherwise you should always expect the offered “food” will at at best resemble real foods in size or maybe color. ---
**Author:** ![supergalactic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@supergalactic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergalactic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/4 "2010-11-10T13:06:35Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Sorry, OP, but as much as I understand your disappointment with the “taco” it’s more likely the fault lies with you. Unless your wife is a sort of vegan I’ve never encountered in the wild - one who is okay with cooking meat for others - you really should be more wary about the offers of food from people like her. Learn to ask, “Uh, what’s in that?” because otherwise you should always expect the offered “food” will at at best resemble real foods in size or maybe color. So you’re saying you’re cool with the bait-and-switch tactic applied to your food? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/5 "2010-11-10T13:13:45Z")
If my wife were a vegan and asked if I wanted some tacos, I wouldn’t be surprised at the results as per the OP – EXCEPT the wrapping. The wrapping for a taco is by definition some sort of starch-based bread-like product. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/6 "2010-11-10T13:24:32Z")
> [@supergalactic](#): > > What is this vegan habit to name counterfeit dishes after their legal counterparts? Because they’re vegan versions of those foods. If you don’t like the food, that’s cool, but nobody is lying to you about what the food is and nobody stole anything. I’m a vegetarian and not a vegan, but I really like some of these foods. They’re a break from soups and salads and they’re often very creative. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/7 "2010-11-10T13:25:11Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > The problem I have is the cost of getting to Vega to visit the bastards. Sheesh. [It’s not as far as you may think](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=vega+norway) ETA: But the locals definitely have a slightly different meaning of the term “vegan” there ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/8 "2010-11-10T13:27:59Z")
I’m not a vegan, but frequently eat vegetarian meals. My parents keep kosher, so I have to be on the lookout for hidden animal fat and hidden dairy products when they come to eat. Why would beans (without using animal fat in the beans) wrapped in four or corn tortillas (again, no animal fat) with the usual avocado, tomatoes etc not be ok? I mean vegan, by definition, doesn’t mean hippie food, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/9 "2010-11-10T13:32:04Z")
Yeah, that was indeed a taco. Tacos can be filled with beef or chicken or whatever, but when a vegan gives you a taco, expect it to be vegan. Complain instead about people who pass something off as actually being one ingredient and then pull a “lolz it’s really \_\_\_\_\_” stunt. As a vegetarian I get pissed when people trick me into eating meat, and I don’t do a “see, I bet you didn’t know that was tofu!” stunt. (I do, however, cook meat for other people.) ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/10 "2010-11-10T13:38:13Z")
I fully understand where the OP is coming from. It isn’t a vegan/carnivore issue… it is a matter of expectations. My wife once called me and told me she was making chili for dinner. I spent the next several hours drooling like Homer Simpson dreaming of the rich red beefy treat I love so much. I got home and she proudly presented me with a bowl of white chicken chili. In hind sight… it was very good, but I almost couldn’t eat it because I was so disappointed that it wasn’t what I had imagined for the last couple of hours. If she would have said she was making “Spicy Chicken Stew” I would have raved about it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/11 "2010-11-10T13:44:14Z")
What the hell is non-vegan about a taco shell? I thought it was just masa harina and some vegetable oil. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/12 "2010-11-10T13:47:55Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > What the hell is non-vegan about a taco shell? I thought it was just masa harina and some vegetable oil. Oh, I missed that bit. I’d call the food in the OP a “wrap,” probably. Anyway, I still say “consider the source,” and adjust your expectations accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/13 "2010-11-10T13:54:43Z")
I’m gonna side with the OP on this one. At a minimum, his wife should have asked if he wanted some _vegan_ tacos for dinner. Without the descriptive adjective, it’s misleading at best. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/14 "2010-11-10T13:56:59Z")
With the exception of cheese, is there anything in a vegan taco that you wouldn’t find in a vegetarian taco? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/15 "2010-11-10T14:00:25Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > I’m gonna side with the OP on this one. At a minimum, his wife should have asked if he wanted some _vegan_ tacos for dinner. Without the descriptive adjective, it’s misleading at best. She could have been clearer, but did the OP really expect his wife to make a dinner she herself wouldn’t eat? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/16 "2010-11-10T14:01:55Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > With the exception of cheese, is there anything in a vegan taco that you wouldn’t find in a vegetarian taco? That was my question a few posts up. I’m not getting it. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/17 "2010-11-10T14:09:57Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > With the exception of cheese, is there anything in a vegan taco that you wouldn’t find in a vegetarian taco? Sour cream…on my taco, anyway. (Or rather, you’d possibly find it in a vegetarian taco, but not a vegan one, which I think is what you meant. Veganism is more restrictive than vegetarianism.) ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/18 "2010-11-10T14:26:47Z")
Peruse the menu of a local, San Francisco Mexican restaurant, [Gracias Madres](http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/index.php), that is vegan and VERY, VERY popular. Nuts are used to make cheeses. [Here is their menu.](http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/menu.php) I’m not offering commentary - just saying that vegan Mexican food exists on a fairly substantial scale and is thriving in restaurant form. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/19 "2010-11-10T14:33:47Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > Peruse the menu of a local, San Francisco Mexican restaurant, [Gracias Madres](http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/index.php), that is vegan and VERY, VERY popular. Nuts are used to make cheeses. > > [Here is their menu.](http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/menu.php) > > I’m not offering commentary - just saying that vegan Mexican food exists on a fairly substantial scale and is thriving in restaurant form. Funny you should mention it. I was there on Friday night & had the tacos (filled with grilled eggplant, squash, and plantains.) I’m not a vegetarian, but the food was very good. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/20 "2010-11-10T14:39:47Z")
It’s not just reserved for vegans. I see food masquerading as other foods all the time, and it bugs the hell out of me. Yes, your creamy white wine/bacon pasta sauce is really lovely, but it ain’t carbonara. And your fish stew is not a Bouillabaisse if you don’t use at least a handful of the traditional spices and some fennel. It may be delicious, I’ll eat it and rave about it, but these words that people call food? They mean something. Don’t misuse them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160.md?page=2)