# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/21 "2010-11-10T14:49:48Z")
Welcome to Sweden and _sausage stroganoff_! Disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/22 "2010-11-10T15:33:03Z")
**supergalactic** , get over it. I talked to your wife and she said that tonight she’s going to make you a nice juicy porterhouse steak. She already bought the chick peas. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/23 "2010-11-10T15:47:19Z")
I’m with the OP too. Faux-anything just … sucks. Call it a veggie wrap or something, not a taco. What if the OP offered to cook dinner and pulled the same stunt? OP: Hey, honey, whaddya think about having some beans for dinner tonight? OP’s Wife: You bet your sweet ass, sweetheart! OP: Here ya go. I made it with lots of bacon and ground pork for flavor. I call it “VeganBeans!” OP’s Wife: But … they’re not vegan. OP: No. I just call 'em VeganBeans ™. Made 'em how I like 'em. Whassamatter … you don’t want any? Honey … ? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/24 "2010-11-10T15:48:54Z")
Why would you use ground up sunflower seeds and walnuts when you could double the protein by using refried or black beans, and/or chick peas? I don’t eat red meat but I lurve me some Taco Bell. I like to order the crunchy taco supremes… and then I ask them to substitute the Grade D cow for refried beans. Delicious. And yes, tacos require a shell by definition. I’m partial to crunchy corn, but soft flour tortillas would be acceptable as well. There is simply no need to call a vegan wrap a “taco.” I hate the bait and switch. If I’ve got my mind set and prepared to taste XYZ, I will be really pissed when I bite down and find out it tastes like ABC instead. Perfect example. I love grape juice. I found some white grape juice and it sounded great – no purple juice mustache! I bought some, took it home and immediately poured a tall glass. Yum. I put it down on the coffee table and started flipping channels. Mindlessly reached over for the glass of liquid that looks exactly like apple juice and was SHOCKED to taste grape. The visual association for liquid of that color prepared my brain to taste apple juice and I was furious because my apple juice tasted wrong. I had to look at the glass and say out loud to myself, “IT’S GRAPE!” before I could drink it without being shocked that it didn’t taste like apple juice. Don’t make a veggie wrap for me and call it a taco. And if there isn’t cheese on it, don’t even bother. I’ll make my own. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/25 "2010-11-10T15:49:07Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > 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. Well, I’ve had “tacos light” in Mexico that used lettuce instead of tortillas (which aren’t at all bread-like!). You can get Arab-style tacos in some places, which use flatbread/pita, which is bread like. Oh, yeah, and “tacos light” is Spanish, apparently, just like “tacos fish” is also apparently Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/26 "2010-11-10T15:54:43Z")
On a side note, why would someone who wouldn’t touch meat with a ten foot pole want to eat something that looks like and supposedly tastes like meat? I wouldn’t _ever_ want to eat dogshit, so why would I want to eat a soy-and-veggie-based simulation that tastes, smells and looks just like the real thing? ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/27 "2010-11-10T16:11:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > On a side note, why would someone who wouldn’t touch meat with a ten foot pole want to eat something that looks like and supposedly tastes like meat? I wouldn’t _ever_ want to eat dogshit, so why would I want to eat a soy-and-veggie-based simulation that tastes, smells and looks just like the real thing? 1. Camaraderie: All your friends are eating burgers, and you want to eat a burger with them. Throw a veggie burger or two on the grill, and you’re good to go. 2. Taste: If you like chicken nuggets but are now vegetarian, you can have Quorn “chicken” nuggets that have a similar texture and flavor. 3. Variety: If you get tired of chili with beans only, you can throw some spiced TVP in there. It’s added protein with a texture similar to ground meat. I love some General Tso’s “chicken” made with tempeh or seitan. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/28 "2010-11-10T17:02:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > On a side note, why would someone who wouldn’t touch meat with a ten foot pole want to eat something that looks like and supposedly tastes like meat? I wouldn’t _ever_ want to eat dogshit, so why would I want to eat a soy-and-veggie-based simulation that tastes, smells and looks just like the real thing? A lot of vegans and vegetarians like the taste of meat but stopped eating it for ethical reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/29 "2010-11-10T17:09:36Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > A lot of vegans and vegetarians like the taste of meat but stopped eating it for ethical reasons. Also, a lot of them were raised eating burgers and hotdogs. Habit is tough to break, but it’s not difficult to substitute one flat brown patty containing God-knows-what kind of grains or mushrooms for another flat brown patty containing God-knows-what kind of animal byproducts or floor sweepings, and just carry on as before. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/30 "2010-11-10T17:19:04Z")
A friend came over with his family for a barbecue. They brought their own vegetarian hotdogs. In a can. The sight of those poodle peckers coming out of the can was enough to convince me that it was not a lifestyle I was going to choose. Ever. ---
**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, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/31 "2010-11-10T17:23:43Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > A lot of vegans and vegetarians like the taste of meat but stopped eating it for ethical reasons. Yeah, my brother is in this camp. He drools at the smell of bacon, and buys all sorts of weird and wonderful fake meats in the healthfood stores - including vegetarian jerky. It’s surprisingly good! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/32 "2010-11-10T17:29:45Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Yeah, my brother is in this camp. He drools at the smell of bacon, and buys all sorts of weird and wonderful fake meats in the healthfood stores - including vegetarian jerky. It’s surprisingly good! You can make jerky out of vegetarians? Cool. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/33 "2010-11-10T17:32:08Z")
My favorite is the vegan/vegetarian telling you that their hotdog/cheese/chix’n nugget tastes “just like the real thing.” Sweetie, you haven’t had a hot dog in fifteen years - believe it or not, the soy dog isn’t at all “just like the real thing.” And soy/nut cheese - it doesn’t even deserve the word. Not that I’m not very happy for you that there are options, and not that I’m not grateful to you for offering me a “not-dog,” - and not that I don’t respect your choice (and sometimes make the same choice - well, except for fake cheese - shudder), but don’t either try and pass it off as meat/dairy or tell me its indistinguishable. (And I’ll never pass off gluten free brownies on you as “the real thing” or claim that they are anything better than an acceptable substitute - at best.) ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/34 "2010-11-10T17:36:56Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > (and sometimes make the same choice - well, except for fake cheese - shudder) Hey, fake cheese is a rapidly evolving technology. The latest we’ve tried is Daiya – it slices, shreds and melts, and the taste is pretty good. “You won’t be able to tell the difference” may someday become true. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/35 "2010-11-10T17:39:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The sight of those poodle peckers coming out of the can was enough to convince me that it was not a lifestyle I was going to choose. Ever. Suit yourself, but you do realize that many “regular” hotdogs actually do have a statistical chance of containing animal peckers. Unlike vegan ones. Bon Appétit! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/36 "2010-11-10T17:45:25Z")
> [@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. My best friend and her husband are vegans; my wife and I are not. When they visit us for dinner (i.e., at my house) we prepare a vegan meal for them; when we visit them, they prepare (or perhaps buy elsewhere and just warm) meat dishes for us. They’ve also re-gifted us with venison they were given by a clueless relative of theirs. I think it’s more a matter of communcating well and being courteous. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/37 "2010-11-10T18:36:49Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Hey, fake cheese is a rapidly evolving technology. The latest we’ve tried is Daiya – it slices, shreds and melts, and the taste is pretty good. “You won’t be able to tell the difference” may someday become true. 🙂 Someday is a long way away. There is almond “cheese” in my fridge right now - inherited from a lactose intolerant friend. And I like quorn ‘chicken’ nuggets, but you aren’t convincing me - someone who has eaten chicken in the past week - that they are chicken. I like Boca burgers, but if someone is giving me a hamburger, I don’t expect to bite into a boca burger. Its disappointing to expect one thing, and get another. Eating with vegans and vegetarians is a little like eating out of the box of chocolates that has lost its legend - its “candy” - but am I getting a maple nut cream (blech) or a raspberry cream (yum)? You really aren’t sure until you take a bite. ---
**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, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/38 "2010-11-10T18:50:40Z")
Again, it is all about expectations. If the OP’s wife had invited me over and said she was making an exotic dish with walnuts, sunflower, tomato and wrapped in a collard green I would probably think… sounds interesting (admittedly not good… but interesting) and I would gladly try it and maybe be surprised and like it. If she said she was making tacos I’d still choke it down but never accept another invitation there. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/39 "2010-11-10T19:00:01Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Suit yourself, but you do realize that many “regular” hotdogs actually do have a statistical chance of containing animal peckers. Unlike vegan ones. Bon Appétit! Yeah, but they don’t look like puppy peni. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160/40 "2010-11-10T19:05:30Z")
The taco doesn’t sound vegan as much as it sounds raw. It sounds just like [this recipe](http://deliciouslivingmag.com/food/recipes/0707-10-raw-food-recipes/). Is you wife perhaps experimenting with raw food? If so it might be a rough couple weeks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-problem-i-have-with-vegans/560160.md?page=3)