[These Days] Can You Become a Vegan Too?

Veganism is gradually spreading to include vegan fashion and vegan cosmetics, as well as animal fur opposition movements. Models advocating against fur.
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Have you heard the saying, "Ten people aspiring to be vegan are better than one perfect vegan"?

These days, the craze for 'veganism,' a term that broadly refers to vegetarianism, is spreading. Veganism refers to a dietary habit that avoids consuming animal products, emphasizing ethical aspects of consumption such as environmental friendliness and animal welfare.

This trend is analyzed to be due to the increasing awareness of reckless meat consumption, as various livestock diseases caused by environmental changes are spreading, and unethical human meat-eating has been pointed out as one of the causes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vegetarianism is usually divided into eight stages, and sometimes even into eleven more detailed stages. The initial stage of starting vegetarianism is not called vegan. Looking at each stage, first, there is the 'Flexitarian,' who mainly eats vegetarian but occasionally consumes all kinds of meat depending on the situation.

Also called 'Semi-vegetarian,' as you can infer from the word 'Flexi-,' it means flexible. Under Korea's food culture, where sharing soups or stews is common, maintaining vegetarianism is difficult, so this stage is chosen considering relationships with others.

Next, there is the 'Pollotarian,' who consumes poultry like chicken but does not eat red meat or red-fleshed fish. Also called 'Pollo-vegetarian,' 'Pollo' means 'chicken' in Italian. Since they get protein from chicken, dairy products, and eggs, this diet is often chosen for dieting or health management.

There are semi-vegetarians who do not consume red meat, white meat, or poultry but eat fish and eggs; these are called 'Pescetarians.' 'Pesco' means fish or fishing in Spanish, and this dietary habit is mainly chosen by people highly aware of environmental issues caused by human meat consumption.

People who eat only dairy products and eggs but do not consume any meat or fish are called 'Lacto-ovo-vegetarians.' 'Lacto' means milk, and 'Ovo' means egg. Those who follow a deeper philosophy within the Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet are called 'Ovo-vegetarians.'

They consume no meat, fish, or dairy products but only eggs; they are sometimes called 'egg-only vegetarians.' This is because they oppose slaughter practices such as impregnating dairy cows, separating calves from their mothers to prevent them from nursing, and killing unwanted male calves. Eggs can be obtained without artificial fertilization, so they become Ovo-vegetarians.

Those who choose milk instead of eggs are called 'Lacto-vegetarians.' As the name 'Lacto' suggests, they consume no meat, fish, or eggs but only dairy products. In India, where cows are considered sacred and 40% of the population abstains from meat, Lacto-vegetarians are the most common.

The younger generation protesting against meat consumption. The time to blindly ignore them has passed. Isn't it time to discuss the uncomfortable truths of our dining tables together and create a new future food culture?
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

The stage just before the 'complete vegetarian,' called 'vegan,' is the 'Strict-vegetarian.' They do not consume any meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products but do consume beeswax, which is purified by melting honey and honeycomb to remove impurities.

The final stage is 'Vegan.' This is the stage commonly referred to as vegan. They do not consume any animal-derived foods or any foods obtained as by-products from animals. Veganism refers not only to a dietary habit that avoids animal products but also to a philosophy. Therefore, they avoid using animal products such as leather goods, duck feathers, and products tested on animals.

Other types include 'Raw vegan,' who consume only uncooked foods, and 'Fruitarian,' who eat only fruits from plants. However, these diets can sometimes lead to nutrient deficiencies and related illnesses.

There is a stage unique to Korea called 'Bideongjuui (non-lumpism).' Since most Korean dishes use broths made from beef, pork, anchovies, shellfish, etc., avoiding meat consumption is difficult, so this stage was created. In other words, unintentionally consuming broth made from meat is allowed.

People pursuing veganism or vegan lifestyles are required to live more strictly. This lifestyle may be disconnected from the reality of modern life, where socializing over food and drinks is common. Still, it is encouraging that the number of people practicing veganism is increasing.

There is a saying, "Ten people aspiring to be vegan are better than one perfect vegan." To protect the Earth's environment, maintain family and personal health, and leave a better environment for the next generation, isn't it necessary to choose and practice an appropriate stage of veganism? It means there is no need to become a complete vegetarian.

We have come too far to ignore the uncomfortable truths of our dining tables. Rather than following trends, how about challenging veganism as a way to avoid purchasing unethical products for health and environmental reasons and to establish a new future food culture?

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.