Vegan Paradise in Zion

If you’re a vegan living in North America, you’ve probably felt like an outsider at times. You’ve had family worried about your protein levels, friends wondering what you actually eat and bacon lovers questioning your sanity.

What if I told you there’s a place where vegans aren’t an oddity -- a place where they’re taken just as seriously as carnivores and everyone else? No explanations, no apologies.

That place is Israel. Cameos in Zion called it the top destination for vegans, Reuters wrote about it and Conde Nast called the country’s main city the vegan culinary capital of the world. We’re talking about Israel? That’s right. Politics aside, this is a place where vegans feel right at home -- more than anywhere else. Here’s what we discovered visiting the ultimate destination for vegans:
VEGANS ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY…AT ALL RESTAURANTS

Dave Golokhov

Veganism is growing in North America, but it’s often still scoffed at. You almost have to defend or explain yourself if you’re a vegan. It is getting better, but if you’re eating out, you still have to ask a bunch of food preparation questions and will likely be quite limited in menu selection. In Israel, vegans are taken seriously…everywhere. Every major restaurant chain has a vegan menu. Coffee shops and even McDonald’s have multiple vegan options. The vegan restaurant scene is burgeoning.


LEVELS OF VEGAN RESTAURANTS

Dave Golokhov

With the exception of a few places like Dirt Candy and Candle 79 in New York, and Millennium in San Francisco, North American vegans have fairly basic restaurant options. There’s the takeout-type salad-smoothie spots and a number of casual sit-down places. However, Israel’s vegan restaurants run the gamut. From fine dining, to casual, to hipster, you actually get excited to go out and try new places.

“The restaurants that are vegan-friendly (or pure vegan) vary from all kinds and levels of cuisine,” says Avihai Tsabari, a tour guide who hosts about 17 foodie trips per year. “Messa, Catit and Mashya are elite restaurants that have an additional vegan menu. Bistros, street food stalls…you can get vegan food anywhere.”

VEGAN FAST FOOD

That’s right, even Domino’s has vegan pizza. They use soy-based cheese as a substitute. In 2015 alone, Domino’s sold more than half a million vegan pizzas.

NOT A HUGE DIETARY TRANSFORMATION

Dave Golokhov

A lot of typical Israeli/Mediterranean fare happens to be vegan already -- or close to it -- so it’s not such a huge transition for some people. Things like falafel, hummus, tahini, sabich, pita and the popular dessert halva are good examples.

CHEFS TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF VEGANISM

Dave Golokhov

While we look at veganism as a bit of a fringe activity, it’s seen in a different light in Israel. It’s just like how we go through phases where tacos or food trucks are trendy; vegan restaurants are the “it” thing in Israel right now. New chefs enter the fray and come up with creative ways to prepare the cuisine. Instead of viewing a traditional serving as animal protein, vegetable and starch, they’re coming up with ways to make vegetables like eggplant, peppers and tomatoes the center of attention.

SATISFYING VEGAN DISHES

Dave Golokhov

The challenge for us is this: when you ask a normal personal about becoming vegan, it’s a huge leap because we mostly know what to do with animals, but aren’t up on making vegetables delicious. Think about it: when it comes to chicken, we know about deep fried, grilled, chicken shwarma, chicken nuggets, roast chicken, jerk chicken and more. But what do you do with cauliflower or an eggplant? That’s why the vegan culinary scene is blossoming in Israel. There are chefs taking these ingredients and creating incredibly satisfying dishes that you’d happily pay for, vegan or not. It’s just that they happen to be vegan.

A WIDE VEGAN VARIETY

Dave Golokhov

There are over 400 certified vegan restaurants in Tel Aviv alone. It’s a vegan’s dream. There are options galore and you aren’t limited to one or two places.

ACTIVISM IS WORKING

Dave Golokhov

Veganism stems from activism in Israel, and it’s having a sizable effect on traditional businesses. Big Meat and Big Dairy have been hit hard in Israel, as they’ve seen a five-percent year-over-year decline in sales.