Einstein’s famous quote, "Nothing will benefit health or increase chances of survival on earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." He was rumoured to be Vegetarian.

Can the Vegetarian Cuisines be so evolved gastronomically as to provide environmental, social and economic benefits while protecting public health and environment over their whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials until the final disposal: Sustainability?

Can the Chefs help to continue to evolve through the Vegetarian Cuisines the Culinary Sustainability? That too globally?

Chefs have enormous influence and can promote new organic ingredients by being a medium to harness the importance of organic food and excited about our enormous biodiversity.

Do the chefs have the role to play?
Chefs are prompted to become creative minds with their influence and of seeking new ideas and new ingredients and digging out old quotients of dining experience.

 Chefs are the most qualified people on earth to talk about the right food and about the chemistry behind the ingredients.

Does a Vegetarian Planet holds the key to Its Overall welfare?
Creating a sustainable future could be driven by the consumer’s choices and the initiatives they also start with farmers and for farmers.

A chef can actually explain better the benefits of the ‘green’ produce better than a doctor to the diners because restaurants may not have a farm attached to them yet have adopted some farmers who are working hard to protect the diversity and procure their entire produce

Way to the Heart is through the Stomach: The Property of the Chef… We stand the best chance to commence the Larger good.

As the farmers give us the produce we want, we must respect the farmers efforts and ensure that there is no waste. Chefs can work to reduce food waste and improve sustainability.

There are some pointers where we can work for vegetarian sustainable ways:
We can add diverse ingredients to our menu like highlighting organic vegetables and fruits in our dishes. Highlighting seasonal and diverse ingredients of the month and displaying a crop like Bambara groundnut at restaurants to enlighten people about such organic crops.

Advocacy- by using our voice to speak about the lesser-known ingredients on social media or at community events or while hosting diverse dinners.

 Chefs should source their ingredients from suppliers who employ ethically sustainable farming and rearing. When customers favor certain species of animals or fish which are under threat, chefs should explain the importance of ethical sourcing for the future of our planet and also design alternatives with ethically sourced produce

Information can be passed on to the guests during the various culinary workshops, cook-offs and pop-up diners conducted at restaurants.

Also menus could include information about ethical sourcing as well as other local biodiversity issues. Chefs should also limit the use of ingredients whose sourcing hinders ecosystems; a prime example can be lotus seed’ which are on the verge of extinction and are used in the exclusive Indian curries

More chefs’ communities should be created for the purpose of creating educational campaigns for the customers

Our food choices impact both the health and our planet as well.  Sustainable food which is very nutritious, seasonal, traditional, local safe and eco-friendly can help better health for all and a clean environment.
Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.

 Hence stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance in our endeavor as contributors towards safeguarding biodiversity.

Having highlighted the inherent importance of the Chefs at large…let’s examine historically “Vegetarian Cuisines business!?!
The oldest written documents on vegetarianism in Europe date back to the sixth century BC by followers of the Orphic mysteries. This religious group banned the sacrifice of animals and the consumption of meat and refused to eat anything animal-based (including eggs).

 At approximately the same time, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras developed his ideas about reincarnation, which led to the avoidance of the consumption of meat. He is considered the father of ethical vegetarianism and his name gave rise to the term Pythagorean way of life. The Pythagorean way of life was embraced by a number of prominent classical philosophers and writers and influenced nutrition in Europe until the 19th century.

The ancient Greeks observed that eating meat can be harmful to health and felt that it influenced the mind. They were of the opinion that plant food was supposed to cleanse the soul and that vegetarianism leads to an alignment with the gods. Also, they knew that there was enough food without eating meat

In the Renaissance era, Leonardo da Vinci practiced vegetarian nutrition. He was convinced that “the time will come when we condemn the eating of animals, just as today we condemn the eating of our own kind, the eating of humans.”

In 1847, the first vegetarian society was started in England. The American Vegetarian Society was founded in 1850 and the German Vegetarian Society was initiated in 1867, followed by the establishment of vegetarian societies in many other countries

The situation during the Second World War improved somewhat with the formation of the Committee of Vegetarian Interests, which included members of the nation’s two vegetarian societies, as well as health food retailers and manufacturers.

There were always some members of the Vegetarian Society who ate no animal-derived foods at all, including eggs and dairy products, usually known as ‘non-dairy vegetarians’.

Vegetarian cuisine really began to flourish in the 1950s. In 1986 the assets of The Vegetarian Children’s Charity were combined with the Jersey Vegetarian Home for Children, to form The Vegetarian Charity, which still exists to support young vegetarians.

In 1992 the Society first staged National Vegetarian Day, which soon became National Vegetarian Week, and has been held almost every year since

India is home to about 70% of world’s vegetarians with a history as old as the human civilization itself. 

Over thousands of years, withering many storms, Indian vegetarians have sustained and flourished to show the people outside a lifestyle which is more compassionate, healthy, and in harmony with nature.

 In India, traditionally, a vegetarian diet is considered to be very sober and having positive impact on our physical as well as mental health.

Therefore, even a traditional non-vegetarian is more of a vegetarian than a non-vegetarian because on most of the days he is dependent on a vegetarian diet and even on meat eating days, it is mostly a vegetarian fare except for one or two side dishes.

In the unknown history, the great Indian sages or rishis as they are called in India, had laid a tradition of vegetarianism by living harmlessly to attain salvation.  They lived and advocated a life where one lives using minimum resources and even the use of solar and wind energy. They propagated a harmless, healthy and cruelty-free lifestyle and established the importance of existence of all living beings and their inter-relations

Indian scriptures dating back to Vedic period (7000 BC-2500 BC) and earlier are all replete with messages which propagate non-violent and saattvik (pure or having good impact on body) food and lifestyle.

A saattvik food is one which calms and purifies the mind enabling it to function at its maximum potential.  It nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state. A saattvik diet, thus, leads to true health, a peaceful mind in control of a fit body, with a balanced flow of energy between them. Saattvik food includes cereals, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, sprouted seeds, whole grains and milk (taken from a cow, which is allowed to have a natural birth, life and death including natural food, after satiating the needs of milk of its calf).

“One is dearest to God who has no enemies among the living beings, who is non-violent to all creatures” - Bhagavadgita.

The Rigveda is the oldest work, which are probably from the period of 1900 to 1100 BCE.

“One who partakes of human flesh, the flesh of a horse or another animal and deprives others of milk by slaughtering cows, O King, if such a fiend does not desist by other means, then you should not hesitate to cut off his head”- Rig Veda.

Saints like Kabir, Tulsi Das, Mira Bai, Sant Tukaram, Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi always followed, preached and encouraged vegetarianism to their followers

On having highlighted the role of The Chefs, and having seen that the strong History of vegetarianism, shows that Future is going to be within the Realm of Vegetarianism, let’s see the Essence of Vegetarian Cuisines?

Vegetarian food plays a vital role in weight control and anti-obesity programs all over the world have recognized it. People become vegetarian for a number of reasons:

• To alleviate animal suffering
• Because they want to pursue a healthier lifestyle
• Also there are people who think for sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Who gave the Man to kill the weak: Conscience too hurts at times.
• The alleged cruelty in the slaughter houses too breaks the human resolve
• Cutting down meat delivers multiple benefits and the more we take the step, the more those perks would manifest on a global scale:
• according to researches if vegetarianism is adopted by 2050 it would stave off about 7 million deaths per year while veganism would estimate to around 8 million.
• currently used for crops is dedicated to producing food for livestock-not for humans

Another strong essence lies in the fact below:
Fibre rich diet that enhance the metabolism

• One of the most important elements of our modernized diet and nutrition is the shortage of fibre in our consumption. Most of the packaged foods are processed, refined and polished these days to an extent that all the fibres get stripped off. 
• Food items like rice, whole wheat, fruits which are eaten in the healthiest form are also processed and refined. Fibre plays the mechanical role even if it doesn’t have any nutrient value it still acts as a boosting agent for our body.
• All food available in nature is rich in fibre and hence adding them to our plates is very important.