Hi, I’m Eleanor and I’ve been learning how to eat vegan in Shanghai for the past 6 months. Before I came to China, I had no idea how easy or difficult it would be to overcome the language barrier, and therefore didn’t know if I would be able to continue my vegan lifestyle in China. This uncertainty almost stopped me from going on this adventure, but now I can say I’m so pleased it didn’t. I’ve since discovered that sticking to a vegan diet in Shanghai is far easier than I anticipated. Here are my top tips to help anyone else with the same concerns.

What can I eat other than rice?

Tofu is really popular in China and most supermarkets offer a huge selection of it. It’s really versatile and easy to cook, making home cooking a good choice for anyone looking to eat vegan. I often make Spaghetti Bolognese with home-made tomato sauce, tofu and vegetables. Vegetables are also widely available in supermarkets and markets and they are so cheap!

If you aren’t a big one for cooking though, it’s still easy to eat vegan in Shanghai restaurants. There are places all over the city that will make vegan food for you if you ask them. One of my favourite dishes is shredded potatoes cooked in oil with vegetables, which is so simple and so good!

Don’t they put meat in everything?

In short, no they don’t. However, be aware that some restaurants will put chicken or fish in a dish if you ask for no meat. This is because they don’t consider chicken to be meat. One time I asked for no meat, no fish, and no chicken, and they came out with a dish that had frog in! The trick is not to assume that they know what you mean when you say you’re a vegan and don’t eat meat. You should be very specific about what you do and don’t eat. If they tell you they don’t have anything for you to eat, you can always find a restaurant that will. There are so many restaurants everywhere that you’ll have plenty to choose from.

So, how can you make sure restaurant staff understand your needs? Simply save the photo below on your phone and show it to the waiter. It might take longer than usual, but this is so helpful to being able to eat vegan in Shanghai.

Though this is helpful, be warned that restaurant staff in China are not as polite as in the UK. If they find your dietary requirements funny, they won’t hide it and might even go and tell their colleagues. This is nothing to worry about, it’s simply because they have not come across veganism before. They are not trying to be rude, they just don’t understand.

Where will I get my protein from?

Soy milk is readily available in most big supermarkets, many of which you’ll find without even trying. Walmart, Carrefour and E-mart are some of the big names that can be found across Shanghai.

If you’re trying to eat vegan you should avoid Vitasoy ‘soy milk’. Although this brand claims to be soy milk, it actually contains regular milk, which I unpleasantly found out when it turned in my fridge after only a few days.

As I mentioned earlier, tofu is available readily in supermarkets. This is a great addition to a stir fry and comes in many varieties.

I also try to eat peanuts every day, to maintain my protein intake.

British people trying to eat vegan in Shanghai will be pleased to know baked beans are available in some supermarkets. Be warned however, bread in China is often sweetened with milk and is therefore not vegan. It’s best to shop around and see if you can find a brand that hasn’t been sweetened. You might have to ask a Chinese friend or teacher to help you with the ingredients.

soy-milk-not-vegan
Above: this is the soy milk that is not vegan

What can I eat for breakfast?

I usually eat toast with cooked tomatoes and mushrooms which is pretty tasty. Shops all over the city sell oats, which you can just add water, almond milk or soy milk to. Weetabix is also in some imported goods supermarkets, so breakfast shouldn’t be a concern if you want to eat vegan in Shanghai.

Will my school provide food for me?

Most schools in Shanghai provide lunch for their teachers, but you will need to tell them your dietary requirements. They will try and accommodate, but they might forget on occasion. When the chefs are cooking for so many people and only one has specific requirements, you can see why they might forget. That said, you won’t ever go hungry. My school once forgot and put meat in with the tofu, the rice, and the vegetables, but I was allowed off campus to find food from a place nearby.

It’s a good idea to take some fruit, crisps or nuts to work in case you get hungry. You can find Walkers (Lays) in China, but the plain flavour is in the yellow packaging, instead of red. Bear this in mind or you might end up with a meat flavoured snack.

 

Can I eat vegan in Shanghai restaurants?

There is an App called ‘Happy Cow’ that is useful when it comes to helping you eat vegan in Shanghai. It has a rating system, and a map to show you how to get there. It’s useful too because you can also use it when you go back home. Make sure you check on-line before you go to the places though, as one time I went to a place that was listed on there, but it was no longer open.

The best Chinese dish in my opinion is Hot Pot. You have a broth in the middle of the table, (check this isn’t made using meat) and then you order little plates of whatever you want to put in, and you just cook it yourself. I only get vegetables, but I always leave feeling so full and happy. The best hotpot place I’ve found is the chain restaurant called Xiabu Xiabu. This place allows you to order a personal hotpot, so you can easily eat out with non-vegan friends.

There are also lots of We Chat groups for people who eat vegan in Shanghai. People often post about meeting up and going for food at various places – it’s a great way to make friends. They also post about events, one of which was a vegan festival in the day time where they had loads of food and drinks to try and live music.

happy-cow-app
Above: Happy Cow App logo of the app for finding restaurants

Are there any vegan restaurants?

Surprisingly, there are quite a few vegan restaurants in Shanghai, and a lot of them are on the Happy Cow APP.

Happy Buddha on South Shaanxi Road sells vegan burgers, hot dogs and a vegan mac and cheese. They also sell cakes, so if you’ve a bit of a sweet tooth then never fear. You can buy whole cakes if you want to get a birthday cake or something, or just really like cake.

There’s also a restaurant called Organic Kitchen, which does a vegan buffet every Wednesday and it’s really good.

I went to another vegan restaurant which, is in my opinion, the best. It’s called Humane Vegetarian, and it’s in the River Mall at Yaohua Road station. It does the most amazing mock meat. The staff there speak good English and none of their products have dairy in unless the menu says otherwise. It’s at B1 in the mall.

organic-kitchen-shanghai
Above: the front of the restaurant that does vegan buffet

How will I get my B12?

I advise taking Vitamin tablets out with you, as they might be slightly different in China. I brought enough with me to last the year, so I didn’t have to worry about it.

What about health and beauty products?

Unfortunately this is one that is a lot harder to be strict with. There are no cheap alternatives for cruelty free products in Shanghai that I have come across. By all means, look for yourself, but I’ve not had much luck so far. I did find cruelty free products in the shop underneath Happy Buddha, and at the Vegan festival I went to, but these products were out of my price range at around 200RMB for a small bottle.

I would suggest trying to bring as much out with you as you can. You might have to buy extra baggage allowance on your flight out here, but it is worth it. Alternatively, you could get your family or friends to buy products for you at home and ship them out. This might take a while though, and as I’ve not tried it myself, I don’t know whether it’s worth it financially.

I have not found any make up products that are vegan. From what I can tell, just try to bring enough out with you to last the year. A lot of cosmetic products in China have whitening products in anyway, so it’s even advisable for non-vegans to stock up on moisturiser and foundation before they come out here, unless you want bleached skin.

I’m sorry I don’t have more information about cities outside of Shanghai, but I am sure that if you follow the advice in this article, you can apply a lot of it to other cities. Make sure you are very specific and don’t be afraid to send things back, as the chances are you’re going to have to a few times.

I really hope this article has assured you that it is possible to eat vegan in Shanghai!

 

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By Eleanor Beresford, Teacher in Shanghai (2016-2017)