Since the
dawn of history, some people decided to embrace vegetarianism for various
reasons, such as religion, health, ethics or for the environment. Vegetarians
have a meat-free and fish-free diet. Different labels apply: lacto-ovo
vegetarians include eggs and dairy in their diet; pesco-vegetarians eat fish
and are considered pollo-vegetarians; the flexitarian is someone who eats
vegetarian sometimes but non-vegetarian at other times. The pesco- or
pollo-vegetarian and flexitarian are not considered vegetarians.
The vegan. A vegan will not eat anything to do with animals, which includes meat,
fish, dairy, eggs, and honey. And as erstwhile
vegetarians they may have come to embrace veganism for several reasons. However, being a vegan can be a lifestyle as
well. Such vegans also shun clothing, shoes, cosmetics or anything that has to
do with (use and exploitation of) animals.
Although it is often hard to make the distinction, there are dietary
vegans, who are vegans because of their health, and there are the ethical
vegans who have embraced veganism on political or moral grounds. They respect
all animals as sentient beings and take a stand against any form of
exploitation, suffering and killing of animals.
When
talking about the uncomfortable relationship between vegetarians and vegans, it
is mostly due to the ethical vegans. A vegetarian may be opposed to the killing
of animals but when consuming dairy and eggs not aware that these are products
of the exploitation of animals, and even killing of animals, such as the
killing of male chicks as an unwanted byproduct of egg production, not being
able to lay eggs and not fit for consumption. Hence they claim that
vegetarianism and veganism have nothing to do with each other; while ethical
vegans simply do not differentiate between meat-eaters and vegetarians as both eat
products that come from the exploitation of animals.
However, in
their zeal they forget about another aspect: their own road to veganism. The
personal history of each and every vegan illustrates how at some point in their
life someone started to embrace a vegan lifestyle. Some may have ‘converted’ to
veganism overnight, however, the majority of vegans started out as vegetarians,
and few, a very few grew up in a vegan household, but that is still a very
small minority. Does this imply that one can speak of gradual growth in
morality? No, absolutely not, but I presume that gradually (or very fast) more and more people become aware of the suffering and exploitation of animals. Most people have no
idea of the cruelty in the food industry, no idea what is really happening with
our food before it gets to the store. Most people need the transitional step of
vegetarianism, that is, no longer willing to be responsible for the exploitation of
animals, and along with that dawns the awareness of suffering of animals as
sentient beings.
Therefore vegetarians
and vegans can and do break bread together, or for that matter, scrumptious
apricot cake!
Apricot cake
Ingredients
- 350 gr. fresh apricots
- 175 gr. almonds
- 100 gr. candied orange peel, cut in pieces, ca. 1 cm.
- 125 gr. sugar
- 200 gr. flour
- 75 gr. sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons ground linseed, 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon psyllium
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Method
Mix the powdered linseed with water and leave for ten minutes until glutinous
Grease and line a small loaf tin.
Cook the
apricots until soft, remove the pits and mash.
Grind the
almonds.
Mix
apricots, almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt, mix well to a smooth mixture
Add sunflower oil, glutinous linseed mix well.
Add flour and psyllium, mix well
Add chopped orange peel, baking
powder and baking soda, mix and pour immediately into the prepared tin.
Bake for 45 min at 180⁰C
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