While researching Malaysian vegetarian food for my Vegetarian Asia Travel Guide, I came across Christopher Mitchell’s blog, Eurasian Sensation. He writes about all sorts of culture — global, political, pop, Asian, food and musical. He had posted some very useful veg Malaysia travel info, so I contacted him and asked him a few more questions.

Christopher Mitchell, also known as Eurasian Sensation

Christopher Mitchell:  If you want some context as to my Asian/Malaysian connection… I’m of Australian and Indonesian background, and my partner is Malaysian, which is why I spend so much time there.

Teresa Bergen: How did you decide to be vegetarian?

Christopher Mitchell:  It was a confluence of factors for me. I’ve always been fond of animals, and first decided to be vegetarian when I was about 4. However, within hours I had remembered that meat was quite tasty, so my first flirtation with vegetarianism died before it really began.

Later when I was about 17, in a village in eastern Indonesia with my parents, I was served up dog meat, with the carcass still visible nearby. It made me feel sickened and upset, and while I didn’t become vegetarian for a few years after that, it really drove home the cruel realities of meat consumption and set me on a path towards giving up meat.

Then when I was at university, I got involved in student politics and hung out with some lefties, and started listening to a US band called Consolidated, who are stridently political and vegetarian. The final straw was my mother becoming effectively vegetarian a few months before me, so I was no longer being served meat at home. One day I noticed that I hadn’t eaten any meat for a week, so I thought I’d see how long I could keep it going. It’s been about 15 years and counting!

Consolidated’s Friendly Fascism album cover

Teresa:  What are your impressions about the reasons some Malaysians choose vegetarianism? (religion, health, etc)

Christopher Mitchell:  Malaysians who are vegetarian are usually so because of religious reasons. So typically, they are from an ethnic minority: predominantly Indian (Hindu or Sikh) but also Chinese (Buddhist). The majority of those religions’ adherents in Malaysia are not vegetarian, but they nonetheless tend to regard vegetarianism as a more pure way to live. Many people adopt a vegetarian diet temporarily in times of spiritual significance, such as in a period of mourning, or if they feel they need a better karmic balance.

Teresa: Is being a Malaysian vegetarian unusual? Did people act like it was a weird choice when you told them you’re vegetarian?

Christopher Mitchell:  Most Malaysians seem quite accepting of vegetarianism, largely because of the significant minority who are vegetarian for cultural and religious reasons. Because Malaysia is full of people with other religious dietary restrictions (Muslims only eating halal food or refraining from pork, and Hindus who might eat meat but not beef), I figure that food vendors are wise to these various sensitivities. Since I’m not Indian or Chinese, some people I met were a little curious what my motivation would be.