Vegetarian food reigns supreme during the Vu Lan season.

The vegetarian market is booming.

While it used to be quite difficult to find vegetarian food, with only a few stores selling it, nowadays, recognizing consumer demand and preferences, grocery stores, large supermarkets, mini-supermarkets, and food stalls in local markets all carry it.

The vegetarian market is very diverse, offering a wide variety of vegetarian spring rolls, sausages, patties, meat, fish, and shrimp to choose from, with prices ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of VND per kilogram (depending on the type). Specifically, vegetarian spring rolls range from 60,000 to 74,000 VND/kg; vegetarian steamed buns from 3,000 to 5,000 VND/piece; vegetarian chicken from 70,000 to 100,000 VND/piece; vegetarian lean pork sausage, beef sausage, and mushroom sausage from 60,000 to 100,000 VND/kg; vegetarian fish and shrimp from 100,000 to 300,000 VND/kg; vegetarian venison coated with sesame seeds from 150,000 VND/box…

A wide variety of condiments are available, including sauces, fish sauce, seasoning powder, bouillon powder, and MSG, catering to vegetarian needs and catering for vegetarian feasts. Specifically: Vegetarian fish sauce costs from 30,000 to 700,000 VND per bottle; various vegetarian sauces (5-7 jars) cost from 200,000 to 400,000 VND per set; soy sauce costs from 40,000 to 80,000 VND per bottle...

Vegetarian drinks are also quite diverse, including: non-alcoholic wines, non-alcoholic beers, fruit beers, and various types of nut milks…

During the Vu Lan festival (a Buddhist festival honoring parents), many people seek out vegetarian foods such as mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots to prepare vegetarian offerings for their ancestors.

According to many people's beliefs, during the Vu Lan season (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month), families often hold ceremonies and burn offerings to pray for the souls of their deceased relatives with vegetarian meals. Therefore, the demand for vegetarian food increases dramatically compared to previous months (when vegetarian offerings and meals are only eaten on the 15th and 1st days of the lunar month). Sales increase many times compared to normal days, but prices do not rise, with only a slight increase in some items.

Specifically, the prices of vegetables, tubers, and fruits have increased by 20-30% compared to the same period last month.

Vegetarian catering services are in high demand.

Starting from the seventh lunar month, vegetarian restaurants in Vinh City have begun accepting orders for vegetarian feasts. Ms. Van Thi Phuong, owner of a vegetarian restaurant on Nguyen Viet Xuan Street (Hung Dung Ward, Vinh City), said: “During the Vu Lan season, the demand for vegetarian feasts for Buddhists to offer at temples and for people to offer to their ancestors at home increases significantly. From the beginning of the month until now, we've had orders for vegetarian feasts every day, and on the 14th and 15th of the seventh lunar month alone, we received orders for up to 100 vegetarian feasts.”

Each vegetarian feast costs between 300,000 VND and over 1,000,000 VND, depending on the number of dishes and the complexity of preparation and presentation. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Based on the restaurant's menu, customers can choose suitable vegetarian dishes for their family's feast or have dishes cooked to their specifications at a reasonable price. On average, each vegetarian feast costs between 300,000 and 500,000 VND, but elaborate feasts can cost millions of VND.

Currently, there are about 10 vegetarian restaurants of varying sizes in Vinh City. During the month of July, these restaurants are always bustling with customers offering diverse menus: set vegetarian meals; à la carte vegetarian meals; vegetarian banquets; vegetarian hot pot, etc. However, the cost of a vegetarian meal at these restaurants is not cheap, averaging around 100,000 VND per person per meal.

Vegetarian catering services are in high demand during the Vu Lan festival. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Ms. Phuong, the owner of a vegetarian restaurant, said: "Since the beginning of the seventh lunar month, the restaurant has welcomed a larger number of customers. There are more customers eating lunch than dinner. The number of customers this month has increased three to four times compared to other months. Especially on the first day of the lunar month, the vegetarian buffet with 30 vegetarian dishes attracted hundreds of diners."

The number of vegetarian customers at restaurants during the Vu Lan festival increased dramatically compared to normal days. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Nowadays, vegetarianism has become a popular trend. Many people choose vegetarianism for religious reasons; some do it for self-cultivation; some want to lose weight; and many choose it as a way to protect their health and prevent diseases.

However, according to nutrition experts, a vegetarian diet needs to ensure adequate intake of all four nutrient groups: Firstly, carbohydrates found in rice, potatoes, corn, wheat, and other grains; secondly, protein, abundant in legumes; thirdly, fats from oilseeds such as soybeans, sesame seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and gac fruit seeds; and finally, vitamins and minerals found in vegetables, roots, fruits, and berries. It's also important to pay attention to the origin of ready-made vegetarian products, avoiding unregulated goods and those with many additives to ensure good health.