Vegetarianism is a big deal in India. Back in 2007, a UN FAO study determined that the country had the lowest rate of meat consumption in the world, with as much as 40% of the population identifying as some form of vegetarian. Even among those who do eat meat, less than 30% will eat it regularly. Most traditional cuisine prepared in India nowadays will make use of no animal products, with the exceptions of milk and honey.
Vegetarian diets are so important in India that the country devised a color-coded system for food vendors to clearly indicate what diets their offerings accommodate. Food marked with a green dot in a green square will be strictly vegetarian, while those featuring a brown dot in a brown square will indicate that it contains milk, honey, or other animal products.
The motivation behind vegetarianism in India is based in a big part on religious beliefs. Many dogmas practiced in the country forbid, or at least discourage eating meat. According to ancient Vedic scriptures, “There is no sin in eating meat… but abstention brings great rewards.” In the modern day, Hinduism teaches its followers to avoid meat, a practice that scholars believe came from influences from the strictly vegetarian belief system known as Jainism.
For many, practicality plays a big role in their vegetarianism. Eating beef fell out of practice, since the animals are highly valued for their milk, the fuel created by their dung, and other products. Even when it was common to eat beef, the milk cows were not butchered.
