India is celebrated for its diverse culture and cuisines, and French designer Julia Chaigneau seems to have found her haven here. In a post on X, she revealed her issue with the taste of meat growing up and how the trouble only grew for her due to the dearth of vegetarian options in Europe. However, things turned around after she landed in India, where she got to experience a variety like never before.
Taking to her social media account, Julia shared that most people in India are surprised to learn that she is a vegetarian. To put things into context, she revealed what really led her to switch to vegetarian food. “I actually grew up non-veg in a French family… but I always had an issue with the taste of meat. So when I moved out at 17 for my studies, I switched to vegetarian.”
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However, that didn’t make life any easier for her. She found a lack of good vegetarian options in France, with the only alternative being “Beyond Meat,” which basically replicated the taste of meat, exactly what she had been trying to avoid all along.
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It turned out to be a learning experience as she added, “I also had zero nutrition knowledge, so I had to figure out how to feed myself properly.” But things shifted a great deal, for good, when she moved to India. “Suddenly it felt like an entire world of vegetarian dishes opened up.”
Take a look at the post:
She recounted how she once walked into a fancy restaurant in Denmark where popcorn was the only vegetarian item on the menu. In India, though, she said, “I never have to check the menu before entering and that’s a genuine life upgrade.”
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Julia is now learning about different food cultures like Jain cuisine, pure vegetarian cuisine, and more. “There’s always something new, and it’s made being vegetarian feel much easier and more exciting for me,” she concluded.
The internet was divided in opinion, since food is taken a lot more personally. One user wrote, “Predicting that this post will blow again. Not because it’s controversial. Coz you shared facts.” Julia replied that she is aware it’s a sensitive topic.
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However, there were many who completely agreed with her in the comments. One user wrote, “India is a land of foods and spices. It has a huge variety of dishes. From North India to South India, you can taste all kinds of savouries.” Another commented, “It’s amazing how you turned a challenge into an exciting adventure with India’s incredible vegetarian variety. The paneer tikka and that South Indian thali look absolutely delicious…love how you’re embracing the flavours!”
Gursimran Kaur Banga is a Delhi-based content creator, editor and storyteller.
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Dining and Cooking