Vegetarian and jay food
Jay food, flagged by the yellow sign reading เจ, is Thailand's strict plant-based cooking from Chinese Buddhist practice: no meat, seafood or egg, and often no garlic or onion. It is a safer bet than a "vegetarian" line on a beach menu, which may still hide fish sauce.
Photo: Muzirian (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Jay (เจ) is the Thai vegan plate tied to Chinese Buddhist practice. It skips meat, seafood, and egg. Strict jay also skips garlic, onion, and other pungent bulbs. A dish called vegetarian on a beach menu may still use fish sauce. Say "gin jay" if you need the strict plate. The yellow flag with a red เจ marks a jay kitchen.
The Vegetarian Festival falls in the ninth lunar month, usually late September or October, for about nine days. Phuket takes it furthest. Outside festival week, fruit and mango sticky rice (often 50 to 120 THB) are the easy orders, plus a tofu curry if the cook will skip fish sauce. On's Thai-Issan in Kanchanaburi is a named vegan room. Read how to order before you sit.
What is actually safe
- Fruit and mango sticky rice are the low-risk sweets. Ask about egg in the cream.
- Pad thai and curries usually contain fish sauce. Jay only if the cook agrees.
- Festival streets in Phuket add jay stalls for those nine days. The rest of the year, ask.
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- Vegetarian or jay?
- Vegetarian may allow egg and garlic. Jay does not. Say which you mean.
- When is the festival?
- About nine days in the ninth lunar month, usually late September or October.