Know the food culture before you order

Bridgetown and the south coast have the most options. Massy Stores stocks US and UK imports. Resorts handle vegan requests well with advance notice. Cou-cou (polenta with okra) can be vegan, but flying fish is the national dish — seafood is everywhere.

Safari lodges accommodate dietary requests well if notified in advance — use booking forms, not verbal requests. Dar es Salaam has limited but improving options. Shoprite and Game supermarkets stock South African imports. Pilau rice often contains meat stock.

Rīga’s central market is excellent for fresh produce, and the city has a growing vegan scene. Rimi and Maxima supermarkets stock EU products. Traditional dishes hide sour cream (skābais krējums) and lard — ask “bez piena, bez gaļas”.

Lima ranks among South America’s best food cities and has a growing vegan scene in Miraflores and Barranco. Cusco’s tourist infrastructure helps. Ask “sin carne, sin lacteos, sin huevo” — and watch for aji sauces that may contain cheese.

Bogota and Medellin are improving rapidly — look for “menu ejecutivo” restaurants where you can see the food before ordering. Exito and Carulla supermarkets stock decent ranges. “Vegano” is increasingly understood in major cities.

Tagines look vegetable-heavy but almost always contain butter (smen) or meat stock — ask “bla zebda, bla lahem” (without butter, without meat). Carrefour and Marjane stock European imports. Marrakech’s tourist restaurants understand “vegan” better than traditional riads.

Largest Indian diaspora in the Caribbean means “doubles” (bara with channa) are a vegan street food staple. Roti skins are usually vegan — but check fillings for ghee. Say “no dairy, no meat” rather than “vegan” for clarity.

English-speaking makes communication easier. Rice and beans (cooked in coconut milk) are often naturally vegan — but check for chicken stock. Brodies and Save-U supermarkets stock basics. San Ignacio and Placencia have the best options.

Mezze culture makes accidentally vegan dishes common — hummus, falafel, moutabal, and ful medames are staples. But yogurt (laban) appears unexpectedly in many dishes. Ask “bidun laban, bidun lahem” (without yogurt, without meat).

Quito’s La Floresta district has the strongest scene. Supermaxi and Megamaxi stock decent ranges. Galapagos requires advance planning — notify your cruise or hotel well ahead. Say “sin carne, sin lacteos” and watch for manteca (lard).

Korea’s honeymoon island has better tourist infrastructure than the mainland — look for “chaesik” (chaesik) for vegetarian. Black pork is the local specialty, so confirm dishes don’t include pork stock or lard.

French supermarkets (Carrefour, Leader Price) stock familiar EU-labelled products — self-catering is your safety net. Creole cuisine relies heavily on fish stock and butter; ask “sans poisson, sans beurre” but expect confusion outside resort restaurants.

St. John’s and resort areas have basic options. Epicurean and First Choice supermarkets stock US imports. Fungie (cornmeal) can be vegan, but local cuisine is heavily seafood-based. Specify dietary needs when booking resorts — verbal requests get lost.

Rodney Bay and Soufrière have the most options — local towns are much harder. Massy Stores stocks regional imports. Resorts accommodate dietary requests significantly better than local restaurants. Green fig and saltfish is the national dish — fish is everywhere.

Orthodox fasting (“de post”) creates seasonal vegan options — but “de post” permits shellfish and honey. Mega Image and Carrefour supermarkets stock EU imports. Bucharest has a small but growing dedicated scene.

Orthodox fasting food (“postno”) is widely available but permits honey and shellfish — not reliably vegan. Fantastico and Kaufland supermarkets stock EU imports. Sofia’s Vitosha Boulevard area has the strongest options.

Indian heritage means vegetarian concepts are understood — but “pur vegetarien” may include ghee. Resorts accommodate dietary requests well. Super U and Winner’s supermarkets stock French imports with EU labelling.

Belgrade’s Vračar and Dorćol districts have the strongest vegan presence. Orthodox fasting (“posno”) creates seasonal options but permits seafood and honey. Maxi and Idea supermarkets stock EU imports. Ćevapi and pljeskavica are meat by default.

Orthodox Christian fasting (“tsom”) creates 200+ vegan days per year — injera with vegetable stews is naturally vegan during fasting periods. Ask for “yetsom beyaynetu” (fasting platter). One of the world’s best destinations for accidentally vegan food.

Conad and Spar supermarkets stock Italian and Greek imports with EU-standard labelling. Tirana’s Blloku district has the strongest scene. Traditional cuisine is meat-heavy but olive oil is the default cooking fat.

All-inclusive resorts handle vegan requests if notified in advance — use “vegano estricto” to be clear. Jumbo and Nacional supermarkets in Santo Domingo stock decent ranges. Punta Cana is heavily resort-dependent.

Managua and Granada have limited options. La Colonia and Pali supermarkets stock basics. Gallo pinto (rice and beans) is often cooked in lard — ask “sin manteca” (without lard). Political instability affects import availability. Markets have fresh produce but limited packaged vegan products.

Seoul has over 400 vegan-friendly listings on HappyCow — but traditional dishes hide anchovy stock (myeolchi) and fish sauce (jeotgal) in almost everything including kimchi. Say “chaesik-juuija” (I’m vegetarian).