Story time:
Veganism and Me
Throughout my life, I've been known as a rather decent home cook by my friends and family. While a lot of women find being in the kitchen at all these days is redundant, I pretty much enjoy spending time in the kitchen and going out to dine in various restaurants, learning everything I can about food. In Thai cuisine, there are a lot of meat, as well as plants, used in almost every dish. Growing up a Thai, I never really shy away from vegetables, herbs, or fruits. Now, you probably wonder how and when I stumbled upon Veganism or how my vegan journey started: the truth lies within the following paragraphs.
My inspirations:
My mother is my Muse. She's my inspiration. My mother has decided to become a vegan for spiritual reasons earlier this year; needless to say, it was a conscientious decision. In Thailand, there's a festival called 'Gin Je', it was believed to be originated from China and passed on to Chinese descendants in Thailand. Gin Je is believed to be a way for a person to connect to a higher power on a spiritual level by sustaining from meat and all animal based products. This tradition is aimed to spare the lives of animals and not causing them any pain or harm by not consuming products that have been created through animal torture. 'Gin Je' is perceived and counted as good deeds or a way of making merits. That being said, Gin Je and Veganism does bear great similarities in terms of their code of conduct, and the fact that both their foods are kindness-based.
Apart from all the animal-cruelty free products, there are five vegetables that are banned from Gin Je dietary: garlic, all kinds of onions (from regular onions to spring onions), Chinese chives or garlic chives, a type of Chinese picked garlic (หลักเกียว), and tobacco. These plants are believed to contain certain health-related disadvantages and strong aromas, which are considered impure. Participants of Gin Je festival must not attach themselves to the appearance, smell, or the taste of the food. They must only consume clean, healthful foods that have not been tampered with any form of animal meat or involved in any case of animal cruelty, in order to succeed in their merit making. Participants are not only obliged to treat other living creatures with kindness, they also have to treat their own body and health with such compassion as well.
Now, I'm only going into details because I have been asked what Gin Je in my Instagram bio means. To learn more about Gin Je Tradition, click here. The only goal I aim to accomplish here is to offer some new information. Rest assured, I don't plan to convince anyone anything. For it is my belief that anyone has the right to express themselves whichever way they choose. This just happens to be part of my experience.
A little bit about me:
I suppose I could call myself a “foodie”, as I've spent my life in pursuit of good flavours- from the streets to Michelin Star restaurants. Of course, I have a lot to learn still at the age of 29, but I'd like to believe that I know a thing or two when it comes to food. I enjoy cooking a lot; I feel it is a form of therapy. I hope it doesn't sound too stereotypical when I tell you that my most favourite food to cook (and to eat) is Thai food. Being Thai, and a Bangkokian, gives me an edge. If you have already been here, you'd know that Bangkok is filled with restaurants serving all kinds of food from all around the world. It is such a perfect place to learn about food. I am a self-taught home cook whose speciality is Asian Cuisine, which explains why my Instagram account is full of Asian-inspired dishes. Since I am not a trained chef, I try to keep my recipes simple; so that they are easy to replicate.
I hope you enjoy browsing through my blog, and that you have fun creating your own dishes, using the recipes I have developed. Should you have any questions regarding Thai food in general, do not hesitate to email me or DM me on Instagram. I'll do my best to answer them. Follow me on Instagram for daily original content and fun facts about Thai Food you never knew before. Thank you again for giving my blog a chance. Your interest is very much appreciated.
If you feel like knowing more about me as a person,
feel free to read 20 RANDOM facts about me by clicking here.