Vegetarian food in Italy is awful!

[Teakettletrio]

We are five days into our trip. The place is beautiful, the scenery is stunning, the sights are fascinating. BUT the food is awful. We’ve had various combinations of cheese and tomatoes for 5 days straight. I’m starting to lose it. The supermarkets are full of gorgeous looking vegetables but all we get offered is spaghetti pomoforo, gnocchi pomodoro or margarita pizza. We got all excited yesterday as we thought we had found a restaurant with a veggie burger, but it turned out to be a potato croquet in a bun. Is it just us? Have we been unlucky?

I've only had ribollita out in a restaurant once (an osteria in Florence) but it was mercifully pig free. It hasn't been meat contaminated when Italians have cooked it for me, either (or when I've made it myself, obviously).

But it's a Tuscan speciality, don't know if they do it much in Campania.

Can't make it this year because my cavolo Nero failed and my borlotti bean harvest was a bit paltry too, and I'm sad :(

I think ribollita is like a bowl of sick. Sorry!

That's a bit rude. It's a perfectly nice vegetable soup/ stew.

The sad truth of this thread is that if you won’t eat traditional Italian food, Italy isn’t for you. Others who put their concerns aside for a week or two are ok. The Italians largely cook for Italians and as visitors we have to accept - their country, their ways! No beef in Hindu India. Like it or lump it I'm afraid.

@OhDear111 oh dear indeed. Do you know anyone who is vegetarian who just ‘puts aside their concerns’ and eats meat or fish when on holiday? If they do, they aren’t vegetarian. This thread has proved that there are meat free dishes to be had, it’s just that I’m struggling to find them. So I have had to lump it and live on cheese, tomatoes and bread for a week. Thanks for your advice.

All often made with chicken stock.

The OP seems to be avoiding the fact that a majority of Italian cheese isn't vegetarian yet is saying she is currently living on cheese.

@Flinderskleepers Yes. She’s had to compromise but doesn’t know it!! She should be drummed out of the Veggie Club forthwith!

Why the glee at the idea of a vegetarian accidentally eating something that contains a meat by product?

@hexsnidgettNo glee from me - I couldn’t care less. However telling people off for not being true veggie believers (because you have much higher standards and cannot be persuaded not to worry for a week) and then eating meat products because you don’t understand Italian cooking is - add your own word! Mildly amusing?

Arrived at the airport to head home and had the best meal of the holiday! There was spelt with roasted vegetables and a cous cous salad with feta. It was fabulous. Never thought I would say that about airport food.

@OhDear111 you have yourself a lovely Sunday being rude to strangers online. Byeeeee!

Apologies, haven’t read anywhere near the full thread. I was totally disbelieving of your op until I looked up where Bacoli is, I’ve never had much difficulty in northern Italy (although it’s often unimaginative), but I spent a few days in Pozzuoli last year and the hotel staff were utterly bemused and ended up bringing me huge amounts of food, I think because they couldn't conceive of someone being full without animal protein. very carb-heavy, as someone already mentioned. Hope it improves for you!

Jesus Christ.

As a lifelong non meat-eater of over 60 years, this brought back many memories of restricted eating all round the world.

The worst was probably Moscow in 1991, in the middle of food shortages - fresh fruit and vegetables was out of the question, only pickled cabbage available. But also the unexpected delights, like Middle Eastern food in Israel in the 80s, or Uganda's amazing nut and vegetable curries.

The only advice I can offer in addition to the good advice upthread is to try to keep a sense of humour and low expectations. Does it matter if you're basically living on pizza for a week, if you've got Italy all around you? And take comfort that you are contributing to a social change that IS happening. When I was on a children's ward in central London in 1971, they didnt offer vegetarian options: they just gsve me a scoop of mashed potato and a bowl of custard for every meal!

Lots and lots of things abroad are made, quite rightly sorry veggies, with fish/chicken/meat stock. Things will often have bits of ham or meat fats in them. Its all about the flavour

Depends how strict you are as well, anything with parmesan is not really veggie but most veggies dont really care about that. I didnt when I was for 15 years, plus I wouldnt mind that much if something was made with chicken stock.

This every time.

It always baffles me how many in the UK have a love for 'traditional' foods stuffs from other countries while bemoaning our own and saying how awful and boring our food is. Having online arguments about what really makes a genuine lasagne or that theres no such thing as spaghetti bolognese etc etc

Yet the same things we would baulk at in our own society, traditionalism and rigidity of 'doing the right thing the right way' is exactly why Spanish, French and Italian foods (and many other european countries foods) are what we like, because they have been created to almost perfection (although a million grandmothers will give you a million different recipes for the same thing) and they're not going to make changes for food fads for the likes of us. Why should they.

I had to be semi veggie when I was a vegetarian when I holidayed. Only way to get through it.

And as OP says shes been eating cheese, that wont be pure vegetarian cheese.

Yes a chunk of meat is often just simmering with the stock while its being made even if the end result is a vegetable dish without bits of meat in it

Also rinds of parmesan being used to flavour broth which is then used for all manner of dishes.

Spain do this quite a lot, huge vats of simmering butter beans or judiones which are a vegetarian dish sort of, but while the beans are cooking a chunk of meat is put in with it to flavour it

Why wouldnt you! I do this myself and it makes such a difference.

As a life long vegetarian, I make sure that I have cooking facility for most part of my travel days. I will at least make salad/ pack a roll when we are out and about. Don’t get me wrong, would love to dine out but it is too much of a hassle for me especially when there is a language barrier. At the same time, I have perfected some simple dishes to make which takes no time at all. We love bread, pastries and cakes!! That’s helps a lot.

Worst was in France nearly 20 years ago, we didn’t have access to internet then and it was awful. Lot of pastries on that trip!

If you are not fussed about eating the food of the country you are visiting, find a good Indian restaurant.
Surprisingly, I ate well in Japan. Used Happy cow app and it was a god send.

Just be careful of pastries and cakes as well, usually/often cooked with lard as the fat.

Japan is so easy! I have a serious shellfish allergy and was worried about it but there’s vegetarian food everywhere, everyone was so happy to help and it was a great experience.

There are loads of lovely restaurants in Pozzuoli. Look up the menus using Google translate before you go.

@Ketzele we always travel with low expectations. Been vegetarian for over 40 years. It just seemed extra low offerings this time. And although living on pizza for a week might sound like fun, it’s really not great for your digestive system. I was petrified of getting constipated as I have a hysterectomy earlier this year and I’m still feeling fragile. And my DH had really uncomfortable bloating for the second part of the week. He basically stopped eating other than fruit, yogurt and nuts. Anyway, we are home now.