Vegans in the Kebab Belt

Turkish kebab and Turkish delight are probably the duo that comes to one's mind when one thinks of Turkish cuisine. Well, yes, Turks eat kebab and nearly every city has a kebab cooking method of its own. But for some, it is all about maça, spirulina, chia and almond milk these days. 

Probably vegan is the new black or with all the terror and wars surrounding us, people are more into their conscience, who knows? But there is the growing vegan community in Turkey. Some are having their difficulties, while others think it is not big of a deal existing in the "Kebab Belt" as a vegan.

I just used the definition "Kebab Belt" but one thing Turkish vegans do not like is associating Turkish cuisine only with kebab, köfte and etc. One Turkish vegan, Gürkan Y?lmaz, thinks this is pure orientalism. Some vegans think it is no different than being vegan in any European country. Aybuke Durmu? outlines grains and seeds are commonly used in Turkish cuisine, so vegans can find vegan food in traditional Turkish restaurants. Durmu? also says fruits and vegetables are much cheaper than northern European countries, so being vegan does not cost a fortune in Turkey. And she has point, according to Hurriyet's survey: the most adored Turkish food in Turkey is stuffed grape leaves, cooked with olive oil. That is actually a vegan dish and it apparently beats all the kebab and köfte when it comes to Turkish taste.

But of course there is the tradition factor from time to time. A vegan university student, Yunus ?enda?, explains how his parents reacted at first. But as they saw he had already made up his mind, his mother now willingly cooks him Turkish vegan dishes herself. ?enda? gets a lot of questions from his friends like "This is the rule of the nature, won't you...