The Vegetarian Who Wanted Meat

[customersruinmylife]

This was extremelly confusing. I'm sure its the same for everyone who works with food, you have two friers. One is for meat (eg fish, sausages ect ect) and the other for veg (onion rings, fries). This is for obvious reasons so that vegetarians don't end up eating something that has been cooked with meat.

So...here we get the confused customer.

SC: Hi, I was wondering, are your chicken burgers cooked in vegetarian friendly oil?
Me: I'm afraid not. They are cooked in a meat frier, so the oil will not be vegetarian friendly.
SC: Oh...so you don't have any vegetarian friendly stuff then?
Me: We have a veg frier.
SC: Oh great! Just cook my burger in that then!
Me: I can't do that sir. That would contaminate the vegetarian oil.
SC: But I NEED to have vegetarian friendly oil!
Me: But we can't cook chicken in a vegetarian frier! It would mean that if a vegetarian ordered fries, they would be eating something that had been cooked with chicken. It's also illegal.

OK, I'm not sure if it is illegal...

SC: Fine then. I'll have to think about this.

He didn't think. He went up to a co-worker. Co-worker came up to me.

CW: Our chicken burgers aren't cook in vegetarian friendly oil are they?
Me: Please tell me it's not him...

I look down the bar and see the SC keenly watching us.

Me: No they're not...
CW: I thought that, it seemed so stupid I thought it was a trick question.

The SC decided to just order fries rather than "risk" eating a burger that had been cooked with other kinds of meat.

[Hotfoot]

When last I checked, "vegetarian" means "does not eat meat". Of course, I've been told by numerous sources now that fish is okay, which boggles my mind. Especially when they say, "If it comes from the sea, it's okay for me."

I asked them if dolphins and whales were on the menu. They didn't seem to like that much.

I mean, don't get me wrong, you can eat whatever you want to and I honestly don't care so long as you're not telling me I can't have my ham and cheese omelet or a nice juicy steak. But the word vegetarian has become so abused as to not even have a real definition anymore. It's like it describes anyone who doesn't eat red meat to people who are almost vegan, and thus it seems to fail as a descriptor.

Can't we come up with a few new terms to describe these things, rather than the poor, beer-battered, deep fried "Vegetarian"?

Please people, think of the words.

[rvdammit]

Me: But we can't cook chicken in a vegetarian frier! It would mean that if a vegetarian ordered fries, they would be eating something that had been cooked with chicken. It's also illegal.

OK, I'm not sure if it is illegal...

Definitely immoral, and possibly illegal as the goods wouldn't fit the description.

[poofy_puff]

When last I checked, "vegetarian" means "does not eat meat". Of course, I've been told by numerous sources now that fish is okay, which boggles my mind. Especially when they say, "If it comes from the sea, it's okay for me."

Can't we come up with a few new terms to describe these things, rather than the poor, beer-battered, deep fried "Vegetarian"?

Please people, think of the words.

That is one of my pet peeves too. The biological requirement for something to be a "vegetable" or "plant" is that it come from an organism capable of taking sunlight (or any light) and using it to synthesize its own carbohydrates and proteins out of minerals and other nutrients in the soil (or other growing medium).

Last time I checked Wikipedia, fish weren't able to do that. Not even shellfish. Even things like milk and eggs don't count. I used to only eat seafood meat and people would say (for example at a picnic or cookout), "Oh so you're a vegetarian then?"

Another time, my friend was making Thanksgiving dinner and she said she was cooking a salmon "because [my daughter] is a vegetarian". I'm like, "So since when is salmon a vegetable?" and she replied, "But it doesn't walk on four legs!"

Now that explains a lot about people!

[Naaman]

Can't we come up with a few new terms to describe these things, rather than the poor, beer-battered, deep fried "Vegetarian"?

Please people, think of the words.

I've always used Demi-Veg.

[queenbb]

there are several types of vegitarianism, some only eat veggies, some nothing from animals at all, some eat chicken or fish or both,

they all have different names which i cant think of (only vegitarian and vegan)

btw i heard of a lawsuit where mcdonalds was sued because they had beef flavoring on their fries, and therefore not vegitarian friendly.

i have also know vegitarians who dont really eat vegitables only baked goods, and cheese type stuff.

i even have a friend who is a "meatatarian" thats right he refuses to eat vegitables

[Naaman]

i have also know vegitarians who dont really eat vegitables only baked goods, and cheese type stuff.

I've seen them; normally college age, get into vegetarianism to be with the cool 'alternative' kids but also have a history of being spoiled brats who've never been forced to clean their plate.

Their diet seems to consist of fries, Smash and Greggs cheese and Onion pasties

[PepperElf]

SC: Oh great! Just cook my burger in that then!

I'm sorry we can't contaminate the vegetarian oil with meat products such as chicken patties. If we did, then we couldn't produce anything fried for vegetarians afterwards.


so...if she says "well chicken isn't meat"... "I'm sorry ma'am. We cannot put any animal based flesh into the vegetarian oil, only vegetables."

[Crawley]

i even have a friend who is a "meatatarian" thats right he refuses to eat vegitables

Woohoo! Carnivore FTW!

[Sparky]

Chicken: A very fast vegetable.

[queenbb]

I've seen them; normally college age, get into vegetarianism to be with the cool 'alternative' kids but also have a history of being spoiled brats who've never been forced to clean their plate.

Their diet seems to consist of fries, Smash and Greggs cheese and Onion pasties

well this one wonders why she is so heavy and keeps gaining weight, (other than a possible medical problem)

Woohoo! Carnivore FTW!

he hates vegetables as much as i hate catcup and thats alot.

[Snowbird]

Another time, my friend was making Thanksgiving dinner and she said she was cooking a salmon "because [my daughter] is a vegetarian". I'm like, "So since when is salmon a vegetable?" and she replied, "But it doesn't walk on four legs!"

Since when do turkeys walk around on four legs? More drumsticks, woo!

It'd make things simpler if people said 'I'm on an exclusive diet' rather than just tacking vegetarianism onto everything. That would allow for excluding meat, veggies, whatever their little hearts desire, but this is SC's we're talking about.

[XCashier]

so...if she says "well chicken isn't meat"... "I'm sorry ma'am. We cannot put any animal based flesh into the vegetarian oil, only vegetables."

You can't even use the term "animal". I know some folks who honestly believe that birds and fish are not animals. Apparently, they think "mammal" and "animal" are one and the same.

[Geek King]

That is one of my pet peeves too. The biological requirement for something to be a "vegetable" or "plant" is that it come from an organism capable of taking sunlight (or any light) and using it to synthesize its own carbohydrates and proteins out of minerals and other nutrients in the soil (or other growing medium).

Hmm...one must wonder where mushrooms and deep-sea kelp fall into the system. Slow moving animals, or non-conformist vegtables?*



PS--I know what you mean, just can't help myself.

[poofy_puff]

Hmm...one must wonder where mushrooms and deep-sea kelp fall into the system. Slow moving animals, or non-conformist vegtables?*



PS--I know what you mean, just can't help myself.

That's a good question; the answer would be that mushrooms are symbiotic (and/or parasitic) fungi which are partly chemo-synthetic (can synthesize their own food under the right chemical conditions) and there are some forms of sea plants that are entirely chemosynthetic. The thing that makes the kelp brown is the key, it's the kelp's version of chlorophyll, but I'm not sure of the correct terminology. I'll tell you all about mushrooms, but I'm not an expert on kelp.