Phuket Vegetarian Festival Food: Eat, Pray, Feast

“Just so you know, we don’t serve chicken, we have no pork, no beef…”, a young waitress started reciting a seemingly endless list of missing menu items at 1000009 Thai Noodle Restaurant in Central Phuket. The two Western visitors, intrigued by the prospect of tasting a traditional Thai cuisine, faced an omnipresent Phuket Vegetarian Festival mantra: only vegetarian food available during the 9-day Taoist celebration locally known as Tesakan Gin Jae (sometimes spelled as Thetsakan Kin Che).

Meatarians insisting on finding a steak during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival exercise a much stricter diet than local vegetarians

As I was munching on quite a delicious vegetarian Pad Thai, I had no objections against the Jae / Jay Festival‘s effects on Phuket’s food offer. I was more surprised by the disappointment seen in the perplexed eyes of the tourists who couldn’t consume their desired meat protein. Rather than taking a dive into something new, they preferred roaming the streets and hoping to get luckier at the next eatery.

Yes, a strict vegetarian diet is a cornerstone of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Still, nothing is stricter than the conviction of those meatarians insisting on finding a steak in what clearly becomes a veggie town in those October days.

Nobody should stay hungry during the Jay Festival, however. Phuket roads, especially those leading to temples, are lined with stalls offering delicious food. This rich Phuket Vegetarian Festival buffet almost makes you wonder whether abstinence (manifested in avoiding sex and alcohol too) is truly the main prerequisite for purification. All those colors, scents, and flavors invite you to – indulge!

While many meat-centric restaurants and shops close their doors or turn vegan for a week, Jae is not a festival of starvation. Temples actually feed anyone who is hungry free of charge, while eating out in Phuket, often for just a dollar or two, becomes an exciting culinary adventure.

Learn everything you need to know about Phuket Vegetarian Festival food!

Going vegan is one of the great ways to reduce your carbon footprint when traveling. 

Phuket Vegetarian Festival origin – from malaria to miracles

Today better known for its jaw-dropping rituals – think cheek-piercing processions and fire-walking ceremonies – Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual period for purification. In Taoist belief, those nine days in the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually between September and October) are also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, remembering a divine intervention from the early 19th century.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival originated when a traveling troupe of opera performers visiting Phuket from China‘s Fujian province fell ill with malaria (or cholera?) in 1825. Traditional medicine failed to help, so in a desperate attempt to regain their health, they adopted a vegetarian diet and performed various rituals and cleansing ceremonies to honor the pantheon of Nine Emperor Gods. Miraculously, they recovered and, since then, the locals have celebrated this “vegetarian miracle”, expanding it into a significant annual festival.

An alternative theory links the Phuket Vegetarian Festival’s origins to the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864). The leaders of the Chinese who united to resist the Manchu-led Qing dynasty were killed, together with millions of others. Vegetarianism was supposedly introduced out of mourning for those who lost their lives.

Whenever Phuket Vegetarian Festival history really started, these customs have been passed down through generations of Chinese descendants in Southeast Asia, blending with local beliefs.

Today’s devotees, both Thai and Chinese, follow a strict set of rules for nine days, saying no to meat, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, sex, profanities, lies, and other impurities. Besides dairy, eggs, and fish sauce, even certain types of pungent veggies, such as onion, garlic, leek, scallions, and chives, are on the banned list. Consuming chocolate and fizzy drinks is discouraged. Participants also adhere to wearing all-white clothing as a symbol of purity. These acts are believed to bring good health, prosperity, and spiritual peace to the community.

Thaipusam in Malaysia has a similar set of rules where devotees eat vegetarian food once a day for 48 days. Learn more about the Hindu piercing festival. 

Vegetarian food stalls in Phuket

For visitors, the abundant plant-based meals are the highlight of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Hundreds of vegetarian food stalls spring up near the Chinese temples.

Probably the best street food in Phuket is served on Ranong Road, a section between Ranong Main Market and Jui Tui Shrine. Here, between 3 p.m. and midnight, the cars passing through are replaced with foot traffic, a hungry swarm of festival-goers navigating two lengthy rows of food stalls, each competing to win their taste buds.

Feel the atmosphere of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival street food market in our new YouTube series of uninterrupted Pipeaway Walks:

 

Phuket Vegetarian Festival street food market is occasionally interrupted by vendors offering flashy dragon toys and helium-filled balloons, leather purses, pyrotechnics, and cheap clothes (all white and light purple: temple-ready shirts and skirts for 100 baht, shorts for 50, trousers for 150). But the majority of goods traded are various meatless bites.

Food is normally eaten on the go. For my first try, I stop at a stall with plastic tables and chairs, a little al fresco pop-up restaurant. My plastic bowl is packed with noodles, veggies, mushrooms, crackers, and non-animal proteins. All quite delicious, and Thai-level spicy. Am I not glad I always carry my water bottle with me?

As I eat, it’s interesting to observe the well-oiled routine of this family operation. Everyone plays a role, from welcoming guests to a table, via flipping noodles and loading the garnishes, to washing the dishes (even here, in the street, someone has to do it).

My “lost in translation” lesson arrives when it’s time to pay. That big red “เจ” written on the yellow banner (not only on this stall) is not the price. I assume the lettering reads 17 baht. It does not. The 2-character sign is not even a number; it actually stands for – Jay (vegan). My noodles set me back 60 baht, still less than 2 dollars.

Do you want to learn how to cook vegetarian food Phuket-way? Join this well-rated vegetarian Thai cooking class!

Phuket Vegetarian Festival food menu

It’s hard to define the staple food of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, as there are so many options to choose from. My eyes went wide at tom yum-flavored scones, taro-filled steamed buns, deep-fried corn, crispy vegetarian pork or squid, wonton dumplings stuffed with water chestnut, and a myriad of fried noodles and fake sushi rolls.

All sorts of skewers wait for you to pick them and throw on the barbecue, while a long line of patient customers seems to be a standard in front of the stall specialized in grilling king oyster mushrooms.

One vendor juggles a basket of French fries in one hand, a mic in the other, enthusiastically promoting them over the loudspeaker. The competition for your appetite is fierce.

From Korean gimmari rolls and Indian panipuri to Vietnamese savory crepes, from Chinese zongzi to Thai donuts, Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a whirlwind journey through the tastes of Asia.

Corn dogs and pastries shaped like dogs are here literally steps away. Well, as long as you don’t get diverted by a collection of socks or sunglasses for your puppy.

The sweet side of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival buffet

Croissants will range from puffy to flat. Ice creams from soft to hard.

But to sweeten up my first-night experience at Phuket Vegetarian Festival, I try to avoid desserts with a Western world aura. Instead, I buy khao lam, sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes, with coconut milk and black beans. Price? Just 30 baht.

Most prices here are a comfortable two digits, with the exception of grapes: a bunch is priced at 170 baht. You can save if you opt for a skewer, with exactly five grapes on it – that will be 35 baht!

Your skewer can also pierce strawberries, or mixed fruit jelly balls. If you like it Japanese-style, you can get your berries (or kiwi) combined with creme-fraiche in those triangle sandwiches, or wrapped in pillowy daifuku. For more kawaii creations, stuff your bag with luk chup, cute bite-sized fruits made of mung beans.

If you just like it raw, opt for sliced fruit. This is a great opportunity to even try durian, a smelly fruit that will typically invoke a heavy fine if you bring it to your hotel or hostel.

Beyond classics such as mango sticky rice or coconut pancakes (“Yummy, yummy”, endorses them their energetic baker), you can get your fruit-sourced vitamins in fresh juices covering all sweet bases – longan, guava, watermelon, sugarcane, and, of course, coconut water.

You can also cool off with an iced milk tea, a virgin mojito (remember, no alcohol!), a Coke slushy, or a healthier – bean smoothie. If you want to go eccentric, try craft cocoa with a hint of mint, or a butterfly pea juice – with glitter.

When in Chiang Mai, make sure to visit the upscale street food offerings at Nimman night markets!

Dining beyond the festival stalls – Vegetarian restaurants in Phuket

Beyond ubiquitous street food during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, the town also has a surprising lineup of plant-based restaurants that operate year-round.

If you’re looking for a sit-down experience of vegetarian food in Phuket, you’ll find plenty of options that are, in fact, almost entirely vegan.

The highest density of vegetarian restaurants in Phuket is again on Ranong Road, close to Jui Tui Shrine. You might not see them easily during the festival, as they get overshadowed by food stalls placed in front of them, but they are certainly there!

Right at the corner with Soi Phutorn, I treat myself to a lovely meal at Luk To Vegetarian, for only 70 baht. I take rice with two vegetable add-ons (30), add a faux fish (10), and then three more sides from the fried section (tofu, veggies, and spring roll, 10 baht each). There is a language barrier here, but we managed to compose two plates that fill up my stomach. Water is free.

Phuket vegan restaurants offering a similar buffet of mock meats and veggies continue eastwards (Jia Chai Vegetarian Restaurant, Vegan Station, Ruamjai Vegan Restaurant, Hesan Vegetarian). As I pass by, they seem to be under renovation, with a humble food display, or finished for the day. Picking Luk To Vegetarian was a no-brainer.

Another solid, budget-friendly choice is Nong ‘J Vegetarian Restaurant on Patiphat Road. Here, for under 100 baht, you get an all-star cast of curries and mock meats: chicken, duck, pork, and even catfish. The setup might be simple (metal tables and fans), but with hundreds of five-star reviews, it’s clear this family-run gem knows how to wow a crowd.

If you’re looking into fancier vegetarian restaurants in Phuket, venture farther east. After the Suriyadey Circle roundabout, Ranong Road becomes Ratsada Road, and at the end, there is The Vegan Table. Here, you’ll find Beyond burgers, falafel wraps, vegan pizza and pasta, and even the vegan English breakfast. There are also drool-worthy cheesecakes and chocolate tarts, but prepare to pay more.

Even further east, via Phangnga Road, Ubuntu EAT awaits. This Indian vegan cafe opened just this year, but it already attracts raving fans. Beyond just a selection of masala (from chycken to fysh and sawsage), they also offer Thai and Lebanese options, kebab, biryani, salad and smoothie bowls. Expect to pay between 200 and 300 baht per person.

Food apps in Phuket

If you’d rather enjoy your veggie feast in your cozy accommodation (or any address in Phuket of your choice), you’re in luck. Phuket’s food delivery game is strong – there are simple, fast, and reliable services that can bring food to your doorstep. The delivery is often free, plus you can score a discount or a promotion.

The most popular food apps in Phuket are Foodpanda, GrabFood, Weserve, Lineman, and Aroi Dee. Most often, they present their menus in both Thai and English, so you won’t accidentally order spicy squid on a no-meat day. You can pay with cash or credit cards.

Conclusion: Celebrating Phuket Vegetarian Festival through food

As you meander through the bustling Phuket street food market, the squeaky chicken in the hands of a lady selling a variety of fun gimmicks is the only animal you’ll hear crying. In The Land of Smiles, walking through this vegetarian food paradise testifies that, for truly gastronomic hospitality, no animal has to hurt.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival transcends the boundaries of food and dives deep into the spiritual traditions of the local Chinese community

If you want to taste what Phuket is all about, visiting the town during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival will give you a solid overview. More than just a family event with culinary delights, this celebration carries the weight of Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

Sure, any food lover would enjoy indulging in everything from savory street snacks to hearty vegan meals and delicate desserts. These will all captivate and delight the senses.

But Phuket Vegetarian Festival transcends the boundaries of food and dives deep into the spiritual traditions of the local Chinese community. These authentic and complex traditions remind us that our outputs relate to our inputs. We are what we consume.

Whether you’re a committed vegetarian or just a curious foodie, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival will take you on a truly immersive and unforgettable culinary journey. If you’re open to different interpretations, maybe cleansing your habits once in a while can even bring a blessing.

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