Hubby posed a question to me the other day… vegetarians often make substitutions in recipes to render their creations meatless or animal-free. And vegetarians often expect omnivores to eat those dishes, whether or not the substitutions are disclosed.
Yet, turning the tables in that situation would most likely cause a ruckus since vegetarians and vegans are often militant about checking the ingredients in, or finding out about, the food they are about to eat. Most vegetarians have no problem declining to eat a certain food if it’s known to have meat in it, and could feel “tricked” if they unknowingly consume meat.
So the question is… should the same courtesy be extended to omnivores? Should omnis be told the ricotta cheese in the lasagna they are eating is really made from tofu instead of cheese?
Hubby’s question reminded me of an advice column I saw in the newspaper once… a woman had written in to say that a nice couple from their church invited people over for dessert. The couple happened to be vegan and served an animal-free treat. The letter writer’s husband, however, didn’t know the cake was vegan until later when he got home and was rather upset that he had been “tricked” into eating something made with soy instead of dairy.
Should full disclosure go both ways? I’m interested in hearing what you think!
Usually it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, I would think. The only real exception that comes to mind is for someone with food allergies who is offered a dish that has always been safe for them to eat. But if substitutions are discretely made introducing an allergen, the person may not think to ask about what’s in it, since it’s always been safe.
Very good point, Jeremy!!
You know I’ve never thought about that but it’s true. I’ve often tricked family and friends because of fear they won’t want to eat the food because it has tofu in it. But now you’ve got me thinking that probably isn’t fair. But then again I don’t want to eat any animal products for ethical reasons not because I just don’t want to try it like which may be the case for something like tofu. I think now though when someone asks me what’s in the food I’ll be more honest instead of being sneaky. Too bad, being sneaky was kinda fun.
The same question was asked on Last Resturant Standing on the BBC this week. They used pig parts on a salad, and sold them with out disclosing what KIND of parts they were (YUCK) but in the end the couple who did that got in trouble since Raymond Blanc said it was NOT ok.
I fail to see how anyone could have a moral opposition to soymilk, so I really don’t think it is an issue at all.
If you baked a carrot cake, and substituted the walnuts for pecans, would you be obligated to tell anyone? No. Same goes for soymilk instead of milk.
Cooks aren’t morally obligated to tell people about every ingredient in their food, unless someone asks, or it someone has a moral opposition to an ingredient. (E.g. serving cornbread made with lard to a vegetarian or an Orthodox Jew)
I’ve been vegan for over ten years. I would want people to disclose ingredients to me, especially soy, nut, or wheat ingredients. There are a variety of reasons people become vegan, and a variety of reasons people avoid certain foods, from allergies to production boycotts. If I expect to be told when there is dairy in a cake, I also expect to be told if there is soy.
Even as a vegan, I don’t like to eat a lot of soy. A little soy in a varied diet is great — using it every meal to sub for meat and/or dairy is probably not healthy (nor is it good for the environment). Plenty of omnivores object to soy because it is a huge, dominant, monocultural, factory farmed food that is bad for small farmers, the environment, and even for public health given the rise in allergies. Being vegan is not the only ethical food choice a person can make, and vegans should respect that.
I dont see why it matters. Vegetarians/Vegan are making the choice NOT to eat something. the whole point of being an omni is that you aren’t making exclusions. Its not like people who eat soy and people who don’t eat soy are mutually exclusive. IMHO the benefit to being an omni is that if it tastes good, you can eat it- no worries.
the allergy thing is a good point- but really shouldnt the allergic person ask if its really that big a deal? I had guests over recently, and I baked cupcakes for dessert. One of them was allergic to splenda, so she asked before she ate one. She didn’t have any reason to think they would have splenda (and they didn’t) but since she knew she was allergic, she asked to be sure.
@ Anon
As a vegetarian, I could with good conscience lie to a diner about a substitution, even something as seemingly innocuous as soymilk. Firstly and most obviously, there are allergen concerns, and I doubt anyone would oppose such an argument. But secondly, although you would “fail to see how anyone could have a moral opposition to soymilk,” that is simply a testament to your myopic view; for example, someone could dislike the practices of the soymilk extraction or have an aversion to the effects of walnuts on their digestive system, something only they would understand. And while these examples may seem extreme, it is the fact that such arguments even exist that makes this an important distinction between your viewpoint and that of those who eat the food you prepare for them.
I’m not saying that you are obliged to give everyone an ingredient list for everything you feed them, but from the viewpoint of the diner, being fed is not solely a ritual of nutrition: it also centers around trust. And I believe that if there is something in the dish that one would normally not expect, we are obligated to divulge it.
Sorry, “could not with good conscience.”
And @ LK,
You can’t think of one ingredient that, if you didn’t know it was there, would deter you from eating a dish? And even if you can’t, surely other omnivores could. There is a difference between being a picky eater yourself and sympathizing with the dietary concerns of others
I enjoy RL for awhile and come back to a comment explosion! Wow! Thanks so much for weighing in on this issue everyone. There are a lot of excellent points made! Keep ‘em coming!
I think it’s somewhat of a one-way street in my books. I definately need to know what is in something before I consume it, however, I don’t want to tell someone what’s in my cooking until AFTER they take a bite, just to get a fair review.
I am happy to share the ingredients once the food has been tried, but I know that if I mention tofu before anyone tries it, I’ll be eating the entire dish myself.
If someone has allergies or dietary concerns, I’m happy to list the ingredients before hand, but I don’t like it when people just decide they don’t like something before they even try it….like the dreaded ingredient ‘tofu’. But, if people want to be like that, then more for me!
I sneak stuff in on the SO, but I would never do that to guests because I’d want the same consideration. And the food allergy issue should be considered as well. I have a friend who recently discovered a soy allergy. It happens!
I think as long as you know any ingredients that your guest avoids, be they a meat eater or veggie, then you are ok. If someone gives me a veggie meal, I do not expect them to list all the ingredients.
Accuracy is good on all counts. I have to be incredibly careful in my consumption of soy because it negatively affects an endocrine condition I happen to have. If I was served something called “ricotta-stuffed manicotti” at a dinner party, I would naturally assume the ricotta was actually ricotta and wouldn’t think to second guess my host. Yes, it is my responsibility to be hyper-vigilant on the soy issue, but owning up to the ingredients in your cookery just simplifies the process for everyone involved.
Speaking as an omnivore who regularly cooks for vegetarian, lactose-intolerant, sugar-avoiding, gluten-avoiding housemates…it *really* simplifies the process.
Many thanks to everyone who has left an opinion so far! This has been a great discussion and interesting reading. Keep the comments coming.