Kitchen Myths

Facts and fiction about food and cooking, by Peter Aitken

Vegetarians can eat seafood

4 Comments Posted by kitchenmyths on November 13, 2013

I have met more than one person who claims to be a vegetarian, but happily chows down on fish, scallops, and other seafood. Sorry, this just won’t wash. Fish are animals, and by definition a vegetarian does not eat animals. No, Virginia, a clam is not a vegetable!

Of course there is nothing wrong with eating seafood, it is tasty and healthy. But, it is not vegetarian. If you eat seafood but no other animals, then you are a piscaterian.

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4 responses to “Vegetarians can eat seafood”

Linus November 13, 2013 at 12:35 pm
What about caviar? Since eggs are vegetarian, shouldn’t caviar be, too?

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- kitchenmyths November 13, 2013 at 3:02 pm
  You are right – caviar is fish eggs and is therefore vegetarian.
  
  Reply
Otinanai November 14, 2013 at 7:58 pm
How can it be vegetarian when you have to kill or make incision to the fish to take the eggs? It’s not…

Reply
- kitchenmyths November 15, 2013 at 7:25 am
  Vegetarian means “no animal flesh.” Fish eggs are not animal flesh, therefore are OK. The fact that the fish is often killed to get the eggs is irrelevant, although some people will avoid caviar for that reason.
  
  Would you claim that broccoli is not vegetarian because lots of rodents, snakes, and other critters are killed when the field is plowed?
  
  Reply