Prawn crackers

Nature Boy

What's the deal with prawn crackers you get in chineese food restaurants/take aways? Does the flavouring actually have prawns in them? Or are they usually vegetarian?

Shabadu

They are generally not vegetarian I'm afraid. Powdered shrimp mixed w/ eggwhite and other things then dried.

While we're on it, what's the deal with veggies eating chips & spring rolls & other deep fried things when the same oil is used for sausages and other meat containing things?

Nature Boy

Shabadu wrote:

They are generally not vegetarian I'm afraid.

Ah crap, I stayed eating them and never thought they actually had prawns in them.

Shabadu wrote:

what's the deal with veggies eating chips & spring rolls & other deep fried things when the same oil is used for sausages and other meat containing things?

I hate the thoughts of my food being cooked in the same oil as meat, but i'd say I've probably eaten veggie burgers/chips that were cooked with meat before without knowing. It's not like any of these people put any consideration or thought into what vegetarians want.

Nature Boy

Actually, speaking of chineese restuarants. Has anyone else found it unusual to find that there are very few if any tofu dishes on most chineese menus?
I always thought that the chineese eat lots of tofu?? I know that people love their meat over here so they have to change the dishes a bit but still you'd expect there to be plenty of tofu as well.

Drakol

Ok - First off ^^

Prawn Crackers are Processed and dried chips *Almost like plastic*, which are Fried, they Expand to their white lovely form after frying.
They don't have Prawn in them, As far as I know they only have Flavouring, and I've worked for my bit of Chinese Restaurants~

But the Frying in Meat fried Fat, Etc. Probably True - Sorry to say.

It's the same as Eating at a Chipper, Are you going to ask them to Use Totally Different Oil - just because you want Chips that haven't been Tainted ?

Anywho - Tofu Dishes huh ? well depends on what Chinese places, and how you order. You know you can probably talk to a Manager, or Owner for a Tofu dish thats not on the Menu ? Chinese people do that, just ask if you have a Recipe in Mind.

Oobie

The prawn crackers you buy in supermarkets definitely aren't (or at least weren't when I looked a few years ago) suitable for vegetarians.

Shabadu

Drakol wrote:

Ok - First off ^^

Prawn Crackers are Processed and dried chips *Almost like plastic*, which are Fried, they Expand to their white lovely form after frying.
They don't have Prawn in them, As far as I know they only have Flavouring, and I've worked for my bit of Chinese Restaurants~

But the Frying in Meat fried Fat, Etc. Probably True - Sorry to say.

It's the same as Eating at a Chipper, Are you going to ask them to Use Totally Different Oil - just because you want Chips that haven't been Tainted ?

Anywho - Tofu Dishes huh ? well depends on what Chinese places, and how you order. You know you can probably talk to a Manager, or Owner for a Tofu dish thats not on the Menu ? Chinese people do that, just ask if you have a Recipe in Mind.

You better check your facts.

Veggies, prawn crackers generally contain prawns.

Tar.Aldarion

They do contain zee prawns, unfortunately it's not just a hip name.

Peanut

Shabadu wrote:

While we're on it, what's the deal with veggies eating chips & spring rolls & other deep fried things when the same oil is used for sausages and other meat containing things?

Yeah mingin'
I guess some veggies don't have a problem with it.. not much to do about it except that places that are not corner shop chippers are likely to be a safer bet..

quickbeam

Wikipedia certainly seem to think they have fish in them - though they say shrimp rather than prawn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prawn_crackers


Burger King actually fry their meat-stuff and veggie-stuff in separate oil*. I'd say if you ask around there'd be the occasionally chipper that does the same.


* at least they used to - I presume they still do.

Moonbeam

Google:)

You will find out that everyone is right:)
Some do and some don't!

Samos

Shabadu wrote:

While we're on it, what's the deal with veggies eating chips & spring rolls & other deep fried things when the same oil is used for sausages and other meat containing things?

I don't see what the problem is...? It's not as though vegetarians are allergic to meat or to things that may have contained/had contact with meat! The only objection I can see is inadvertantly supporting meat production by buying from a place that does not have an animal-friendly ethos.

In relation to Chinese food, why are oysters often considered an acceptable part of a 'vegetarian' meal? From my point of view, they seem to lack any kind of consciousness or nervous system, and so there is no welfare to be compromised. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and have never eaten them. (I assume they don't taste very good anyway!)

Shabadu

Right, so you'd eat an omelette that had been cooked in the same pan as a steak with the same oil? Because that's what it's tantamount to.

Peanut

Samos wrote:

I don't see what the problem is...? It's not as though vegetarians are allergic to meat or to things that may have contained/had contact with meat! The only objection I can see is inadvertantly supporting meat production by buying from a place that does not have an animal-friendly ethos.

I find it repulsive. It's nothing to do with animal welfare in this sense, it's just a physical nausea reaction. It's the same reaction as someone finding a fly in their soup, or slug on their salad, or worse.

Samos wrote:

In relation to Chinese food, why are oysters often considered an acceptable part of a 'vegetarian' meal?

Never heard about this before...

Nature Boy

Peanut wrote:

Never heard about this before...

Nor have I. Although I have seen things with fish in it marked as vegetarian on one or two restaurant menus before. :rolleyes:

Oobie

I've found that a lot of Chinese restaurants have oyster sauce dishes marked as vegetarian and it always puts me off.

As for prawn crackers, the M&S ones say "contains shellfish" on the label so not veggie friendly.

Nature Boy

Oobie wrote:

I've found that a lot of Chinese restaurants have oyster sauce dishes marked as vegetarian

Is it not illegal to do that though? I mean it's false advertisement

Samos

Shabadu wrote:

Right, so you'd eat an omelette that had been cooked in the same pan as a steak with the same oil? Because that's what it's tantamount to.

Well, I probably wouldn't because I don't eat omelettes and only take fried food occassionally, but I don't think eating it would compromise my views; it would just be more unhealthy, and I guess there's the "yuk factor", but that isn't a strong enough reason.

It was actually in a Thai/Asian restaurant that I saw the oyster dish in the vegetarian section, but I think I've seen it in a few Chinese takeaways also.

TheBigLebowski

A bit off topic but are chips, from Macaris and the likes, fried in animal fat? I always thought they used lard but I'm not so sure...

Nature Boy

I think most places use vegitable oil now but the same oil would be used to cook sausages/fish etc so it may have some animal fat that way. Some places use different oil for chips.

I was in a Macaris before and saw them cook fish in the same oil as my veggie burger.

Misty Moon

Some chippers (Joe's in Goatstown for one anyway) use palm oil.

Not sure what the chips pans look like behind the counter - aren't there usually a couple of different ones? I always thought one was used for chips and the others used for fish, sausages etc. - so at least the chips should be okay.

I just ask for tofu in my dish, they charge me like 3 euro extra for a few pieces though.My local chinese has the most amazing tofu.I can't figure out how they do it. I really hope it isn't that frozen fish flavored stuff!Think I'll actually ask next time, wonder if they would let me in to see how the chef does it.

My italio-chipper cooks it's chips in a separate vat. The burgers are all fried on the same hot-plate. although the I would think this is quite common, as who wants fried chicken flavour chips veggie or not.

semi

Oobie wrote:

I've found that a lot of Chinese restaurants have oyster sauce dishes marked as vegetarian and it always puts me off.

Sometimes Oyster Sauce may just refer to Oyster Mushroom sauce which is veg.

Oobie

semi wrote:

Sometimes Oyster Sauce may just refer to Oyster Mushroom sauce which is veg.

Never thought of that but given that I don't like mushrooms I think I'd avoid it anyway!