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  • Beef.

  • Pork belly.

  • Seafood.

  • Ribs.

  • I'm on a vegetarian diet for 21 days, which means that I'm forgoing

  • all my favorite meats and seafood for three weeks.

  • In part one, I visited a town in Bali, Indonesia, popular among surfers,

  • that's turning into a vegan paradise, rethinking what plant-based food can look like.

  • I met advocates and detractors of the vegan lifestyle

  • including, people who are disillusioned with the movement.

  • With an abundance of restaurants serving vegan and vegetarian food,

  • being a vegetarian in Bali is easy, I barely even had to think about it.

  • But now I've come to Hong Kong, a city with one of the highest meat consumption per capita

  • in the world, to see if I can continue my meatless trial.

  • Chicken, fish, chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken.

  • Do you have vegetarian?

  • The Pineapple.

  • Just the Pineapple?

  • So they just said no and they kind of, almost laughed at me, too

  • I don't know why I was so funny.

  • Vegetarian?

  • No, we don't have vegetarian food here.

  • This is rice rolls. It's the only thing on the menu that is vegetarian.

  • Here I go.

  • Very plain.

  • Of course, eating vegetarian or vegan is possible here, but it'll take a lot more planning and willpower.

  • Manav Gupta lives in Hong Kong and has been a vegetarian his whole life.

  • I meet him at a vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Hong Kong's central district.

  • Meat today, has been presented as a product that makes you feel more like a man, more like a human,

  • gives you more protein, it's nutritious.

  • Whereas plant-based food is the food of the animals, it's the food that you should let the animals eat.

  • And thus you should eat them.

  • He thinks a lot of what we eat comes down to social acceptance.

  • If you go out to a restaurant, you're eating with your peers, they think that if

  • you're eating vegan or veg, it's almost emasculating in many ways.

  • So a lot of people choose to eat meat, or consume meat, even though they sometimes

  • would be open to consuming the plant-based alternate.

  • He's so passionate about the vegetarian lifestyle

  • that he's now investing in startups through a food accelerator.

  • He ultimately wants to remove animals entirely from the food system.

  • From startups to celebrities, vegetarian and vegan diets are being promoted in unprecedented ways.

  • Despite the popularity of the movement, though, the global average of meat consumption per capita

  • has increased by around 44 pounds since 1961, with developed countries accounting for the lion's share.

  • Rising incomes in countries like China and Brazil also means meat consumption has gone up dramatically,

  • with the exception of India due to its lacto-vegetarian diets.

  • And global meat production has gone up by over 400% overall in the past five decades to meet the demand.

  • It's going to be a tipping point in five to 10 years.

  • That's Pat Brown. He's the founder and CEO of Impossible Foods,

  • a startup offering plant-based alternatives that look and even taste just like meat.

  • Everybody's going to realize that the animals, the food technology,

  • is basically going to disappear very soon.

  • He wants to replace animals entirely from our food system by 2035,

  • which is ambitious and maybe even unrealistic,

  • as meat consumption rises globally, driven by a rising middle class.

  • In China, the average person went from consuming

  • just nine pounds of meat per year in 1961 to 137 pounds per year by 2013.

  • The trend of eating more animal- based protein is increasing.

  • Lily Ng is the CEO of Foodie, a food magazine and online platform based in Hong Kong.

  • As countries get wealthier, there's a tendency to eat more meat,

  • as a sign of wealth, as a sign of like, "I can afford it."

  • In Hong Kong, where meat is a staple in most dishes,

  • I'm having a hard time getting by on vegetarian-only options.

  • Out of all eight of them, none of them are vegetarian.

  • What about this side?

  • Seafood, pork.

  • Today is day 19 and I definitely feel a lot different and not in a good way.

  • I feel like I'm a lot more hungry here, I feel like vegetarianism is more of an afterthought.

  • The only option available for me was that white rice mushroom and tofu option,

  • not bad, but not that exciting either.

  • Yesterday my colleagues ordered from a chicken restaurant, I had to sit that one out.

  • It's a lot more challenging here, but having said that I'm still trying it.

  • So, I found a doable option.

  • I got a wrap with avocado, tomato and pine nuts.

  • Just in case I'm not full from that, I also got a carrot soup as well.

  • Yet, in just a few months, I've also noticed more meatless alternatives,

  • mainly the Impossible Burger, being marketed in more cafes and restaurants.

  • Then there's chefs like Tom Burney who's putting meatless substitutes side by side with actual meat.

  • On this side, we're using omni-pork.

  • Wow, it looks the same, looks very similar.

  • As we want to eat more vegetables, I think plant-based protein or plant-based meat

  • is a very good way of incorporating vegetables in our regular diet.

  • She thinks more chefs need to embrace meatless alternatives to be creative

  • and find food concepts that look and taste good.

  • My 21-day journey as a vegetarian is coming to an end.

  • While I definitely felt good most of the time, I had a huge craving for chicken.

  • I also noticed the importance of my environment.

  • In Bali, it was easy, I enjoyed it even.

  • But in Hong Kong, it was a pretty big challenge.

  • And while I didn't decide to make this a permanent lifestyle,

  • the experiment made me question how much meat I need to be consuming

  • and ultimately break the idea that most of my meals need to include meat.

  • There's even a label for my new found realization, called flexitarian.

  • It's someone who eats primarily plant-based but occasionally eats meat and dairy products, too.

  • Okay, you could argue that the term is less of a diet per se and more of a lifestyle.

  • And it's true.

  • But if choosing to consume less meat overall could have a positive impact on our planet,

  • and potentially, our physical health too, then maybe it's a label I can get on board with.

  • Hey guys, thanks for watching.

  • Check out part one here in case you missed it and let us know in the comments below,

  • do you think animals will eventually make their way out of our food system completely?

  • While you're at it subscribe to our channel and we'll see you next time.

Beef.

Subtitles and vocabulary

B2 vegetarian meat plant based hong kong vegan

Can I stay veggie in meat-loving Hong Kong? | CNBC Reports

  • 49 2
    Summer posted on 2020/12/15
Video vocabulary

Keywords

ultimately

US /ˈʌltəmɪtli/

UK /ˈʌltɪmətli/

  • adverb
  • In the end; finally.
  • Done or considered as the final and most important
  • In the end; finally.
  • At the furthest or most remote point or time.
  • To the greatest extent; extremely.
  • In the end; finally.
  • In the end; finally.
  • At the most basic level; fundamentally.
  • Fundamentally; at the most basic level.
  • At a basic level; remotely.
present

US /ˈprɛznt/

UK /'preznt/

  • other
  • To give, provide, or show something to somebody
  • To give something to someone formally or ceremonially.
  • To give (something) to someone, especially formally or as a gift.
  • Introduce (someone) to someone else.
  • Give or offer (something) to someone.
  • To put on a performance or show.
  • To show or display something.
  • adjective
  • Being in a particular place.
  • Being in a particular place.
  • Being in a particular place; attending or existing.
  • Being in attendance; being there; having turned up
  • Existing or occurring now.
  • Being in a particular place; existing or occurring now.
  • Existing or occurring now.
  • other
  • Be in a particular place.
  • To be in a particular place.
  • To be in a particular place.
  • noun
  • Gift
  • Verb tense indicating an action is happening now
  • Current time; now
  • The period of time now occurring.
  • verb
  • To introduce someone to others
  • To host a program on television or radio
  • To give a speech or presentation
  • To show something to someone who will examine it
  • To appear or happen
  • To give an award or prize to someone
  • other
  • The period of time now occurring.
permanent

US /ˈpɚmənənt/

UK /'pɜ:mənənt/

  • adjective
  • Lasting forever; not temporary or changing
  • Existing or intended to exist for a long or unlimited period
  • Remaining in the same state or condition.
  • Remaining in the same state or condition.
  • Intended to last or remain for an unlimited period
  • Lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely
  • Designed to remain in a particular place or state for a long time.
  • Continuing or intended to continue without significant change.
  • noun
  • A person who is a permanent employee.
  • A chemical treatment to create lasting curls or waves in the hair.
average

US /ˈævərɪdʒ, ˈævrɪdʒ/

UK /'ævərɪdʒ/

  • noun
  • Total of numbers divided by the number of items
  • verb
  • To add numbers then divide by the number of items
  • adjective
  • Typical or normal; usual; ordinary
crave

US /krev/

UK /kreɪv/

  • verb
  • To have a very strong desire for something
unprecedented

US /ʌnˈprɛsɪˌdɛntɪd/

UK /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/

  • adjective
  • Not having happened before, or to such a degree
  • Never done or known before.
  • Never done or known before.
  • Of a kind never before known or experienced.
  • Having no precedent; unheard of; novel.
staple

US /ˈstepəl/

UK /ˈsteɪpl/

  • noun
  • A basic or necessary food item.
  • A small, thin metal wire used to fasten papers together.
  • Main food of a particular community
  • An important or essential item or feature.
  • A basic food that is eaten all the time
  • Primary product of a place or company
  • verb
  • To pin together using a machine and bent wire
  • To fasten something with a staple.
consume

US /kənˈsum/

UK /kən'sju:m/

  • verb
  • To eat, drink, buy or use up something
  • To take all your energy; focus the attention
  • other
  • To destroy completely; to engulf.
  • To eat, drink, or ingest (food or drink).
  • To eat or drink something
  • To completely fill someone's mind
  • To completely engross or absorb someone's attention or energy.
  • To use up (resources or energy).
consumption

US /kənˈsʌmpʃən/

UK /kənˈsʌmpʃn/

  • other
  • The act of consuming.
  • The act of using energy, eating, or drinking something
  • A wasting disease, especially tuberculosis of the lungs
  • The act of eating or drinking
  • The purchase and use of goods and services by customers
  • noun
  • The act of buying and using products
  • The act of using energy, food or materials; the amount used
  • A serious disease of the lungs
incorporate

US /ɪnˈkɔrpəˌret/

UK /ɪn'kɔ:pəreɪt/

  • verb
  • To form a legal corporation.
  • To form into a company or business corporation
  • To include or involve as part of something else
  • To include something as part of a whole.
  • other
  • To form a legally recognized company.
  • To include something as part of a group, system, plan, etc.

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