Dietary Considerations
Vegetarian and vegan Chinese food guide
Vegetarian · Vegan · Hidden animal ingredients
Vegetarian Chinese ordering is often possible, but dish names are unreliable. A vegetable dish can contain oyster sauce, meat broth, lard, dried shrimp, egg, or shared fryer risk.
Hidden animal ingredients
| Ingredient |
Where it appears |
| Oyster sauce |
Vegetable dishes, broccoli, gai lan, mushrooms, noodles, and brown sauces. |
| Fish sauce / dried shrimp |
Some southern, coastal, and Southeast Asian Chinese dishes. |
| Meat broth |
Soups, congee, hot pot broth, sauces, braises, and noodle soups. |
| Lard |
Pastries, stir-fries, rice dishes, and old-style preparations. |
| Egg |
Fried rice, egg noodles, batters, bakery items, custard buns, egg tarts. |
| Dairy |
Bakery items, custards, Hong Kong cafe dishes, some modern desserts. |
Ordering approach
Ask whether a dish can be made without meat, seafood, oyster sauce, fish sauce, meat broth, lard, egg, and dairy. For vegan ordering, ask about all of these, not only visible meat.