You can request vegan food at restaurants in eastern and south-eastern Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, by letting your Kiswahili-speaking waiter or waitress read the following:
Mimi ni mvegani/Sisi ni wavegani
Wavegani kwa desturi hawali chakula chochote kitokanacho na kuuawa au kuchinjwa kwa mnyama au kitolewacho kwa mnyama kwa namna yeyote ile. Sababu kuu ni kulinda na kujali maslahi ya wanyama, binadamu na mazingira.
Kwa hivyo hatuli: Nyama yeyote (nyama iliyosagwa, minofu, n.k.); kuku au ndege wa aina yeyote; samaki; kaa, kamba, chaza, n.k.; au vyakula vitokanavyo na mazao ya wanyama kama vile asali, mayai, maziwa, siagi, samli, jibini, n.k.
Vyakula vyetu ni kama ifuatavyo: Viazi, wali, pasta (kama tambi, vermicelli, makaroni, n.k.; visivyochanganywa na yai), maharagwe; mboga mboga, nyanya, matunda, njugu, uyoga, sima; kitumbua au maandazi yasiyopikwa na mafuta yatokanayo na wanyama ila tuu mafuta yatokanayo na mimea au nafaka, n.k.
Supu na mchuzi uliotayarishwa kwa mboga mboga isiyo na nyama, wala sehemu yoyote ya kuku. Ila tuu mafuta au siagi halisi itokanayo na mimea au nafaka ndio yanaweza kutumika tuu kuwapikia wavegani vyakula vyao.
Vilevile hatutumii siagi wala mafuta yoyote yaliyotayarishwa kutokana na mafuta ya mnyama.
Tafadhali tunaomba mtupatie vyakula vile vinavyoambatana na mahitaji yetu.
ASANTE SANA
The Vegetarian Society of Tanzania 