Confusing terms for vegan in Taiwan（ translated in English）

Taiwan is known as a vegan-friendly country. While that’s true, the term “vegan” is still relatively new in Taiwan. As a result, you’ll need to rely on certain Kanji characters when buying vegan food.

Here are some Kanji examples to help you identify vegan products. I hope you find this article helpful.

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Classification and Labels of Vegetarians/Vegans

●全素 (quán sù): Vegan

・・・Does not contain any animal products, 5 spices and alcohol（mainly for Buddhism people）

・不含任何动物成分 (bù hán rèn hé dòng wù chéng fèn): Contains no animal ingredients.

・「純素 (jùn sù) 」can also be used with the same meaning, but the difference between the two is quite subtle. However, 「全素 (quán sù)」 is used more frequently.

●奶素 (nǎi sù): Lacto-vegetarian

・・・Includes dairy products but excludes eggs, meat, and fish.

・含乳制品 (hán rǔ zhì pǐn): Contains dairy products.

・不含蛋和肉 (bù hán dàn hé ròu): Contains no eggs or meat.

●蛋素 (dàn sù): Ovo-vegetarian

・・・Includes eggs but excludes dairy products, meat, and fish.

・含蛋 (hán dàn): Contains eggs.

・不含乳制品和肉 (bù hán rǔ zhì pǐn hé ròu): Contains no dairy products or meat.

●奶蛋素 (nǎi dàn sù): Lacto-ovo vegetarian

・・・Includes dairy products and eggs but excludes meat and fish.

・含乳制品和蛋 (hán rǔ zhì pǐn hé dàn): Contains dairy products and eggs.

・不含肉 (bù hán ròu): Contains no meat.

●五辛素 (wǔ xīn sù): About Five Pungent Spices

・・・Includes the five pungent spices (green onions, garlic, shallots, chives, and asafetida).

・不含五辛 (bù hán wǔ xīn): Excludes five pungent spices.

Confusing Terms

• 蔬食 (shū shí): Refers to a diet centered on vegetables, generally meaning vegetarian food. "蔬" means vegetables, emphasizing a diet focused on vegetables. It may not contain animal products but is not strictly vegan, as it can include dairy and eggs. Similar to “Plant-based”

• 素食 (sù shí): Refers to vegetarian food in general, meaning a diet that avoids animal products. It can include dairy and eggs depending on the context. Many people choose 素食 for religious or health reasons. While 素食 has a broader meaning, referring to general vegetarian food, 蔬食 specifically emphasizes a vegetable-centered diet.

※Terms that 7-Eleven and FamilyMart created

• 天素 (tiān sù)

• 地蔬 (dì shū)

Ingredients to Pay Attention

Egg / 蛋 (dàn)
Milk / 牛奶 (niú nǎi)
Cheese / 起司 (qǐ sī)
Butter / 奶油 (nǎi yóu)
Yogurt / 酸奶 (suān nǎi)
Honey / 蜂蜜 (fēng mì)
Fish / 魚 (yú)
Meat / 肉 (ròu)
Chicken / 鸡肉 (jī ròu)
Pork / 猪肉 (zhū ròu)
Beef / 牛肉 (niú ròu)
Seafood / 海鲜 (hǎi xiān)

Be careful with tea !

Animal experiences with tea are pretty common in Taiwan. In particular, this green mark is something you should be aware of. It is very likely that tea that has this symbol has been subjected to animal testing. Though it may appear to be a "Vegan" mark, it is not. So be careful!

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In this article, I also introduce vegan products available at convenience stores in Taiwan.

You can definitely enjoy vegan food in Taiwan if you can read these labels. For vegans, Taiwan is literally a paradise. Enjoy your travels!

（by Rena Fukazawa）