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Buddhist vegetarian

In parts of East Asia, some Buddhist vegetarian kitchens avoid meat and also garlic and onions. Dairy and eggs vary by school and place.

Buddhist practice differs widely by tradition and country. This row notes one common East Asian temple pattern, with respect and without ranking traditions.

East Asian Buddhist vegetarian (zhāicài / shōjin) kitchen descriptions; practice varies by school. As of September 1, 2026

IncludedExcludedInconsistent

Eating pattern	Meat	Poultry	Fish	Seafood	Dairy	Egg	Honey	Gelatin
Vegan	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded
Vegetarian (ovo-lacto)	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Included	Included	Included	Excluded
Ovo-vegetarian	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Included	Included	Excluded
Lacto-vegetarian	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Included	Excluded	Included	Excluded
Pescatarian	Excluded	Excluded	Included	Inconsistent	Included	Included	Included	Inconsistent
Flexitarian	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent
Plant-based	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent
Jain (no root vegetables)	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Included	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded
Buddhist vegetarian	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Excluded	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Excluded
Orthodox fasting	Excluded	Excluded	Inconsistent	Inconsistent	Excluded	Excluded	Included	Inconsistent

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What Buddhist vegetarian typically does not include

• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Seafood
• Gelatin

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