Going vegan: Indulgence, not asceticism

No milk, no eggs, no meat: Just a couple of years ago, people who shunned all animal products were generally regarded as freaks. Now, though, more and more consumers are going vegan. They want to eat healthily and support the environment. Restaurants, grocery stores, cookbooks and classes for vegetarians are booming. So what's all the fuss about?

For one, vegetarians have turned around the image of the joyless greenie - thanks in part to stars like Mike Tyson or Gwyneth Paltrow, who vigorously promote a vegetarian lifestyle. One of the most famous German vegetarians is chef Attila Hildmann (left). He has sold 300,000 copies of his vegan cookbooks. Veganism is, he says, "a great, crisp, sexy alternative - and you can easily lose weight."

Books like "Vegan for Fit" have climbed the bestseller lists. Hildmann promotes a diet that opens up the vegan movement to a whole new target group: those who want to lose weight. But vegans don’t generally see this as their primary objective …

Veganism is about protecting both animals and the environment, and promoting an ethical alternative to factory farming. It's become much easier to stick to a vegan diet since vegan grocery stores and restaurants began to spring up everywhere, especially in the big German cities. According to the German Vegetarian Association, there are about 800,000 vegans in Germany - and the number is growing.

Schnitzel made from soybeans, cheese without cow's milk, vegan dog food: Marketing experts say there's huge potential for vegan products. Even discount supermarkets now sell soy milk. Vegan grocery stores even offer products made to order. But being vegan means more than just watching what you eat: It's an all-encompassing lifestyle that includes doing away with leather and other animal products.

There are vegetarians all over the world. "The movement is traditionally strong in the US and the UK," says Sebastian Zösch of the German Vegetarian Association. "But Germany has slowly taken on a leading role." As well as among Europeans and Anglo-Americans, the movement has also caught on in Brazil and in Buddhist countries.

Even the Bavarian Oktoberfest caters to vegetarians these days. Alongside roast pork and chicken, soy medallions, vegetarian chicken fricassee (pictured) and vegan red wine are also on offer. Is vegan the new organic trend? Sebastian Zösch thinks so: He believes that Western countries are moving towards a complete vegan world. Factory farming would then become a thing of the past.

Scientists disagree over whether a vegan lifestyle really is more healthy and sustainable. But vegans do tend to be less susceptible to diseases associated with modern civilization, such as Type 2 diabetes. "Being vegan is an option. But that doesn’t mean you have to change your entire life," says chef Attila Hildmann. He doesn’t want to convert people - he just wants to offer alternatives.

Rosemary polenta with mangold mushrooms, eggplant curry with chickpeas, and salad with silk tofu dressing: In recent years, eating vegan has redefined itself as culinary indulgence. When it comes to currywurst sausage, cream cake, and cheese sandwiches, vegetarians are out of luck - and yet the vegetarian trend is still going strong.