Lettuce celebrate Vegetarian Awareness Month

World Vegetarian Day

Vegetarianism is, of course, a spectrum, running the gamut from the fence-sitting ‘semi-veg’ (fish isn’t an animal is it?) to full-on vegan (steering away from honey, silk, feather quilts …). This range is reflected in the way that vegetarianism, however you slice and dice it, is celebrated, starting from World Vegetarian Day on 1 October, which becomes Vegetarian Awareness Month and culminates with World Vegan Day on 1 November.

Vegetarianism is a commitment, and more so the further along the spectrum you go. A lot of label-reading is required to avoid accidentally eating, drinking or otherwise using any of the animal products which are snuck into many unsuspected processed foods — from biscuits to beans, as well as cosmetics, medicines and, it seems, almost everything else humans have had a hand in fabricating.

Thankfully there is a growing awareness of what we’re consuming, the cruelty of industrial farming practices, and the benefits of cutting back on animal products for the health of the planet and our bodies (not to mention the animals themselves).

To help you with vegetable awareness this month, the Turnbull Library isn’t short of inspiration. Below are just a few selections from the Library collections.

‘Made in NZ’

For the stricter vegetarian, if New Zealand could not be a land of milk and honey, it could certainly be one of abundant fruits and vegetables. Colin and Norman Hartwig look pretty pleased with this glut of fine-looking marrows and pumpkins, grown in Silverstream, Wellington, sometime in the early 1900s.

Their grandfather, Percy Godber Smith, who also took this photograph, wrote ‘Made in NZ’ in his album alongside the photo, referring of course to the vegetables and to the humans – only one of which is available to vegetarians.

Papeete, Tahiti, 1952

Tahiti’s sunny weather is perfect for growing fruit and vegetables, and if you needed to get them to market, there was no problem piling them all on top of the local bus. In this photograph taken by Whites Aviation in Papeete in 1952, bananas, coconuts and taro are implausibly balanced, the presumption being that the driver would not be in too much of a rush or take the corners too sharply – or fruit salad would ensue.

'Baby' carrot

Before the days of genetic modification, outsized vegetables were considered remarkable enough to make it into the newspapers. In 1958, Mr J. D. Bambery hefted a large carrot (3kg), holding it as if burping a baby.

"The camp, the cook and the cabbage"

More gigantism, this time in the shape of a cabbage, miraculously undecimated by white butterfly. This cook holds the huge specimen proudly aloft at a camp in Wairarapa, c. 1890s. No prizes for guessing what was on the menu that night – and every day for the next month.

Grow your own

During the world wars, the government exhortation to grow your own fruit, veges and herbs was made in New Zealand as it was in the UK, US, Canada, Germany and elsewhere. These ‘victory gardens’ were supposed to provide fresh food and boost morale, and anyone who has gardened will agree to its many benefits.

The cover of this calendar published by Yates seed company shows a group of vegetables glowing defiantly beneath a sinister mountain and trio of oncoming warplanes. Capitalising on the mood of the time, Yates didn’t shy away from alarming people into buying their seeds.

Vegetarian cafes, since 1907

This menu was for the Sanitarium Vegetarian Luncheon Rooms in the Brunswick Buildings, Queen Street, Auckland, in 1933. Meals with an ‘X’ meant that diabetics could also enjoy them.

In New Zealand, which relied on meat and dairy to make its living in the world, vegetarianism was often viewed with suspicion. It seems remarkable that this café, in business from 1907 until 1958, was operating at all, and for so long. In fact, there were other long-running branches of Sanitarium cafés in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Gluten meal

The Sanitarium company manufactured rather brutish vegetarian or ‘health’ fare, as featured in a series of ads made around the time their cafés were thriving. This thrilling duo of offerings would not have done the reputation of vegetarianism any favours.

A plant for cabbages

This is a Pukekohe plant for dehydrating cabbages, photographed in 1944. Dehydrated cabbage is one of the lesser documented horrors of the Second World War.

Greengrocery shops

Before supermarkets came onto the scene, you bought your fruit and veges at places like this, a meticulous and well-appointed greengrocer’s. The shop, probably located in Taranaki and photographed in the 1920s or 1930, is festooned with tasseled streamers as if for a party, the host stationed between two pleasingly symmetrical pyramids of apples.

Vegetarianism has come a long way in New Zealand since the days represented in these images. Enjoy experimenting with the delights of vegetarian food this month – whether you go in bitesize or whole hog (tofu hog, that is).

Further resources

Collection results for a search on 'vegetables'