Being vegan in Tartu – Kateryna (Ukraine)

Tartu is a truly multicultural city, home to people with diverse stories, habits, and tastes. I’m not vegan, but after living in Tartu for a while, I started to discover that there is no way to avoid veganism in all of its forms. All it takes is some of your friends, coursemates or a random café with a separate vegan menu and suddenly you catch yourself ordering something plant-based just out of curiosity.

I’m quite a picky eater, but since I moved away from home and started cooking for myself, I had to let some of my food “rules” go. The same thing happened when I began trying more and more vegan dishes – I happened to be not so strict about what I eat. I had no idea mushrooms could be cooked in so many ways and actually taste good. And avocado… let’s just say I never expected it to become something I’d want to keep in my fridge for everyday meals.

When we talk about veganism, it’s important to remember that it’s not only about the food you eat, but also about the clothes you wear and the products you use in your everyday life.Since I’m not vegan myself, I decided to ask a friend who’s been vegan for seven years about their experience in Tartu. Here are some takeaways.

The first thing they told me was that it hasn’t always been easy. Especially after moving here from a country where veganism is more common. The absence of fully vegan restaurants (there used to be one, but it’s now closed), the lack of entirely vegan stores, and limited knowledge about veganism in genera… All these give the impression that Tartu is still a bit behind.

For example, Biomarkets selling only vegan products are quite common in more southern Europe. Meanwhile here in Tartu, there are two separate categories – “eco” and “vegan”, so the responsibility of checking the labels is fully on you. It’s also not very common to see vegan fashion or beauty products, but second-hand culture is well-developed. In fact,  second hand culture is considered a regular part of student life. This is different from other countries, where “second-hand” can usually mean “vintage” and often be more expensive.

When it comes to food, things have changed significantly over the past few years. Vegan options are now available in daily specials and can be easily found in regular cafés and restaurants. All cafés offer vegan-friendly milk options like oat, soy, or coconut. And almost every supermarket (even the small ones) has separate vegan shelves. However, some vegan products are more expensive here than in other parts of Europe.

When it comes to eating out, almost every restaurant, café, or fast-food place will have some vegan options, but there are still only a few spots that are worth recommending. Among my friends’ favourites are: 

• Tokumaru (I’m already a bit tired of hearing “If Tokumaru closes I’m moving the country.”)
• Kolm Tilli (they have nice vegan pizza).
• Köömen (a cozy and calm café).

There also used to be more nice vegan places, so we want to give some respect to the fallen ones – NAIIV, Kohvik Käkk, and Illegaard. 

And, of course, almost every restaurant will have vegan options. For example, Aparaat or Vapiano have quite good vegan options, so you can try different cuisines.

Still, not all places offer vegan options daily. Even some university cafés may only have vegetarian options, so it can get quite expensive for students. Late evenings can also be tricky if you want to order something interesting for dinner, so it’s always a good idea to keep some food at home “just in case”.

Photo taken from the Aparaat Restaurant Website (click here).

And even though awareness about veganism is growing, there’s still some confusion. Waiters sometimes mix up vegan and vegetarian dishes, and shop assistants can only check the ingredients without knowing whether a brand is cruelty-free. But here we are – to change things.As my friend said: “Tartu is not a heaven for vegans, but it’s getting better”.

And for those who made it to the end, here’s a little bonus. I decided to share a cheap (I spent 14 euros to cook a whole pan of it) and easy vegan stew recipe:

Instructions:

1. Slice the onion thinly, and chop the potatoes, sweet potato, and carrots into small cubes. Cut the peppers into thin slices.
2. Heat olive oil in a big pot on medium-high.
3. Add the onion and stir until it becomes half soft (about 5 min). You can optionally add a few peanuts midway.
4. Add the potatoes, cook for 5-10 min while stirring.
5. Add the carrots and sweet potato, cook for another 5 min.
6. Add the peppers, same thing – another 5 min.
7. Pour in boiling water until the veggies are covered, and let it boil for around 15 min.
8. Meanwhile, put the textured soy in a bowl with warm water (just enough to cover half of it) and add soy sauce for flavour.
9. Once the soy is soft, add it to the stew.
10. Check the potatoes – when they’re soft enough, turn off the heat and let it rest.
11. Finally, add baby spinach and mix it in while the stew is still warm.

This one comes straight from my vegan friend, described as “cheap, easy, and kind of lame, but actually super tasty,” which is true, I tried.

All images are author’s own unless otherwise specified.