The Veggie Option: How regional/ethnic cuisines are adapting tradition for plant-based consumers.

Through an ethnography of regional/ethnic restaurants and their staff in Chicago, this paper explores how regional cuisines are adapting their culinary traditions, conventions, and perceptions to accommodate customers who abstain from eating animal products. The purpose of this endeavor is to shine a light on the relationship between culture and food, specifically how the latter is significant for ethnic and community identity and how diverse groups navigate the increasing prevalence of plant-based dietary philosophies in the United States.