Are you a vegetarian or vegan traveling to Cape Verde? Are you wondering how you will go about enjoying local flavors in a way that fits with your diet and lifestyle?
See in this article, the vegan restaurants in Cape Verde (link further to the end of the article), vegan options in hotels, typical dishes that can be only with vegetables and legumes and fruits to make your own food.
Vegetarianism and Veganism – an increasingly frequent choice in a world that is not always prepared
Whether for cultural, religious, animal suffering awareness, environmental, or health reasons, more and more people in the world prefer a diet without animal products, or restricted with regard to animal products.
One of the important issues to address when we talk about traveling is to understand the options that exist at the destination, to make sure that the food meets what you want.
Restaurants for vegans and vegetarians in Cape Verde
Cape Verde is still on its way to having a vegan and vegetarian offer suitable for those who travel there. For example, the fingers on one hand should serve to count the number of vegan / vegetarian restaurants in the country, and some that have tried to open have closed (probably because the demand, although it is increasing, is still not very large).
However, the few that do exist have interesting offerings for those looking for this type of food.
There is a vegan restaurant on Santiago Island, which functions as a workshop and grocery store. On the island of Santo Antão, you can also find a B&B that serves vegan food and products. In St. Vincent, there is a B&B that serves vegan breakfast.
There are restaurants that, although they are not vegan and serve meat and fish, offer or adapt some products to make it so. So you have everything from soups, salads, or main dishes made from vegetables that you can eat.
Enjoy the information in this article, and at the end, you can find a link to the top vegan and vegan friendly restaurants by island.
Vegan options in hotels
Many of the vegans and vegetarians go to Cape Verde with travel packages. It is a good idea, when you make your reservation, to see if the hotel you are staying at has these dining options. There are different types of restaurants with various packages that may include food.
Just be sure to let your travel agent know, and let the hotel know upon arrival, or as per their rules, to ensure that this option is available.
I am a vegan and I am going to visit Cape Verde. Are there any traditional dishes I can try?
Cape Verde’s traditional dish is Cachupa. Since Cachupa has a corn and bean base, it can easily be a vegan or vegetarian cachupa. The cachupa can be made with meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, or a combination of these.
A restaurant warned in advance can prepare the cachupa with vegetables only, allowing you to enjoy a magnificent flavor.
Is it easy to find vegan type products in Cape Verde?
One option for the vegetarian or vegan traveler in Cape Verde, given the limited food options, is to make your own food. This is, of course, depending on how you travel and the conditions you have (and your willingness to do so, of course).
If this is your vibe, there are some stores that offer natural products, such as herbalists or little stores that have some options – including organic products, but the offer is still quite limited.
However, if we are talking about unprocessed food products, there is a supply of various vegetables – this being greater depending on the time of year and the island you are on – that can be used to make your products.
Local produce such as beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbages, and fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pineapples, coconuts, pineapples, as well as imported products – rice, oats, pasta, and fruits and vegetables, can easily be found in local supermarkets and can be an opportunity to unleash your imagination in making products with a more tropical flavor. The difficulty may be, if you care to, in identifying which products are organic, since it may not be specified.
Creativity creates options
In summary, although there are not many vegan restaurant options, there are some with good quality. In addition there are restaurants that serve all kinds of food, and have some vegan friendly options. Dishes like cachupa, traditional in Cape Verde, can easily have a vegan version by simply replacing the meat with other vegetables.
The vegetables and fruits you find in Cape Verde can be converted into delicious meals, snacks or juices, and you can use your creativity to make them.
On the happycow website there is a list of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, as well as stores selling such products, which is constantly being updated.
Enjoy your trip to Cape Verde. And enjoy the wonderful tropical flavors that the land of the archipelago has to offer.
