Food for all: Volunteers preparing ingredients for vegetarian meals at Tow Boo Keong Temple in Butterworth. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
BUTTERWORTH: As thousands thronged vegetarian outlets during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, many still turned to temples for what they regarded as “proper” vegetarian meals.
At Tow Boo Keong Temple in Raja Uda, about 6,000 free vegetarian meals are now cooked daily by some 80 volunteers from dawn to night.
“Rest assured, all our cooking utensils are strictly for vegetarian use only.
“We never use the five pungent vegetables which are onion, garlic, leek, chive and scallion, and we do not serve eggs as it is a potential life.
“Milk, however, is an animal byproduct and permitted.
“Each rice meal comes with three to four dishes,” temple religious affairs deputy chairman Eng Yew Kean, 66, said yesterday.
The effort was supported by generous sponsors who donated ingredients and funds to sustain the nine-day festival.
Eng said the temple served lunch, dinner and supper throughout the duration.
The meals were free, though visitors who wished to contribute, could make donations to the temple.
He said the practice of vegetarianism during the festival was not merely dietary but spiritual.
“Adhering to a vegetarian diet teaches us to abstain from desires and practice self-discipline.
“It purifies the body and mind,” he said.
Around the temple, dozens of stalls and restaurants had sprung up selling vegetarian food to meet the festive demand.
Crowds were seen lining up at mealtimes for everything from rice sets to snacks and desserts.
One such outlet was a long-established restaurant run by Tan Kar Lau, 65, who had been serving vegetarian fare for over 40 years.
Her restaurant offered more than 100 dishes daily, including mock meat versions of traditional favourites such as curry chicken, curry lamb, pork belly and even fish maw.
“Many of our regulars come for the ‘kochabi’ taste or that authentic home-style flavour.
“Younger customers tend to spend more lavishly on meals, often over RM10 per plate, while older customers keep it modest at RM6 to RM8.
“If we see underprivileged customers, we usually undercharge them as a form of charity,” she said.
Tan said rising costs had made it harder to maintain prices.
“Some processed mock meat products made from soybeans now cost five times more than in 2020 due to higher production and import costs.
“Fortunately, local produce such as vegetables is still affordable,” she said.
Among the diners purchasing meals was businessman Ang Koon Sang, 61, who bought three boxes of rice with dishes for RM20.
“Prices are still reasonable,” he said.
Retired clerk Lee Kim Mooi, 65, said the perception that vegetarian meals were expensive was no longer true.
“Ordinary food outside has become costly. Even economy rice is no longer economical.
“Competition among vegetarian vendors keeps prices affordable.
“For food with their prices listed, it is our choice as there are plenty of options,” she said.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival started on Oct 21, the first day of the ninth lunar month.
The nine-day festival, observed by Taoists, is dedicated to the nine sons of Dou Mu Yuan Jun, the Goddess of the North Star, who is believed to control the Books of Life and Death.
Her sons, deified as ren huang (human sovereigns), were said to have the ability to cure illnesses and bless devotees with luck, wealth and longevity.
Devotees believe the Gods came through waterways, and processions travel from temples to rivers or seashores as a symbolic gesture.
