interesting perspectives frm taoist:-
Text and images by Elaine Ng @ Makansutra
Some of us might have proudly conjured vegetarian dishes
liberally peppered with common aromatics like garlic and onions for
our friends who do not consume meat. But do you know this does not
mean all vegetarians will welcome them?
Unbeknownst to many, there are vegetarians who do not take
alliums vegetables like garlic, onions and scallions. More than a
few of us would have scratched our heads at this; especially since
these common aromatics do not look or taste like meat in any
way.
In certain scriptures, eating garlic and onion causes people to
be more passionate than desired, which includes anger and lust. As
such, it could be a distraction in serious religious life, explains
Mr Srivas, a Hare Krishna devotee of 13 years.
This is generally observed by Buddhists and Vedic Dharma (Hindu)
followers. “Those who want to advance spiritually should abstain
from onion, garlic, mushrooms and the like. We also don’t take
spicy or really hot stuff as these cause agitation to the mind and
body,” says Mr Srivas.
Such vegetables are considered tamasic (the mode of ignorance)
and rajasic (the mode of passion). The former lowers one’s
consciousness contrary to attaining higher divine awareness as an
aspirant follower would be liken to aim towards, while the latter
distracts him from devotions. Garlic, for one, is a natural
aphrodisiac.
Religious reasons aside, these “aromatics” are often the cause
of bad breath and repulsive odour in our perspirations too. “You
wouldn’t want to scare your friends or students away when you share
Buddhist scriptures and teachings, would you?” quips devout
Buddhist Mr William Soon, who shares one practical reason as to why
vegetarians should avoid garlic and onions.
Ancient Taoist sage Tsang-Tsze also writes that the five
fragrant, spicy or scented vegetables of the onions, garlic, leeks,
chives and spring onions have adverse effects to our lungs, heart,
spleen, liver and kidneys respectively.
However, modern medical studies have onions and garlic prized
for their health benefits. Take the garlic for example. Pungent as
it is, contains antibacterial and anti-fungal compound of the
allicin that is activated when raw garlic is finely chopped or
crushed — which unfortunately intensifies the odour at the same
time.
Garlic not only keeps the vampires or boys away but what is bad
for our bodies too. The bulb is also known to aid the lowering of
cholesterol as well as the incidence of cardiovascular disease and
cancer.
“As with everything, eatin moderation. For some people who
consume too much of either, they become gassy. This is especially
so for onions. That said, results may vary for individuals and a
varied, well-balanced diet is recommended,” advises Mr Daniel Jason
Ong, a nutritionist from The Nutrition Clinic.
Regardless of the reason, if you choose to avoid alliums
vegetables, ingredients like yellow beans, red dates or ginger
could be used to add fragrance to your dish in replacement of the
more commonly used aromatics of garlic and onions.