Today I saw an article, and of course I can't find it right now while I'm looking for it, that says that pescetarian is one of the new words to be included in the updated dictionary (along with edamame, finally!). My first reaction: seriously?
Now, I don't want to offend any pescetarians out there, because essentially I am one, but I just tried to think of it in terms of practicality. And maybe that's because I get enough grief from those who love me about being a vegetarian (need I remind you I grew up in Texas). I had this image of announcing that I was a "pescetarian" and the grief I'd get. Or to people who may never have had a romance language.
Me: I'm a pescetarian.
Other person: A pesce...what? What are you?
Me: I'm a pescetarian.
Other person: And what on earth is that?
Me: I'm a vegetarian who eats fish.
Other person: A pesce...what? What are you?
Me: I'm a pescetarian.
Other person: And what on earth is that?
Me: I'm a vegetarian who eats fish.
Versus the current dialogue.
Me: I'm a vegetarian.
Other person: Oh. Do you eat fish?
Me: Yes.
Other person: Oh. Do you eat fish?
Me: Yes.
And then apparently there's this debate on whether or not if you eat fish you can be considered a vegetarian. Maybe I just don't take my status seriously. But my argument, and this has to do with how I was raised culturally, is that you can eat fish on Fridays during Lent, and if you had the same upbringing then you may know you're not supposed to eat meat on Fridays during Lent. Very basic, but it worked when I was about 12 and tried fish for the first time and wondered if I could still call myself a vegetarian (this was during the time I was trying to justify it other than...I don't like the texture)...and oh, how heavenly was that sushi that came shortly after!
At one point I did try to give my specific brand of vegetarianism a name. In junior high some magazine had the different types and I went around telling people I was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian. Translation: I was a vegetarian that ate eggs and dairy. Essentially, not a vegan. And I got strange looks. But then again, this was Texas so maybe the odd looks were from the "vegetarian" part (only kidding!).
Again, I mean no offense. But just my two cents as a vegetarian. We already have labels enough for stuff, do we really need to specify down to the last detail what we eat? And if we do...what about the other things that can't be labeled? After all, there are debates about fish being meat, but what about other animals, like bugs? I'm not in the habit of eating a fried...whatever it was, cricket? But I have had the occasional escargot, and if prepared well, it's delicious. But are snails really meat? I wouldn't put them in the same category as a bull, or even a chicken for that matter. And they're not...fishy, exactly.
Maybe we should start labeling people who don't eat chocolate. After all, that's another important part of the diet. In my humble opinion. Especially dark chocolate (and it's good for you too! theoretically).
4 comments:
Hmmmmmmm, interesting. I guess I could say I'm a "Salmeatlactotarian" - that's a Salad, Meat, Ice Cream (dessert) kinda guy. Do ya think they'll include that in next year's dictionary? Naw, probably not.
Hahaha...maybe you're just normal. :) Only kidding. But try saying salmeatlactotarian three times fast.
Wait, you've already got a name. Omnivore, right?
Interesting viewpoint! I was a complete vegetarian for a few years in my early 20s, then switched to pescetarianism. Now I'll also eat chicken and turkey, and maybe some kind of beef product a few times a year -- which is just an example of how we change, I suppose.
When I was a pescetarian, I always made sure to tell people that I ate fish if they asked if I was vegetarian. There are plenty of vegetarians who take offense to people referring to themselves as such if they eat any kind of meat at all (including seafood). I don't blame them, but you're right -- sometimes labels can get out of control! :)
I guess it just depends on what you consider meat. For the first ten years or so that I was a vegetarian, I didn't eat fish but I didn't really consider it meat. So I don't consider it meat for the ease of still calling myself a vegetarian (if that makes sense).
But thanks for the comment! You're right about how our tastes change. With that in mind, occasionally I'll try some meat, but so far...still haven't liked it. Maybe in another ten or twenty years.
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