許多人對吃素的第一印象，往往是「清淡」、「沒味道」，甚至覺得吃不飽，其實，為了增添素食風味，很多素菜其實很油膩，我之前吃過廟內的素餐，廟內的廚師會用重油、重調味，讓菜色吃起來不輸葷食，一嚐之下，味道真是不錯，但是，還是比不上葷食好吃。
某次午餐期間，經過這家專賣素食的攤位，在對午餐沒主意的情況之下，剛好攤位上有空位，我就做了下來，點份簡單的麵及湯，我還蠻愛吃麻醬麵的，但是，從沒想過它是素麵，而麻醬麵就像我之前提到的，為了讓麵好吃入口，麻醬麵的醬汁會使用芝麻、花生等堅果類為原料，醬汁富含油脂及熱量，不過風味豐富，美味可口，反正我只是偶爾吃吃，應該還可以，再配上使用青菜碎末製作的丸子湯，來減輕麻醬麵的油膩感，可以吃得飽，又可以對腸胃沒那麼大的負擔，
攤位的明星產品是當歸麵線，因為在我坐下來用餐時，已經看了好幾組外帶的客人都點當歸麵線帶走，當歸麵線是用中藥材如當歸、黃耆、枸杞、薑片、紅棗等入味，並會加入麻油增添風味，所以，熱量其實也不低，反正，食物要好吃的話，不可避免的會較不健康，要吃的健康的話，最好吃食材的原型，只要簡單煮熟就好，但是，味道可能不會太美味，健康與美味的關係就像是魚與熊掌不可兼得，而對我來說，在能力範圍內，我仍然會偏向選擇美味，畢竟，能讓人心情愉快地吃完一餐，本身也是生活中很重要的小幸福。
Many people’s first impression of vegetarian food is that it’s “bland,” “flavorless,” and not very filling. But in reality, a lot of vegetarian dishes are actually quite greasy, because oil is often used to boost the flavor. I once had a vegetarian meal at a temple, and the cooks there weren’t shy about using plenty of oil and heavy seasoning. The dishes tasted great and didn’t lose to meat dishes at all. Still, to be honest, they were good—but not quite as satisfying as meat.
One lunchtime, I walked past a small stall that specialized in vegetarian food. I had no idea what to eat that day, and since there were a couple of empty seats, I decided to sit down. I ordered a simple bowl of noodles and a soup. I’ve always liked sesame noodles, but I’d never really thought of them as vegetarian. Just like I mentioned earlier, sesame noodles rely on the sauce to taste good. The sauce is made from sesame seeds and peanuts, so it’s rich in oil and calories. Still, the flavor is deep and delicious. I figured I only eat it once in a while, so it should be fine. I also ordered a dumpling soup made from chopped vegetables to balance out the greasiness of the noodles. It was filling, but didn’t feel too heavy on my stomach.
The stall’s star dish was actually angelica vermicelli. While I was eating, I saw several customers ordering it for takeout. Angelica vermicelli is cooked with Chinese herbs like angelica root, astragalus, goji berries, ginger slices, and red dates, and sesame oil is added for extra aroma. Because of that, it’s not low in calories either. In the end, if food is going to taste good, it’s almost unavoidable that it won’t be very healthy. If you want to eat truly healthy, it’s best to stick to ingredients in their original form and simply cook them. Of course, the flavor might be pretty plain. Health and good taste are often like fish and bear’s paw. You can’t have both. As for me, within reason, I still tend to choose flavor. After all, finishing a meal in a good mood is one of life’s small but important pleasures.
