Chay didn't start trendy. It started serious.
In Vietnam, vegetarian eating was never a "diet". It was a practice.
For centuries, many Vietnamese Buddhists have practiced ăn chay as part of a spiritual discipline rooted in compassion and restraint. For some, it's lifelong. For others, it's cyclical. They eat chay on ngày rằm (usually the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month), during Tết (Lunar New Year), ancestor remembrance days, mourning periods, or other sacred times.
But religion isn't the only reason Vietnamese people eat vegetarian food.
There's also the "quiet bargaining" side of it - the very human part.
A lot of people eat chay when they're praying for something like: an exam to go well, a parent to recover, a business deal, a new job... It's not loud, or trendy, or announced. It's just a form of devotion that shows up in daily life.
And because chay was tied to intention, not preference, the cuisine evolved with seriousness. It wasn't made to "replace meat". It was built to feel complete without it.
Temple kitchens, then, became training grounds for an entire craft: building depth using mushrooms, fermented soy, vegetable tofu, and patience. Broths are simmered long with dried mushrooms, radish, and roasted vegetables for natural sweetness. Tofu is fried for texture, then braised so it absorbs sauce. Chao (fermented tofu), soy sauce, and mushroom stock create umami, while herbs and pickles are used to keep dishes bright and balanced.
For generations, this was where vegetarian food belonged most clearly: in temples and dedicated chay restaurants, eaten on sacred days... not a part of everyday mainstream eating yet.
Everyday Vietnam: why plant-based food already fits
Vietnamese vegetarian food works so easily when you look at how Vietnamese meals are built.
A typical Vietnamese meal isn't built around a large piece of protein. It's also built around rice, soup, vegetables, herbs, etc. Meat is present, but not always dominant. A few slices of pork, some fish, or a small bowl of minced meat is meant to come together with everything else - not the center of the meal.
That's partly cultural, but it's also practical.
Vietnam has always been shaped by agriculture with rice fields, seasonal produce, herbs grown right outside the kitchen. So even in non-vegetarian meals, vegetables and plant-based ingredients already take up most of the table. When meat is removed, the meal doesn't fall apart.
That’s why dishes like phở chay (vegetarian phở), bánh mì chay (vegetarian baguettes), or cơm chay (vegetarian rice) don’t feel like "special diet food". They follow the same logic as their meat-based versions - broth first, herbs next, balance and texture last. When done well, nothing feels missing because nothing essential was built around meat to begin with.
Vietnamese vegetarian food also avoids one common trap of modern plant-based cooking: overcompensation. It doesn’t drown vegetables in heavy sauces or rely on dramatic substitutions to prove a point. Flavor comes from mushrooms, fermented soy, slow-cooked vegetables, fresh herbs, and contrast.
The result is food that feels familiar, filling, and complete. Not something you eat because you can’t eat meat, but something you eat because it already works.
When tradition meets modern life
So no!!! Vietnam didn't suddenly go vegan...
What's happening now isn't cultural invention. It's cultural continuity meeting modern infrastructure.
For decades, vegetarian eating lived in temples, family kitchens, and ritual days. It was quiet and intentional. You had to seek it out, or wait for the right lunar date.
Today, that same food is moving into everyday life, pulled along by forces that have nothing to do with belief: urban schedules, delivery apps, wellness culture, and digital commerce...
When a tofu bowl becomes a weekday lunch option instead of a temple-day only dish.
When oat milk shows up next to condensed milk at coffee counters.
When vegetarian meals arrive in 20 minutes just like everything else.
That's when patterns start to form.
Not because people suddenly "wake up vegan", but because vegetarian food stops feeling like extra effort. When something becomes low-friction, it becomes repeatable. And once it's repeatable. scale follow, quietly.
Vietnam already had the cultural and religious foundation. What's new is frequency.
That's also why Vietnam's plant-based story doesn't look like the West's. It isn't led by meat alternatives or lifestyle slogans. It shows up quietly in coffee orders, in lighter lunches, in meals where vegetables were already doing most of the work.
And over time, those quiet choices add up.
When everyday behavior repeats often enough, it stops being anecdotal...and that's when it starts showing up in the data.
What's next: market signals that are already visible
1️⃣ The Big Picture: Is this market real?
=> Yes - the growth looks real and structural, not seasonal
Vietnam's plant-based market is on a steady climb, valued at US$103-112 million in 2024 , and could exceeded US$220 million by 2033, growing around 8% annually . This isn't trial behavior. It's long-term momentum.
Vietnam's total plant-based market growth (2024 → 2033)
2️⃣ Where the money moves first?
=> From beverages, they are the easiest entry point
Non-dairy drinks made from soy, coconut, nuts, and oats are the lowest-effort entry point. They don't feel like substitutes, they fit naturally into daily routines (coffee, breakfast, and convenience-store stops...), driven by health awareness, lactose intolerance, and a preference for lighter, lower-calorie options...
Vietnam's plant-based beverage market is estimated at ~ US$165M in 2024 and could reach approximately ~ US$318M by 2033 , growing at about 6,73% during 2025-2033 .
More importantly, beverages already outweigh the rest of the category.
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Vietnam Plant-Based Market: Food vs Beverages (2024 vs 2033)
3️⃣ Is plant-based becoming everyday? And what's actually driving it?
=> It's becoming routine, first through wellness, then ethical values starting to shape choices
Surveys show 45% of Vietnamese consumers eat vegetarian meals multiple times a week , mainly for wellness, digestion, and long-term health . Among younger urban consumers, around two out of three Gen Z and Millennials are actively trying to include plant-based or organic foods in everyday meals.
At the same time, recent consumer data across Southeast Asia , including Vietnam, show that alongside health as primary driver (43%), protecting animals (17%) and environmental concerns (12%) are already influencing food decisions.
That means, Vietnam's plant-based growth is entering a second phase. Wellness creates the habit, ethical and environmental values deepen commitment. That combination is what turns occasional behavior into long-term lifestyle adoption, especially in cities.
Motivations for Eating Plant-Based of Southeast Asia + Vietnam (Full Breakdown)
4️⃣ Are Vietnamese consumers price-sensitive or value driven?
=> They're price-aware, but willing to pay for trust
Vietnamese consumers aren't just price-sensitive, they are value-sensitive. According to a 2024 PwC survey , 80% of shoppe are willing to pay a premium for sustainability produced goods, and on average they'll spend nearly 10% more on organic products that meet environmental criteria.
A separate report found that 72% of Vietnamese consumers are willing to pay more for green products, showing broad interest for sustainability, while a nationwide survey highlighted consumers' readiness to pay extra for high quality, traceable and health oriented Vietnamese products.
In practice, this is separating the market into two paths: price-first, undifferentiated products are starting to struggle, while well-positioned plant-based brands, certified organic store, and higher-quality local producers are gaining traction through trust, traceability, and perceived safety.
5️⃣ What do people actually want to eat?
=> Ingredients - not heavy substitutes
As plant-based becomes part of everyday life, preferences are getting simpler. Flexitarian consumers increasingly reach for vegetables, tofu, salads, and nut milks , while heavily processed mock meats are losing appeal . This mirrors Vietnam's existing food culture: balance, freshness, and ingredients over replacements.
6️⃣ How does plant-based scale in Vietnam?
=> Through technology improving both delivery and production, not storefronts alone
Vietnam's digital retail boom is affecting how people access plant-based food.
The retail e-commerce market exceeded roughly US$24 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at around 23% annually through 2027
, as more shoppers move everyday purchases online. Online grocery and FMCG categories, where plant-based food naturally sit, are a major part of that momentum,
valued at US$3,1 billion in 2025, and with online grocery market alone forecast to reach US13,4 billion during 2026-2032
. as platforms like GrabFood, Shopee, ShopeeFood, BEfood and XanhSM streamline logistics and checkout, plant-based products become easier to discover and repeat-purchase - not just in big cities but across provincial markets. This broad digital shift is making plant-based eating less about destination dining and more about on-demand consumption, accelerating everyday adoption alongside the general rise of online grocery and retail shopping habits.
At the same time, food manufacturing is quietly upgrading plant-based food from inside out. Improvements in texture, longer shelf life, and more consistent in flavor are changing tofu, soy products, and making space for newer formats like TVP (textured vegetable protein), and plant-based dairy. The shift goes beyond better products, it’s moving plant-based food from traditional soy staples toward next-generation meat and dairy alternatives designed for modern retail and wider distribution.
7️⃣ Is plant-based still an urban niche - or spreading nationwide?
=> It's expanding geographically, with Ho Chi Minh City gaining global visibility
Vegetarian restaurants now operate in 51 of Vietnam’s 63 provinces , with plant-based options present in nearly 80% of locations nationwide , reflecting broad adoption beyond major metros.
At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City is becoming increasingly visible on the global stage, appearing repeatedly on PETA's World's Most Vegetarian-Friendly Cities list. The city was first mentioned as a rising destination, later gained consistent recognition, and most recently entered the Top 10, according to Plant Based News .
Together, these signals suggest Vietnam's vegetarian scene is no longer a niche urban trend, it's expanding geographically and gaining global attention.
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