An international cooking website has named Germany the sixth-best country in the world for vegans, with both Berlin and Hamburg making it into the top five for vegan-friendly cities.
Chef’s Pencil, a website for professional chefs that publishes reports on news and trends within the catering industry, has published a study highlighting the best cities and countries around the world for vegans. Using Google Trends, the site found that the popularity of veganism was at an all-time high.
In their rankings, Germany was awarded sixth place, beating out the likes of the Netherlands and the United States. Germany has a growing vegan and vegetarian population, with nearly 10 percent of the population sticking to a vegetarian diet, and 1,6 percent eating vegan - the highest rate in Europe.
The country might be known for its sausages and schnitzels, but it has become a leading producer of meat substitutes, and is doing more and more to provide meat-free and plant-based alternatives for its inhabitants.
Impressively, four German cities made it into the top 15, and while Leipzig and Cologne perform respectably (7th and 10th place, respectively), the best cities in Germany for vegans are Berlin and Hamburg. Both cities have secured joint-fifth place, sharing the spot with Amsterdam.
In 2017, Berlin was labelled the vegan capital of the world, boasting over 50 vegan-only restaurants and more than 300 eateries providing vegetarian or vegan options. While Berlin was one of the first cities to embrace veganism, Hamburg, on the other hand, has recently and enthusiastically embraced plant-based diets, and is adapting its culinary scene to provide more options for the vegans (and vegetarians) of the world.
The top 15 countries around the world for veganism are: