Compatibility of cuisines with dietary patterns

Every recipe in our database is tagged based on its compatibility with 6 common diets (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, pescatarian). By aggregating this data by cuisine of origin, we get an objective map of the compatibility between culinary traditions and dietary restrictions.

Methodology — Tagging via ingredient analysis

Compatibility is determined by analyzing the ingredients of each recipe. Vegan: no animal products. Vegetarian: no meat or fish, eggs and dairy allowed. Gluten-free: absence of wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and derivatives. Dairy-free: absence of milk, cream, butter, cheese, and dairy derivatives. Keto: less than 20g net carbs per serving. Pescatarian: no meat, fish and seafood allowed. Only cuisines with 15+ recipes are included.

Compatibility by diet and cuisine

Percentage of compatible recipes — cuisines with 15+ recipes

Key highlights

Indian cuisine, the vegetarian champion

With a millennial tradition of meatless cooking (Hindu and Jain influence), Indian cuisine shows the highest rate of vegetarian and vegan recipes. Protein comes from lentils (dal), chickpeas, and paneer.

Gluten-free: Asia and Latin America in the lead

Cuisines based on rice (Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese) and corn (Mexican) are naturally more gluten-free compatible than European cuisines centered on wheat (French, Italian).

Keto: few cuisines exceed 20%

The ketogenic diet (<20g net carbs/serving) is the most restrictive. Cuisines rich in grilled meat and green vegetables (Mediterranean, Greek) perform best, while cuisines based on rice or pasta are almost incompatible.

No single cuisine dominates every diet

Indian cuisine excels in vegan but fails in keto (high-carb legumes). Japanese cuisine is strong in pescatarian but low in dairy-free options (miso, dashi). Every tradition has its dietary strengths and limitations.

Full ranking

Rank	Cuisine	Recipes	Vegan	Vegetarian	Gluten-free	Dairy-free	Keto	Pescatarian
1	Indian	230	40%	80%	76%	23%	49	197
2	Greek	121	22%	71%	53%	44%	33	95
3	Middle Eastern	131	39%	63%	58%	65%	39	87
4	Maghrebi	87	20%	59%	41%	57%	21	60
5	American	253	10%	55%	34%	28%	51	157
6	British	97	4%	54%	32%	16%	18	60
7	Italian	342	10%	53%	32%	30%	89	225
8	French	484	7%	48%	44%	21%	179	275
9	Japanese	201	33%	42%	26%	90%	54	137
10	Mexican	147	19%	41%	47%	57%	27	80
11	Korean	149	28%	40%	21%	91%	52	71
12	Spanish	228	18%	38%	54%	75%	77	124
13	Chinese	190	30%	38%	9%	97%	93	98
14	German	108	6%	37%	46%	26%	34	49
15	Portuguese	139	5%	35%	54%	67%	31	68
16	Thai	123	7%	24%	49%	98%	60	31
17	Vietnamese	141	9%	21%	68%	91%	39	30

FAQ

How is compatibility determined?

Each recipe is analyzed by its ingredients. We check for the absence of excluded components for each diet (meat for vegetarian, all animal products for vegan, gluten for gluten-free, etc.). Keto compatibility is calculated from macronutrients per serving. "Adaptable" recipes (easy ingredient removal) are not counted—only natively compatible recipes are included.

Why are the percentages low for some diets?

Restrictive diets (vegan, keto) mechanically exclude a large portion of recipes. A 15% vegan recipe rate for a given cuisine is actually high. For comparison, about 5% of traditional French recipes are natively vegan.

Are food allergies covered?

The analysis covers common dietary patterns, not specific allergies. Gluten-free labeling excludes gluten-containing grains but does not guarantee the absence of cross-contamination. For severe allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish), always consult the full ingredient list of each recipe.

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