Prescription or Self-Prescription?

The late nineteenth century is a pivotal period for understanding the formalization of vegetarian dietary norms and practices in France. The creation of the Société végétarienne de France in 1880 led to vigorous debate about a diet initially defined negatively through the exclusion of meat. In a context of intense scientific debate about what constituted the best diet, promoters of vegetarianism had to positively prescribe dietary norms in order to define the vegetarian diet. This article analyses the emergence of a French vegetarian cuisine from the late nineteenth century to the eve of the Great War. Highlighting the tensions between universalist ambitions and elitist practices, it shows that this culinary definition was shaped by multiple factors: the French reformist context, adaptation to the movement’s targets, and food practices and supply.