IS TUVOK A VEGETARIAN?
That chili burrito, and other matters.

This article is associated with the FOOD AND DRINK INDEX. Unlike that Index, due to its frames format, this article supports the site hotkeys.

The answer to the title's question would at first seem to be yes. Whether Tuvok is a vegetarian is not directly confirmed in [Voyager]. It is assumed by the fact that he is a Vulcan, and a full one.

The evidence in Star Trek that Vulcans are vegetarians is substantial and convincing. Encyclopaedia (the edition which includes the Supplement) is possibly the leading canon source up to Season 5, but I cannot find a specific statement to confirm this. That Vulcans as a people are vegetarians is confirmed, retrospectively in 'real time' but in advance as far as the Star Trek universe is concerned in [Enterprise], Star Trek's fifth television series which first aired after [Voyager] had ended, in [Enterprise: Broken Bow] (in which it is also noted that "Vulcans don't touch food with their hands."). In [Enterprise: Terra Prime], albeit a series which aired after [Voyager], Tucker says: "You know, I never used to like Vulcans all that much myself. They always seemed so smug, making us jump through hoops for every little advance in warp technology, and they knew the answers all along. So what was it with you? The ears? The fact that they're vegetarian?" In a deleted scene from [Enterprise: Unexpected], so that strictly it is not canon as it was not broadcast, when T'Pol, a Vulcan, specifically states: "I hear Chef has prepared Rigelian sausage. Being vegetarian I can't speak from experience, but I'm told it's quite succulent." Presumably since sometime in their past during the period when they adopted logic as their principal guide to living, Vulcans became vegetarians, preferring to consume simpler lifeforms, with the possible exception being if ever faced with starvation otherwise, as with Tuvok in [#107 Gravity] when he eats the spiders that Noss catches. Incidentally, just because Vulcans are vegetarian does not mean that animals or marine animals are safe on Vulcan, as Quark (incidentally, briefly seen in [#1 and #2 Caretaker]) serves Vulcan molluscs to Fallit Kot during his stay on station Deep Space 9 in [DS9: Melora] - a fine food, they are best when sautéed in Rhombolian butter. On early 21st century Earth often vegetarian or vegan food was considered boring or unappetising by carnivores, but that is not the case (speaking as a carnivore who once went vegetarian for a few years), especially with the proliferation of vegetarian foodstuffs in ordinary shops as well as farm shops and specialist shops. And there is no reason to suppose that Vulcan cuisine is uninteresting. In [DS9: The Maquis] Quark serves the intoxicating beverage Vulcan port when beginning business negotiations with Sakonna; Quark says the green drink is three centuries old and very expensive (although Quark's claims often have to be taken with a pinch of salt, as he is after all a Ferengi salesman, it is unlikely he is grossly exaggerating in these circumstances). There is also a Vulcan restaurant specialising in Vulcan cuisine; the restaurant is located on the Promenade of station Deep Space 9, but there are no further details, [DS9: Indiscretion]. In [TOS], the half-Vulcan Spock is vegetarian, adhering to his people's lifestyle. That he does not eat meat is attested in [TOS: All Our Yesterdays] when he inadvertently becomes seemingly trapped in the planet Sarpeidon's prehistory, an ice age. Not only does his body go back in time, but his mindset does too - it reverts to the time well before the Vulcan 'Time of Awakening' when the Vulcans were led by Surak, a Vulcan male of peace and logic who became the father of the Vulcan philosophy - he helped lead his people out of a period of devastating wars, some two thousand years ago (calculating from the 24th century A.D.), when his people were ruled by violent passions, and he helped prevent Vulcans from being destroyed by the Stone of Gol in a terrible civil war, [TNG: Gambit]. (Incidentally, this chronology means that the Vulcan festival of Rumarie, discussed by Neelix and Tuvok in [#32 Meld] as "Full of barely clothed Vulcan men and women covered in slippery Rillan grease, chasing one another." which festival is a hold-over from the old Vulcan ways, actually must have survived a thousand years after the time of Surak before being no longer celebrated.) Spock's changed mindset is revealed in a conversation with Zarabeth, a Sarpeidon native who has been exiled back in time by the tyrant Zor Khan, sent some 5,000 years into her past to live in total isolation.

Urged to eat food that Zarabeth has prepared, Spock replies: "If it pleases you." He turns to the prepared food and becomes concerned. "This is animal flesh?"
Zarabeth: "There's not much else to eat around here, I'm afraid."
Spock: "Naturally, because of the climate. What is the source of heat in this shelter?"
Zarabeth: "There's an underground hot spring."
Spock: "Excellent. Then it will be possible to build a greenhouse of sorts." (He plans to grow vegetables and fruit in it.) "Meanwhile this," referring to the cooked meat, "will have to do as the only source of nourishment."
Hesitantly he takes a bite. Zarabeth stops watching him for a moment and moves away a little. He takes another bite.
Zarabeth and he discuss Zor Khan. She describes his method of punishing her as coming from "an inventive mind".
Spock: "But insensitive, to send such a beautiful woman into exile." He stops for a moment. "The cold must've affected me more than I realised. Please pay no attention. I'm not myself. I'm behaving disgracefully. I have eaten animal flesh and I've enjoyed it. What's WRONG with me?!"

Spock: ""This is animal flesh?" [TOS: All Our Yesterdays]

Spock eats meat [TOS: All Our Yesterdays]

Spock eats meat [TOS: All Our Yesterdays]

Spock: "I'm behaving disgracefully." [TOS: All Our Yesterdays]

Spock: "I have eaten animal flesh and I've enjoyed it. What's WRONG with me?!" [TOS: All Our Yesterdays]

The issue of food replication, certainly in the 24th century form, does not apply to early Starfleet up to and including the mid-23rd century of Captain Kirk's time. [#44 Flashback] establishes that the 'food slots' on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 were not food replicators.

Janeway: "It was a very different time, Mr Kim. Captain Sulu, Captain Kirk, Dr McCoy - they all belonged to a different breed of Starfleet officer. Imagine the era they lived in - the Alpha Quadrant still largely unexplored, Humanity on verge of war with Klingons, Romulans hiding behind every nebula. Even the technology we take for granted was still in its early stages - no plasma weapons, no multiphasic shields. Their ships were half as fast."
Kim: "No replicators, no holodecks. You know, ever since I took Starfleet History at the Academy, I always wondered what it would be like to live in those days."

"No replicators...." [#44 Flashback]

In [TOS: Charlie X], however, there is reference to synthetic meat, which indicates that, as with 20th century and early 21st century Earth, synthetic food is in use. Only after [Voyager] finished airing and the broadcasting of [Enterprise], the series set in the mid-22nd century, is it firmly established that protein resequencers are used, e.g. mentioned in [Enterprise: Singularity] when Ensign Hoshi Sato eschews their use in order to create a meal she describes as "from scratch".

Kirk: "On Earth today, it's Thanksgiving. If the crew has to eat synthetic meat loaf, I want it to look like turkey."

Judging from [TOS], in [TOS: Charlie X] it seems that aboard spaceships of the time that food concentrates are in use, though no indication is given of their type nor how they are used.

Spock: "Charlie's very existence proves in fact there must be some intelligent form of life on Thasus. He could not possibly have survived alone. The ship's food concentrates would have been exhausted in a year or so."

As a (half-)Vulcan, and the only non-human in the crew, Spock would have had to make an effort not to eat the same diet as the crew, but it could have been done, because in any large group of humans there tends to be a number who are vegetarians and doubtless these would have been catered for. In [TOS: The City On The Edge Of Forever], Kirk manages to bring provisions for himself and Spock, who are stranded in the USA during the 1930s Depression.

Kirk, in response to Spock's requirement for platinum: "Mr Spock, I've brought you some assorted vegetables, baloney in a hard roll for myself, and I've spent the other nine-tenths of our combined salaries for the last three days on filling this order for you. Mr Spock, this bag doesn't contain platinum, silver or gold, nor is it likely to in the near future."

Therefore Tuvok can with confidence be classed as a vegetarian. He is not a vegan - he does eat eggs and dairy produce. The process of egg production for culinary purposes in the Delta Quadrant is not known, but Tuvok does eat what are presumably Delta Quadrant eggs. For instance, in [#44 Flashback] Neelix starts to prepare Porakan eggs for Tuvok's breakfast. Only a power overload which engulfs the scrambled eggs in flames prevents him from eating them. Anyway, having gone into some specific detail of Tuvok's diet namely that he eats eggs, Tuvok is a vegetarian and yet, he brings breakfast consisting of chili burritos for Tom Paris, Rain Robinson and perhaps himself in [#50 and #51 Future's End]. This may be a failure of continuity or failure to uphold canon by the show's production staff. 'Chili' implies meat, but strictly speaking as a meal 'chili' does not necessarily contain meat and if it does it is usually known as 'chili con carne'. It is the 'burrito' part of the term 'chili burrito' which indicates meat, as the dictionary and culinary definition of a burrito is a tortilla rolled round a filling of spiced beef (note, meat) and other ingredients. Vegetable chili was a common enough dish on Earth in the early 21st century, and 'chili' refers to not meat at all but the (dried) red pod of the pepper Capsicum annuum or longum, used in sauces, relishes, etc., and made into a hot cayenne. It is more properly spelled 'chilli' (I use 'chilli' but here on this site I use 'chili' to accord with canon Star Trek sources e.g. Encyclopaedia; the word derives from the Spanish "chile" from the original Nahuatl "chilli"). Maybe Tuvok's mindset, like Spock's, has reverted at least a little with his travel back in time to before the Time of Awakening, but that is not substantiated by his behaviour in the episode i.e. he remains fully himself throughout the time-travel experience. Whilst the chili burritos that Tuvok brought for Tom Paris and Rain Robinson doubtless featured meat and thus in keeping with the normal expectation of a chili burrito, it is possible that Tuvok ordered something other than chili burritos for himself, something vegetarian. Vulcans are vegetarians out of respect for other lifeforms, and also they tend to eat simple or simply-prepared dishes, so it is unlikely that Tuvok would have eaten a full (meat) chili burrito. Tuvok could also have eaten nothing for breakfast, despite the lack of wisdom in such an act. The consensus of nutrition gurus in the early 21st century, admittedly on Earth not Vulcan, is that eating breakfast is important, while some go further and assert that it is the most important meal of the day (Neelix says so in [#81 Waking Moments] to Paris: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know.") although presumably it depends on what breakfast consists of e.g. a coronary on a plate such as a large fry-up. And yet, in [#50 and #51 Future's End] he asks Rain Robinson to pass him a burrito, which would seem to indicate that he eats meat. However, he could have ordered chili burritos "hold the meat" in order to avoid eating meat. Someone I once knew was a vegetarian but ate regularly in MacDonald's and other carnivore eateries; she would order a "Big Mac, hold the meat". But that would mean the entire order would be vegetarian as he asks Rain Robinson to pass him "a burrito" not one burrito in particular namely a special vegetarian one. Since Rain Robinson remarks: "Everything you guys do is just a little bit off." maybe Tuvok ordering chili burritos for breakfast is not the only thing that is "off", but possibly also the contents of them. (It cannot be that "off" to have chili burritos for breakfast as Tuvok is able to purchase them from a take-away shop or kiosk.) It is possible that Tuvok later removes the meat from the burrito.

Rain Robinson, looking at the food Tuvok has brought: "Chili burritos, foot-long hot dogs and goliath gulps. This is not a breakfast, this is an afternoon at Dodger Stadium."
Tuvok: "And that is a non sequitur. Would you please hand me a burrito."
Rain: "Everything you guys do is just a little bit off."

[#50 and #51 Future's End]

[#50 and #51 Future's End]

In [#107 Gravity], with the scarcity of food and the difficulty of obtaining it and therefore survival being at risk, Tuvok seems to have joined in the eating of the native spiders which the alien female Noss is so adept at hunting, just as Spock reluctantly tried Zarabeth's cooked meat because "Meanwhile this will have to do as the only source of nourishment." In fact, Tuvok has probably eaten meat or fish earlier in life as well, but again as a means of survival in emergency. In [#66 Displaced], when he and the crew are incarcerated in a habitat created for them by the Nyrians, who have seized Voyager, Tuvok's ability to improvise impresses Chakotay as he works to create a weapon out of disassembled parts from a food dispenser (a power cell and some relay circuits out of a food dispenser and what Neelix says looks like some sort of capacitor).

Chakotay: "This reminds me of those survival classes they put us through at the Academy. Surprise tactical simulations, getting dropped off in the woods with no chance to prepare. They certainly taught you to live by your wits.
Tuvok: "That was a lesson I had already learned. During the Rite of Tal'oth I survived in the Vulcan desert for four months with a ritual blade as my only possession. After that, Starfleet training exercises seemed less of a challenge."

above and below: Tuvok explains about the Rite of Tal'oth [#66 Displaced]

Now that we are as certain as we can be that Tuvok is a vegetarian, in [#131 Fair Haven] Paris, abetted by Kim, appears to commit an unkind and inconsiderate act. Like a number of the crew, Tuvok is feeling unwell due to the radiation caused by the proximity of the neutronic wavefront. (It is due to the radiation and expected severe buffeting of the ship that the crew of the NX-01 Enterprise, two centuries earlier, in [Enterprise: The Catwalk], evacuate to a small protected area of the ship known as 'the catwalk' to ride out a neutronic wavefront.) The Doctor and Paris administer medication by hypospray to several crewmembers. The Doctor tells a female crewmember after he treats her: "If you experience any dizziness, report to sickbay immediately." Tuvok is in the Messhall when Paris and Kim arrive and ask opinions as to whether they should add a sea coast to the Fair Haven holoprogram, as Paris wants. The turn of dialogue after this, and the mischievous way that Paris and Kim try to exacerbate Tuvok's feeling of queasiness, makes it easier for Tuvok to feel more unwell when Neelix inadvertently arrives and discusses blood and animal innards for the blood pudding, and Paris encourages this by advising Neelix to choose blood pudding over creamed cabbage. Paris calls it blood pudding, which sounds worse (it has "blood" in the title) than black pudding, which is what is known as in (Britain) and Ireland (the holoprogram is set in Ireland).

Kim: "Tuvok, what do you think? Irish sea coast - fog or no fog?"
Tuvok: "I have no opinion."
Paris explains to Kim: "He hasn't visited our little paradise yet."
Tuvok: "Nor do I intend to."
Kim: "I think you'd like it, Commander. It's a great place to meditate."
As Paris elaborates, Kim makes rough miming gestures to illustrate his words: "Imagine yourself sitting high on a bluff overlooking the ocean, salt air," Kim mimes the wafting of the tangy salt air towards the nostrils and exaggerates breathing it in, "the rhythm of the waves rising and crashing against the rocks, a tiny fishing boat bobbing on the water below, up and down, up and down."
Seven watches, both bemused and amused by the pair's double act, as Kim makes sweeping gestures with his hands to imitate the fishing boat bobbing up and down, up and down.
Tuvok: "I get the idea, Ensign, thank you."
Neelix comes over to them.
Neelix: "Mutton. Creamed cabbage or blood pudding?"
Seven: "Explain."
Neelix: "I'm preparing a traditional Irish meal at The Ox & Lamb this afternoon and I cannot decide on a main course."
Paris: "Blood pudding. You can't lose."
Neelix: "Well, that was my first choice too, but replicating the lamb's intestines," he screws up his face in disgust as he pictures the gory lamb intestines - the others are picturing it too, including Tuvok, "it could be tricky, and every time I try to heat the blood it coagulates in the milk."
Tuvok finally has had too much. "If you will excuse me." He rises. "I think I will consult the Doctor." He leaves, unsteady on his feet.

Kim and Paris try to make Tuvok feel seasick and thus exacerbate his already-existing feeling of queasiness [#131 Fair Haven]

Neelix screws up his face at the unpleasant thought of making blood pudding [#131 Fair Haven]

The intended humour is presumably that Neelix unintentionally achieves what Paris and Kim were unable to do intentionally, namely make Tuvok feel worse and to the extent that he decides to visit Sickbay after all. However, as Paris knows that Tuvok is a vegetarian, his mischief is rather unkind (as, generally, mischief is wont to be). The script-writing of practical jokes on Tuvok are, fortunately, kept to a minimum in the series, but Tuvok-baiting goes beyond a joke in [#131 Fair Haven]. The joke, related in [#73 Revulsion], where Paris and Kim rigged the security console so that every time Tuvok accessed the internal sensors it would play a little message, live long and prosper, and even the replicator in his quarters, at least only irritated Tuvok and did not affect his health - if Tuvok ended up vomiting in the Messhall, then justly Paris and maybe also Kim would have to clear up the mess. For the repeated playing of the message "live long and prosper", Kim and Paris seem to have conspired with other personnel, as Kim says: "Naturally, no one was available to fix the malfunction." Teasing a person is part of being in the close social community that is on Voyager and a good morale-booster because those doing the teasing feel jocularly naughtily complicit, but when only one person, i.e. Tuvok, becomes the butt of jokes, and a frequent or regular butt as well, it might cease to be amusing especially when it affects his beliefs and/or health - making a joke of someone being a vegetarian, however implicit a joke it is rather than direct, does not seem amusing and also goes against Gene Roddenberry's principles that we are all equal and one family whatever our differences, but I suppose it depends how far the joke goes; maybe I am just very fond of Tuvok and in this instance feel strongly for him.

In conclusion, the answer to the question posed by this article's title is: Yes, like other Vulcans, Tuvok is a vegetarian, but he will eat animal or fish flesh when otherwise faced with starvation. However, the chili burrito in [#50 and #51 Future's End], which he purchases but does not need to eat, is a mystery or possibly a blooper.