Kalashnikov and cooking-spoon: neo-Nazism, veganism and lifestyle on YouTube

Food consumption has always been a deeply symbolic, identity-related issue. But contrary to the intuitive assumption which links meat-free diets to peace-loving, left-leaning actors and ideologies, this article illustrates how a group of (German) neo-Nazis, Balaclava Küche (Balaclava Kitchen), appropriates vegan diet in their YouTube cooking videos. Analysing these videos, supported by an interview with the group, we inquire into the various ways in which cooking and food consumption are intertwined with their (everyday) politics. We close the article by putting their attitude into a wider perspective, suggesting an ideal-typical model of how links between culture, nature and identity can be understood.