As a vegetarian residing in South Korea for the summer I honestly felt like I walked on the edge of death: Korean dishes involving all the nutrients required to lead a healthy life alongside a sound moral background are hard to find. A diet of bibimbap and bibimbap alone arguably is not enough to satisfy a vegetarian lost in a country of carnivores. Mention that you’re a vegetarian to a Korean and they simply won’t understand, instead questioning if chicken and fish are okay. Luckily, after both time and befriending some Koreans that aided me in my plight, I finally understood how to best survive.
One of the wisest things to do is to have a note on your phone with various useful phrases translated in Korean that you can show to your waiter/waitress in restaurants:
저는 채식주의자입니다
I’m a vegetarian
요리 중 어떤 것이 채식 요리입니까?
Which dishes are vegetarian?
고기는 빼주세요.
Please remove the meat
And for vegans
고기하고 계란 넣지 마세요.
Please do not put meat and egg in it
Alternatively, you can try and get them to adapt various dishes for you that contain meat, especially handy when ordering pizza and you don’t desire carb on carb as seen in the classic Korean potato wedge pizza. Again, a handy phone note is helpful:
아니요(aniyo) means ‘no’
Then add 소고기 (sogogi) for beef, 돼지 고기 (dwaeji gogi) for pork, 치킨(chickin) for chicken and 물고기 (mulgogi) for fish.
Being unable to speak Hangul makes menu reading harder, so here are some dishes that are safe and delicious:
Bibimbap (비빔밥): the classic, rice with various vegetables and an egg, often in a hotpot.
Gimbap (김밥): arguably a Korean variant of sushi. Various vegetables wrapped in rice and sushi.
Kimchi(김치)i: the Marmite of Korea, you either love it or hate it. It is pickled cabbage and is served with pretty much every meal alongside other pickled vegetables such as radish in small side dishes. Be wary though some of these dishes contain fish.
Jon (전)(either Kimchi or Gamja): A fried pancake made with either kimchi or potato. My personal favourite; you often share with a group helping each other tear of pieces with chopsticks which is pretty fun especially after a few bowls of makgeolli.
If you want to surround yourself with like-minded people, there is the occasional vegetarian/vegan restaurant. As I was based in Seoul, my local haunt was Plant in Itaewon, which serves various plant based dishes, satisfied my cravings for both sweet potato and hummus. A list of other vegetarian restaurants in Seoul can be found here.
Finally, the key to achieving a balanced diet in South Korea is to cook for yourself. Nuts, fruits, veg, grains and particularly tofu, are easily accessible. Alternatively if you’re feeling extra lazy, there are in fact some instant ramens that don’t include meat. If you’re committed and ready to put in the effort, some packs don’t feature images of a slither of beef or chicken. Find them, and then celebrate your fabulous treasure hunting skills by enjoying it whilst hoping you haven’t bought one that will burn your mouth off.
If all fails, learn Hangul ASAP or befriend some Koreans and get them to eat with you at all times. Acting as both your translator and protector from the everyday dangers of Korean food to your ethical superiority, this trick will hopefully ensure you won’t go hungry. Although it might seem at first you’re missing out on the delights of Korean food, mastering Korean food as a vegetarian will make you feel even more deserving of the deliciousness it has to offer.
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