Moving to South Korea as a vegan and wondering how you will survive? Well, it’s not actually that hard these days. Plant-based foods continue to grow in popularity across Korea and many can be shipped right to your house. This will likely be a blog in progress that gets updated over time. Getting Started on Your Vegan Kitchen The first month is the hardest for vegans moving to South Korea. The first reason is that you are trying to find vegan options in a whole new country, you can’t read the language, and you are waiting for your residency card, phone, and bank account. During that time we recommend ordering food online as soon as you arrive. Here are some sites to order from. We created this list by reading online blogs, interviewing local vegans, and visiting Korean box stores. We also pulled both from Western and Korean vegan pantry blogs. Therefore, the following vegan pantry blog for living in Korea mixes and matches items most easily accessed. The following blog post does not list every plant-based, vegan food item available in Korea. It’s simply a place to get started. Grocery Stores with Plant-Based (Vegan) Options The most common stores across Korea that offer plant-based options are Emart, HomePlus, and LotteMart. Smaller World/Asian/Foreigner Marts will also have vegan staples but they may be harder to find in rural areas or too far from your house when you first arrive. You will have the best luck going straight to some English-friendly websites and getting a little help from your co-workers for using your new address. Websites With Plant-Based Options (vegan) Two of the most commonly used websites in Korea are GMarket and Coupang. When you first arrive Gmarket will be the most important because it’s English language-friendly and allows you to shop with a foreign bank account. Coupang is also English friendly but you need a Korean bank account and ID for ordering. Therefore, Coupang becomes useful after you have established residency in South Korea. Both GMarket and Coupang have websites AND smartphone apps you can use. Additional websites to consider once you have Korean residency established and the Google Translate extension added to your browser: Market Kurly, iHerb, Loving Hut, and VegBox. Searching on Gmarket or Coupang One of the most important things to remember is that searching in GMarket and Coupang in English may bring different results than when you search in Korean. The difference in search depends on how companies enter their product data. Therefore, if you search “tempeh” you get different results than when you search “템페.” There will be some overlap, but often more options show if using Korean. This is why South of Seoul volunteers include the Korean search terms that we have the most success using in online searches. The following images show how the searches may vary. We used tempeh as our example: Vegan Products and Flavor Profiles Vary Korea offers its own plant-based products as well as some imported products. Do not expect to find your favorite things from home. Imported products tend to be far more expensive and less environmentally friendly. One of the hardest things about being vegan in Korea may not be finding products, but finding products you are used to using. Local plant-based food products are developed for the local taste. This means that vegan products in Korea tend to be related to Korean recipes and not Western recipes. It also means that, although Korea has a plethora of plant-based food options, they may not be plant-based food options that meet your taste preferences. Heads Up About Pricing Vegan products may be expensive. This isn’t uncommon, especially if it’s imported. HOWEVER, if see something like 100x or 10000x more expensive than usual, it’s because Coupang and Gmarket charge for each time a product is uploaded online. Therefore, companies want to continue to use the same listing. Thus, when they run out of a product they don’t delete it, instead, they make it outrageously expensive so that nobody buys it. Then, when the products are in stalk again, they drop the price. It’s a game they place to keep their costs for posting low but it looks crazy when you see it. Vegan Kitchen Staples For Your Life In Korea Now that we’ve talked about where you can get the foundational items for cooking plant-based meals in Korea, let’s look at a list of what you can easily find online to get you started: Tofu (두부) Wide variety in all Korean grocery stores. However, online you can find many different types of tofu noodles as well. These noodles can be a great addition to your Italian pasta dishes. Common Tofu Types and Terms in Korea: Health and Nutrition Benefits: Legumes (콩과) Korea has a wide range of legumes for vegans to choose from. More than you could possibly imagine and you can learn more about legume names on the Sesame Sprindles blog. It’s legume heaven. However, it’s going to take time to learn about all the different types so we recommend choosing from the following list to get started: Common Legumes in Korea: Health and Nutrition Benefits: Tempeh (템페) Tempeh has become increasingly popular in South Korea but you may need to order it online. If you use a lot of tempeh in your cooking you will want to have this order to your house immediately upon arrival. Tempeh ordered online offers more diversity, quantity, and a better price. Health and Nutrition Benefits: Jackfruit Jackfruit is common in the World/Asian marts but not everyone has this close to them. Additionally, jackfruit ordered online offers more diversity, quantity, and a better price. Health and Nutrition Benefits: Konjac (곤약) Kinjac noodles might be in stores but we have only purchased them online. They also use konjac for creating some plant-based seafood items. Nice to have on hand if you like to try making new types of plant-based meat alternatives. Health and Nutrition Benefits: Kong-gogi – Literally “Soy Meat” (콩고기) Soy meat has been eaten regularly in Korea for ages. It’s only recently been marketed as plant-based. It’s a great item to have in your home because it’s shelf-stable and tastes great. Health and Nutrition Benefits: Vegan Seafood In addition to the soy meat options in South Korea, there are also a number of plant-based seafood options that you should consider trying. Read the Plant-Based Vegan Seafood Options in Korea post to learn more about each of the following items: Vegan Cheese Vegan cheese has only just begun to become part of mainstream life. For example, Papa John’s offers two vegan cheese pizzas. Online you can find a few plant-based vegan cheese options for your Korean kitchen. Available Vegan Cheese: Nutritional Yeast (뉴트리셔널이스트) Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is sold as a food product. It comes in the form of flakes or as a yellow powder and is often used by vegans and vegetarians as a cheese substitute because of its cheesy and nutty flavor. Health and Nutrition Benefits: Remember, the specific nutrient content of nutritional yeast can vary based on the brand and whether or not it’s fortified. Always check the label to understand its nutritional profile. Rice Go to the store and take in the magical wonder of your new rice choices. We can’t even get into that here. However, we do want to recommend picking up some of the instant rice options for easy dinners and lunches. You can order them or find them at any grocery store or corner mart. They make life a lot easier. The following image shows what the instant rice looks like. It’s what folks who live alone in Korea live off of for real. Noodles Sometimes it feels like Korea runs on noodles. Not only do you have many plant-based noodle options, but you also have many Asian noodles that make all your noodle dishes a bit more fun: Easy to Find Asian Noodles: Easy to Find Western Noodles: 10 Vegan Sauces For Cooking in Korea: Of course, you will need some delicious sauces to help bring your vegan food to life. Try some of the following that can be found online or in some stores. Remember, while many traditional Korean sauces are vegan-friendly, always check labels for any animal-derived ingredients, especially since some versions may contain fish or other seafood additives. 25 Foundational Seasonings and Spices Easily Found in Korea: The following spices can all be found on Gmarket. However, the small world marts offer a wide variety of additional spices. There are world marts for Desi food, Philipino Food, Thai Food, Vietnamese Food, Russian Food, Etc. However, sometimes it may take time to find these marts when you first arrive in Korea. Such marts often may not have their business listed on Naver. Therefore, we have made a list of items commonly sold at Emart or HomePlus and Gmarket for when you first arrive. Plant-Based Ingredients for Baking in Korea: Vegan baked goods took off quickly in Korea with vegan bakeries peppering the country. This will be the most common kind of vegan food. However, you may find that you would like to do some backing at home. Here are the ingredients you can easily access and their Korean names: Please note that while many of these terms are translations of English terms, some of them are direct transliterations (phonetic translations). This occurs because they may not be traditionally used in Korean cuisine and have been introduced more recently. Always check the packaging or ask locals for further clarification when shopping in Korea. Warning about flour: Korean flower acts VERY differently than Western baking flour. Additionally, the humidity causes things to act very differently. Expect to have some failures and frustrations when you start baking in Korea. If you stick with it, you will find what works. Read More About Vegan Living in Korea Would you like more information about living and eating as a vegan in Korea? Click Here to read more South of Seoul Articles. Join Plant-Based Pyeongtaek Would you like to share your plant-based information or would you like to learn from others? Join the following Facebook group. Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAITLanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert. Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities. Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea. Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea. When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains. www.southofseoul.net

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Looking for plant-based alternatives to regular seafood? Korea has a variety of vegan seafood options for you to try. Here are options we’ve come across during our shopping adventures. It’s all part of the South of Seoul Plant-Based Food Initiative. Plant-Based Tuna (비건 참치) Plant-based tuna is a vegan or vegetarian alternative to traditional tuna fish. It seeks to replicate the taste, texture, and appearance of real tuna without using any animal-derived ingredients. There are a few primary ingredients and methods companies use to create plant-based tuna: Tomatoes: This is one of the most popular bases for vegan tuna. The natural texture of tomatoes, especially when marinated and seasoned, can mimic the flakiness of tuna. The tomatoes typically seasoned get with ingredients like soy sauce, seaweed, and sesame oil to achieve a “fishy” flavor. Jackfruit: Another common base for vegan fish products, jackfruit has a meaty texture that can mimic the flakiness of fish when cooked and seasoned properly. For a tuna-like flavor, marinate the jackfruit with a combination of seaweed, lemon juice, soy sauce, and other ingredients. Legumes: Mash chickpeas or other beans and mixed with vegan mayo, seaweed, and other seasonings to create a tuna salad substitute. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP): Some companies use TVP, a dehydrated soy product, as the base. Once rehydrated, it can take on a texture similar to canned tuna, especially when combined with the right flavors. Konjac: Use this Asian root vegetable, often used to make low-calorie noodles, as a base for vegan seafood, including tuna. Algae and Other Sea Plants: These can be incorporated to give plant-based tuna a seafood flavor. They might not serve as the primary ingredient but are often included in the mix. Plant-Based Tuna in South Korea My Plant is the most common plant-based tuna option in South Korea. It can be found in bags and in cans. The company offers a variety of different flavors that can be used in recipes for sandwiches, kimbap, sushi, or tuna rice bowls. Buy Them Here If you would like to try plant-based tuna in Korea you can shop in the following locations: Vegan Shrimp (비건 새우) Vegan or plant-based shrimp exist as alternatives to traditional shrimp. Companies use ingredients such as konjac powder (derived from an Asian root vegetable), vegetable gum or agar-agar (for texture), plant-based proteins (like soy or pea protein), and seasonings and coloring to mimic the taste and look of real shrimp. Vegan Shrimp in South Korea We have found fried and non-friend vegan shrimp in South Korea. Find this option in some online shops. Buy Them Here If you would like to try plant-based shrimp in Korea you can shop in the following locations: Vegan Fish (비건 생선) As with the previous seafood options, vegan or plant-based fish alternatives aim to replicate the taste, texture, and appearance of real fish without using any fish or other animal-derived ingredients. For the whole fish, they are trying to go for a grilled fish taste using some of the following ingredients: Tofu-Based: Firm tofu can be marinated in a seaweed-based broth to impart a fishy flavor and then breaded and fried to mimic a fish fillet. Jackfruit-Based: Jackfruit has a flaky texture that can resemble certain types of fish. Marinating young, unripe jackfruit with seaweed, lemon, and other seasonings can produce a fish-like taste and texture. Banana Blossom Fish: The flowers of the banana tree, when marinated and cooked, can have a texture similar to flaky fish. Banana blossoms are often used in vegan fish and chips recipes. Tempeh-Based Fish: Tempeh can be sliced thin, marinated, and cooked to replicate a fish fillet’s texture and flavor. Heart of Palm: The soft, stringy texture of heart of palm can be used to replicate certain seafood dishes. Seitan or Wheat Gluten Fish: When flavored with seaweed and other seasonings, seitan can be made to resemble the chewy texture of some fish. Vegan Fish in South Korea In Korea, we have found the following option for fish fillet-style vegan fish. Buy Them Here If you would like to try plant-based fish in Korea you can shop in the following locations: Vegan Fish Cakes (비건 오뎅) Vegan or plant-based Korean fish cakes, also known as “eomuk” or “odeng,” are a cruelty-free alternative to the traditional fish-based version commonly used in Korean cuisine, particularly in soups and street food skewers. The vegan version aims to capture the chewy and savory experience of traditional eomuk without using any fish or animal-derived ingredients. Vegan Fish Cakes in Korea We have found the following pre-made, plant-based fish cakes in Korea. Buy Them Here If you would like to try plant-based fish cakes in Korea you can shop in the following locations: Learn More About Vegan Korean Fish Want to learn morea about the plant-based vegan seafood options? Watch the following YouTube Videos! Join Plant Based Pyeongtaek Would you like to share your plant-based information or would you like to learn from others? Join the following Facebook group. Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAITLanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert. Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities. Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea. Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea. When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains. www.southofseoul.net

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