Being Vegetarian in Korea

From an outside perspective, most people would probably think it’s easy to eat healthy in Korea. For me, it is unbelievably difficult. Of course, I added to the difficulty by swearing off meat, fish and all other creepy crawlers (including larva which Koreans love to eat). Being vegetarian in a country known globally for their excellent barbecue, although self-inflicted, is no easy feat. First of all, most Koreans have no concept of vegetarianism. If you live in Seoul or Busan, you might be more lucky, but here in Changwon and almost any other area it’s essentially unheard of. Let’s also not forget that virtually 0 people speak English in my town. Even when you’re lucky enough to find something translated into English, the translation is usually incorrect. ” Vegetable Sandwich” usually verifies there’s a vegetable in it but no promises for whatever else they decided to add in. For most Koreans, this doesn’t bother them. In all honesty, it’s probably more like a surprise present to them. Anyways, if you can find someone to actually communicate to that you don’t eat meat, you’re most likely going to be lucky enough to find fish, shrimp, or some kind of seafood in your food anyways. So, basically what I’m trying to say is I eat a lot of cheese pizza.

I think the root of my struggle is basically being spoiled rotten by coming from San Diego where vegan culture is huge and even if you’re not eating at a vegan restaurant there is usually a vegan section of the menu and a veggie burger option at every restaurant. Let me just say that I’ve had one veggie burger in the last nine months and it wasn’t even that good. Also, at home we have an abundance of  health food grocery stores. Here there is an extremely tiny and overpriced organic section in one of the 3 major grocery chains.

Oh, and we haven’t even talked about the import prices on fruit and vegetables. One small cauliflower or HALF of a watermelon for the equivalent of 5 U.S. dollars. I’ve even seen strawberries up to 15 dollars.

I will say though that despite the insane amount of alcohol, Koreans do manage to prioritize their health. An average school lunch for my kiddos includes rice, a soup of some sort (usually seaweed or miso), some sort of meat, a vegetable side dish, and of course kimchi. Koreans are also extremely active and love being outdoors. Almost every few blocks there are outdoor workout parks with various exercise machines. They are very big on herbal medicine and drink many different kinds of teas as natural remedies to their ailments although in my opinion I will say that they depend even more on anti-biotics than Americans (that’s for another time). The difference is that gluten-free, corn-free, soy-free, vegan etc. is just not a thing here. So at home where I’m used to being able to easily find “healthy junk food” no such thing exists here.

I’m done complaining now and to make up for it I want to leave you with something beneficial. If you’re coming to Korea and are vegetarian, here are some of my tips:

1. Cook at home when possible. Although some produce is expensive you can find good prices on things like zucchini, eggplant, and onions.
2. Get an IHerb account. Truly, I don’t know where I would be without IHerb. I use it to by essentials like quinoa, natural peanut butter, vitamins, brown rice etc.
3. Understand that you will most likely eat accidental meat a few times and it’s okay to be flexible. There have definitely been a few times where I’ve bitten into something and got a different taste than I expected. ” Oh yay, surprise crab in my vegetable roll!” Although, I haven’t chewed any meat on purpose there will be times where it will happen on accident. Sometimes you have to go for the flexitarian approach. I have without a doubt consumed animal products in broths or flavorings. It’s just bound to happen.
4. If you are really not flexible, try to live in or near a big city so you can have access to vegetarian/vegan restaurants.
5. Lastly, you can find Korean foods that are easily customize-able and can be ordered without meat. My two favorites are kimbap (like Korean Sushi) or bibimbap ( a mixed rice and veggie bowl).

Hope this is helpful for any of you coming to Korea soon or anyone who wants an insight on how I have avoided eating world famous Korean fried chicken for 9 months.

Peace and Love,

Anna