Starting a Plant-Based, Vegan Pantry in Korea

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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.

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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:

A Gmarket Search Using the Term “Tempeh”
A Gmarket Search Using the Term “템페”

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:

  1. Soft Tofu (순두부): Often used in stews or soups.
  2. Firm Tofu (모두부): Can be grilled, fried, or stir-fried.
  3. Block Firm (부침용): Can be grilled, fried, or stir-fried.
  4. Block Soft (찌개용): Often used in stews or soups.
  5. Block Silken (생식용): Often used in stews or soups.
  6. Dried Tofu (말린두부): Often used in side dishes and salads.
  7. Tofu Noodles (두부면): Replace noodles in any dish with this high-protein option.

Health and Nutrition Benefits:

  1. Rich in Protein: Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein which is crucial for muscle building and repair.
  2. Calcium and Iron Sources: Important for bone health and blood function.
  3. Isoflavones Content: These compounds can have various health benefits, including potential protective effects against heart disease and certain cancers.

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:

  1. Soybeans: (두부) Basis for many Korean dishes and ingredients, like tofu and soy milk.
  2. Red Beans: (팥) Often used in Korean desserts and pastries.
  3. Mung Beans: (녹두) Commonly used in pancakes and sprouted for various dishes.
  4. Chickpeas: 병아리콩 (Byeongari-kong)
  5. Lentils: 렌틸콩 (Rentil-kong) or simply 렌틸 (Rentil)
  6. Peanuts: 땅콩 (Ttang-kong)

Health and Nutrition Benefits:

  1. High in Fiber: Supports digestive health and promotes a feeling of fullness.
  2. Protein Packed: Great for muscle and tissue health.
  3. Rich in Vitamins and Minerals: Such as folate, potassium, and magnesium, which support overall health.

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:

  1. High-Quality Protein Source: Tempeh contains all the essential amino acids needed by our body.
  2. Gut Health: It is fermented, which means it can be a good source of probiotics.
  3. Contains Bioactive Compounds: Such as isoflavones, which can provide antioxidants.

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:

  1. Rich in Nutrients: Such as vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber.
  2. Antioxidant Properties: Helps combat oxidative stress.
  3. Supports Immune Function: Due to its high vitamin C content.

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:

  1. Low in Calories: Good for those watching their calorie intake.
  2. High in Fiber: Supports digestive health.
  3. Helps in Weight Management: Due to its ability to promote satiety.

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:

  1. Plant-Based Protein: An alternative to animal meat, good for muscle health.
  2. Low in Saturated Fat: Can help manage cholesterol levels.
  3. Environmentally Friendly: Producing soy meat typically requires less water and land compared to animal-based meats.

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:

  • plant-based tuna
  • plant-based shrimp
  • plant-based fish
  • plant-based fish cakes

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:

  • Vegan Parmesan
  • Vegan Cream Cheese
  • Vegan Mozerella
  • Vegan Feta
  • Vegan Cheddar

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:

  1. Rich Source of B Vitamins: Many brands of nutritional yeast are fortified with B vitamins, especially B12, which are essential for nerve function and can be hard to obtain from plant-based sources.
  2. Complete Protein: Nutritional yeast contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source.
  3. Glutathione Boost: The yeast contains compounds that can raise levels of the antioxidant glutathione, which helps protect cells from damage.

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:

  • Rice Noodles: 쌀국수 (Ssal Guksu)
  • Glass Noodles (Sweet Potato Starch Noodles): 당면 (Dangmyeon)
  • Buckwheat Noodles: 메밀국수 (Memil Guksu)
  • Udon: 우동 (Udong)
  • Ramen: 라면 (Ramyun)
  • Mung Bean Starch Noodles: 청평면 (Cheongpyeongmyeon)

Easy to Find Western Noodles:

  • Spaghetti: 스파게티 (Spageti)
  • Fettuccine: 페투치네 (Petuchine)
  • Penne: 펜네 (Penne)
  • Lasagna: 라자냐 (Rajanya)
  • Macaroni: 마카로니 (Makaroni)

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.

  1. Vegan Mayo: (비건마요)
  2. Vegan Pesto: (비건 페스토)
  3. Soy Sauce: (간장) Used for seasoning and in many traditional dishes.
  4. Sesame Oil: (참기름) Used for seasoning and in various dishes for its nutty flavor.
  5. Vegan Fish Sauce: (비건 피쉬소스)
  6. Vegan Mushroom Sauce: (비건 소스) You can use this instead of Oyster sauce
  7. Ssamjang: (쌈장) A thick, spicy paste used often with lettuce wraps.
  8. Gochujang: (고추장) A spicy red pepper paste used in numerous dishes. Ensure to pick vegan versions without added seafood.
  9. Doenjang: (된장) A fermented soybean paste, similar to miso, used in stews and soups.

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.

  • Sea salt: 바다 소금 (Bada Sogeum)
  • Black pepper: 후추 (Huchoo) or 검은 후추 (Geomeun Huchoo) for specifically “black pepper”
  • Chili powder: 고추가루 (Gochu-garu)
  • Cayenne Pepper: 케이앤페퍼
  • Garlic powder: 마늘 가루 (Maneul Garu)
  • Onion powder: 양파 가루 (Yangpa Garu)
  • Coriander: 고수 (Gosu) or 코리앤더 (Koriendeo) for the seed/spice specifically
  • Cinnamon: 계피 (Gyepi)
  • Ginger: 생강 (Saenggang)
  • Ground Nutmeg: 신영 넛맥분말
  • Cumin: 커민 (Keomin)
  • Oregano: 오레가노 (Oregano)
  • Basil: 바질 (Bajil)
  • Rosemary: 로즈마리 (Rojeumari)
  • Thyme: 타임 (Taim)
  • Cloves: 정향 (Jeonghyang)
  • Star Anise: 대추 (Daechu)
  • Turmeric: 운봉 (Unbong) or 투머릭 (Tumeorik)
  • Curry powder: 카레 가루 (Kare Garu)
  • Garam Masala: 가람마살라 가루
  • Red pepper flakes: 고추
  • Bay Leaves: 월계수 잎 (Wolgyesu Ip)
  • Fennel: 펜넬 (Pennel)
  • Dill Seeds: 신영 딜 씨드
  • Carraway Seeds: (캐러웨이씨드)

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:

  • Maple syrup: 메이플 시럽 (Meipeul Sirup)
  • Vanilla extract: 바닐라 추출물 (Banilla Chuchulmul)
  • Natural unsweetened cocoa powder: 천연 무설탕 코코아 파우더 (Cheonyeon Museoltang Kokoa Paudeo)
  • Matcha powder: 말차가루
  • Coconut sugar: 코코넛 설탕 (Kokonet Seoltang)
  • Brown rice flour: 국내산 현미가루 (Hyeonmi Garu)
  • Oat flour: 귀리가루 (Gwiri Garu)
  • Blanched almond flour: 블랜치드 아몬드 가루 (Blenchideu Amondeu Garu)
  • All-purpose white flour: 백밀가루 (Botong Jeonyong Baekmil Garu)
  • Tapioca starch: 타피오카 전분 (Tapioke Jeonbun)
  • Cornstarch: 옥수수 전분 (Oksusu Jeonbun)
  • Potato starch: 감자 전분 (Gamja Jeonbun)
  • Baking powder: 베이킹 파우더 (Beiking Paudeo)
  • Baking soda: 베이킹 소다 (Baking Soda)

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.

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