🥗 Vegetarian and Vegan in Korea

Harder than it looks, for one specific reason: broth. Knowing where it hides makes it manageable.

The broth problem

Most Korean soups, stews and even many vegetable side dishes are built on anchovy or beef stock, and kimchi is usually made with salted shrimp or fish sauce. A dish can be entirely vegetables on the plate and still not be vegetarian. This is the single thing to check, and it is not obvious from the menu.

Dishes that are usually safe

Bibimbap ordered without meat and egg (and with the gochujang checked), japchae if made without beef, kimbap in its vegetable version, sundubu ordered as the vegetable one, buchimgae (vegetable pancake), and the temple-food restaurants below. Asking is still worthwhile — 'usually' is doing work in that sentence.

Temple food

Korean Buddhist temple cuisine (사찰음식, sachal eumsik) is vegan by definition, and additionally avoids the five pungent vegetables including garlic and onion. There are dedicated temple-food restaurants in Seoul, particularly around Insadong and Jogyesa Temple. This is the most reliable option in the country and also some of the best cooking.

Saying it clearly

'Jeoneun chaesikjuuija-yeyo' (저는 채식주의자예요) — 'I am vegetarian'. More useful in practice: 'gogi-wa saengseon ppaejuseyo' (고기와 생선 빼주세요), 'no meat and no fish'. For broth specifically: 'gogi yuksu-do an dwaeyo' (고기 육수도 안 돼요), 'meat stock is also not okay'. Showing this written down works better than saying it.

Common questions

Is kimchi vegetarian?Usually not — most commercial and restaurant kimchi contains salted shrimp (jeotgal) or fish sauce. Vegan kimchi exists and temple restaurants serve it.
Are there vegan restaurants in Seoul?Yes, and the number has grown quickly. They cluster around Hongdae, Itaewon and Insadong, and Korean vegan apps and maps list them.
What about pescatarians?Much easier. Seafood is everywhere, and the anchovy-broth issue stops being a problem.
Dishes on this page's menus
bibimbapjapchaedoenjang jjigaegimbapsundubu jjigae
Worth reading before you go
🥓 How to Eat Korean BBQ🥢 Korean Table Manners🗣️ How to Order Without Speaking Korean🍢 Korean Street Food Guide🍶 Korean Drinking Culture🥬 Banchan: Korea's Free Side Dishes
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Read this in: 日本語