veganism

[seoulfoodie]

Hi. I'm going Vegan. Help. Please. I'd love to read some comments on advice, suggestions, interesting annecdotes, mishaps, moments of clarity and enlightenment...
P.S. Anyone have an opinion on Uggs? I've heard they are hotly debated.

[revbribri]

Hey there, ma'am. This is a pretty difficult place to go vegan, but I know a couple of people who have done it successfully. One of the first things I'd have to recommend is taking a multivitamin (in the West, you don't necessarily have to, because soy foods are fortified, etc). A good place to order vegan stuff in general is Pangea, at www.veganstore.com. I just got a box of goodies from them a week or so ago.

Next, you have to learn a bit of Korean, and what's in Korean food. There are slightly less vegan options than vegetarian ones, and you usually have to do a bit of special ordering to make an item vegan. Bibimbab without egg, for example. (You may have already learned that some places put a spoonful of ground beef in bibimbab. It's rare, but it happens. When you're ordering at a new place, you might want to ask if it has meat.)

There are different levels of strictness to veganism, so this might not all apply to you, but maybe it'll help somebody else along the way, too.

If you want baked goods, there are a couple of Sticky Fingers vegan bakeries here in Seoul. It's pricey, and depending on your location, can be a hassle to go to. If you speak good Korean or have a friend that can help you out, they'll do special orders for you, as well. Their website has a huge variety of stuff, but they don't keep a third of it on-hand in their shops: www.stickyfingers.co.kr/

I usually skip breads in favor of noodles or pastas, but here's what I've learned: Most breads have either some egg, dairy, or both, but I read recently that baguettes are always vegan unless they have an egg wash or butter on them, and I heard that's a practice only done by some grocery stores, not by bakeries. I hear you can spot the non-vegan kind because they're shiny. I'm not sure how well this applies in Korea, but if you want some probably guilt-free bread and can't make it to a Sticky Fingers, this might be a doable option for ya.

Let's see... I make pretty regular trips to Itaewon, where there's a fair handful of good restaurants that both understand veganism and have plenty of options. Another good way to find places to eat is, of course, to come to veggie club events (or at least make a note of the places we visit).

I think it's also important to remember that here, because of the language barrier and culture differences, there will be mistakes, and frustrations, etc, (try ordering a pizza without cheese!), and you have to be able to say "well, that sucked" and get on with doing better next time. A support system of other vegans/vegetarians tends to make things easier.

Okay, I'm not sure how helpful this was, and if you have any more specific questions, drop 'em my way and I'll do my best. Also, with a little luck, some more vegans will chime in.


Oh! I almost forgot! There's vegan ice cream! The brand is called "So Delicious", they have a couple of stores around Seoul, (one in Guro, and one in Yangjae, those are the two I know of) and I hear that some of the department stores have them in their grocery sections.

Hope this helps.

Brian

[seoulfoodie]

Oh, yes, this is helpful. Best thing is knowing a community of people are living a similar lifestyle, gonna make an effort to connect. I've tried Sticky Fingers, but didn't know about special ordering...I'll check out the website...although, me thinks their blueberry muffin tastes like the homemade playdough my mom makes...really stoked about the ice cream, because it is a food group, of course. Sweet.

[Rev Brian]

Yeah, sticky fingers can be a little hit and miss. It's usually worth getting three or four different things; you'll come up with a winner or two.

[Sojeong]

Since i'm a native korean girl and who is very keen on vegan. I think i can help you living vegan in korea a lot.Tho my english capablity isn't so good but i'm ofcourse fluent in korean so if you wanna be friends or wanna contact me don't hesitate. i love to get vegan friends.Btw i'm 22y.o. fewdays later being 23.My email is [e-mail] and msn is same as my email.maybe i can tell you my cellphone nr bychance then you can message me.this is all for now.. have a niceday