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Every cuisine in the world has its own specialty and unique dishes that make it different from other cuisines. Like India is known for its spices and Italian cuisine has gifted all-time favourite pasta to the world, Korean cuisine is popular for its BBQ meat and fried chicken. The fans of this cuisine are all around the world. From Kimchi to instant noodles, all of them have animal-based ingredients like shrimp sauce and tuna fish in it.
People often say that there are very few options available for vegetarians in Korea. But is that true? Did you know that the traditional Korean cuisine was mostly dependent on grains, legumes and vegetables, as meat was scarce. And even the food served in temples of Korea is entirely plant-based and is mostly grown on the temple premises itself. Therefore, it cannot be said that Korean cuisine is only for non-vegetarians as there are ample classic vegetarian dishes available on the menu of Korea. Here is the list of five delicious vegetarian options from the Korean cuisine which you can enjoy:
1. Beoseot Gangjeong
It is a deep-fried crispy mushrooms dish that is glazed with sweet and sour sauce that gives a spicy flavour to it. This dish is delicately prepared, that locks the natural flavors and textures of the ingredients. Dried shiitake mushrooms are preferred for making dish due to their strong earthy flavour, that is glazed with Korean red chilli pepper paste. It also has the essence of potato starch that gives the mushrooms a thin, crispy layer.
2. Zucchini Dumpling
This dumpling is made with several fillings and involves lots of chopping and squeezing. Made with summer zucchini, mushroom and soya sauce, this dish is very easy to make and as it includes very few ingredients, one can very properly savour the natural flavours of sweet summer zucchini and mushroom. There are a lot of other zucchini dishes available that can perfectly fit your vegetarian diet like pancakes and stir-fried zucchini.
3. Soyabean Sprout Japchae
It is a noodle dish that is made with soyabean sprouts and sweet potato starch. This simple yet delicious dish is known as the meatless version of japchae, a traditional dish, made with beef strips. To make this dish, soyabean sprouts and noodles are cooked separately, then seasoned with red bell peppers and sauce and prepared with various spices like ginger.
4. Jangajji
These Korean pickles are quick, crunchy and delicious. It is made with vegetables pickled in sauce, vinegar and sugar. These pickles are very popular in Korea and they go well with every Korean meal, including grilled meat dishes. They are mostly pickled in mild soya sauce and refrigerated to store. The most common vegetables used in Jangajji are cucumbers, jalapenos, chayote, onions and Korean radish.
5. Tofu Kimbap
The traditional kimbap has meat in it but this version of kimbap uses tofu instead. It is a traditional temple food in Korea and has delicious texture and flavour. Along with tofu, the dish also has homemade braised burdock root (also used as side dish with Korean meals), rice and vegetables like spinach, carrot and cucumbers which are used as filling.
The cuisine of Korea has evolved a lot since ancient times but still has vegetarian options which are also healthy along with being delicious. Therefore, next time whenever you think about Korean cuisine make sure you include these delicious vegetarian dishes as well.
