Korean Job Discussion Forums

[merlin123]

Moving to Korea next month and hoping to continue eating mostly raw/live foods. Any other raw foodists out there? Is this a hopeless ideal?
What's the availability of fresh produce? Does Korea have such a thing as organic certification? Anyone know if I can operate a VitaMix blender from US if I put a converter on the plug?

[guava]

yes

[NYC_Gal]

I miss my dehydrator. Does anyone have a link to where I could find one? I miss kale crunchies in olive oil and sea salt and oil-free banana chips.

[Bibbitybop]

Some beef restaurants serve raw Korean beef. It's good. Sushi is nice, too.

[oldtactics]

Organic is near-impossible to guarantee. There might be specialty whole food stores in Seoul, but none that I've ever seen. Raw foodism is easy though, as long as you're aware that you'll likely never be able to eat in Korean restaurants. There are grocery stores and markets everywhere, regardless of where you live. And yes, with a converter, your Vitamix will be golden!

[AHawk843]

There are some organic mini-markets in Seoul where you can buy vegan and gluten goods, but be prepared to shell over some major won. Orga Whole Foods is one, and it's got a decent stock of grains and soy products, produce and vitamins (http://www.orga.co.kr/main.jsp). Some E-Marts and HomePlus locations also have organic sections, even produce, but again, it's extremely pricey (as is produce here in general).

[AsiaESLbound]

[NYC_Gal]

There's a symbol that looks similar to the Nong Hyup bank logo. It means organic. When a products actually says organic in English, it costs double. If it's all in Korean, but you see the symbol, it's exactly the same, minus the "foreigner price."



Gyopo friend taught me that. It still costs more, though, but it saves a bundle compared to my first months here.

[chungbukdo]

I eat the Paleo diet and generally try to eat mostly raw (I'm more concerned about whether the food is similar to what we evolved eating rather than if it has been cooked or not). You'll get a lot of raw, fermented vegetables (technically not fresh) in Korean cuisine. You can easily find a lot of raw animal protein, such as sashimi, raw beef, raw squid and octopus, etc. You'll find that most Koreans are skinny-fat lumps with the strength of 9 year old girls because they think jajjangmyun is healthy. My Korean girlfriend eats the same diet as me and her muscle mass and energy levels increased dramatically, which might show that their general weakness and malaise is not genetic.

[merlin123]

Thanks, this is all very helpful, especially about finding the Organic label in Korean. I was imagining there were farmers' market-type places for buying fresh produce, but it sounds like everyone just buys produce in the regular grocery store? I've also heard about neighborhood produce trucks...are they just delivery trucks, or can you go out and buy from them like the ice cream man?

[interestedinhanguk]

[brickabrack]

I would imagine that you'll rarely get organic foods whether it be at open air market, grocery store, specialty store or farmer.

I talk to several farmers in my little town and I know 99% spray
their 'crops' with pestis and other synthetic fertilizers, even the co-op that
I get my veggies from.

If you think you're getting organic, even with 'official' labels, you're more than likely fooling yourself. Sorry to offend anyone who eats all 'organic' in Korea.

You could always grow your own veggies. 1/4 of my food intake comes from such a source. Now, what to do in the winter.

And, you could always to a 3-5 day detox while you're on vacay in SE Asia somewhere.

[somekindofwonderful]

Aspiring raw vegan here. More like high raw- I eat a low percentage of cooked food. I aim for mostly raw and I think that is the key. It hasn't been too difficult for me personally with the help of a dehydrator (g-market, e-mart� they are not difficult to find if you look), food processor, and a good, commercial grade blender for green juices and smoothies. Regarding organic food, I simply minimize consumption of the produce on the "dirty dozen" list if an organic version is not available. (fyi- chemical free celery is available at costco- one of the most susceptible foods to pesticide absorption and high on the dirty dozen list.) And I maximize consumption of produce on the "clean 15" list. avos, pineapple, etc.

There is abundance of sprouted beans and sea vegetables like dassima and nori. Since living in Korea I think I've actually become more "raw" which has been nice.

[atwood]

One of the reasons fire was such a great discovery is that humans digest cooked food much better than they do raw food. Humans became bigger and stronger and were better able to evolve.

I'm in favor of a primal diet heavy on protein plus fruits and vegetables, but it makes sense to cook the majority of your food.

[sigmund]

Yes, bring your vita-mix. I regret not bringing mine. You can just use a converter for it instead of a transformer, lighter/smaller/cheaper, since it doesn't use electronics.

You will do fine in Korea, but the biggest challenge, in all aspects of Korean life in my opinion, is lack of diversity. I live in Seoul and have to travel to many places to seek out different veggies and especially fruit.

In general, I also don't think Korea has the same food standards you might be used to. In general they don't seem to worry too much about bacteria/cleanliness of food or food prep. They also seem to be not to shy about using chemicals in livestock fishtanks, you got to do something with all that feces they're swimming around in, or in cleaning those sparkling grill tops.

I find that organic is hard to find, but even if I do find it I still rinse in a light natural soapy water to get off any residue. Produce is pretty expensive here and I try to buy it from the Ajumas on the street. It is usually almost half the price in the stores and since I am usually buying in large quantities they usually throw in extra anyway.