To begin with, a lot of people would imagine that South Korea is gluten-free heaven. In Korea, rice plays an important part in the diet of Korea. It appears in nearly all dishes in some form or another, such as bap, kimbap, rice porridge, or rice cakes. Noticing this, one might imagine that being gluten-free would actually be quite appealing in such an environment. Let’s take a look together.
The problem is mostly in sauces and seasonings. The main elements of the Korean food are ganjang, gochujang, and doenjang. These are essential seasonings in the preparation of food and sadly contain wheat. This shows that the well-known dishes of this country, even though they are gluten-free by nature, like soups, stews, vegetables, and tofu contain gluten. The popular dishes of Korea, like jeon, ramyeon, chicken fried or not, and jjajangmyeon, are entirely of wheat and cannot at all form part of the gluten-free diet. Restaurants are an even tougher experience, although not an impossible one. Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are not known in South Korea.
Eating outside can be challenging, but not impossible. Gluten intolerance, allergies, and celiac disease are not widely known in South Korea. So when u will come to the restaurant or some local place and try to ask them about the gluten, the reaction varies a lot. Menus do not provide allergen information in many cases, so you need to be really careful and try to ask the staff. Even if it’s through a general translator or AI, anything can work, and it’s a much safer option than just being nervous and assuming. Don’t forget to always ask even for cross-contamination in the kitchen. For this reason, many people who follow a gluten-free diet prefer to cook at home or search for restaurants in advance. There is a great app that I have used in Seoul for searching gluten-free places called Find Me Gluten Free. This app works in many other countries too, and it contains even reviews of the place with the exact meals that people ordered.
Despite the difficulties, nowadays the gluten-free and vegan options are appearing more on the menus. Most of these places can be found in major cities like Seoul. In fact, even in major cities, there are already cafes that have gone gluten-free and vegan just because of the impact of international trends, food dietary restrictions, and the increase in the number of foreigners. Gluten-free foods are now being sold even in major supermarket chains and on online shopping apps. I was nonstop scrolling on the delivery app called Coupang for gluten-free food, and successfully found some. There were many options for me to choose from, such as rice bagels, many savory or sweet snacks naturally without wheat, and much more.
In the end, my experience of finding bakeries that serve gluten-free sweets or meals in South Korea felt like finding treasures at first. It takes a lot of effort to guide yourself on how to find these hidden gems. The bakeries or cafes were usually empty or decently crowded, so they provided a comfortable environment even for studying. I could have sat there for hours studying, eating the food, and feeling okay that I would not feel sick afterwards in any way. The fact that such bakeries existed in a place that might seem like a bad idea for gluten-free people helped me a lot to understand. Before going to Korea, everyone asked me how I would survive with my health problem. It takes a lot of courage, and sometimes even in the most unforeseen places, there can be places and people who can actually meet the demands of individuals with different dietary needs. It’s just about how much effort you will put into searching, communicating, and discovering about your food restrictions.
Written by – Sofia Sliacka
About the Author-
Hi everyone! I am Sofia. One of my interests is content writing, and I love learning about East Asian culture. From music and history to cuisine, customs, and everyday life, I love uncovering new perspectives on Asian culture. Writing these stories and sharing them is something I find deeply rewarding. I hope to inspire readers, offer fresh perspectives, and connect them with the richness and charm of Asia.