An Introduction to the Ancient Art of Korean Vegetarian Cooking
By Larry Litt
It's 4:30 on a hot, misty, overcast August morning. We're in Kyongju, the ancient capital of the Shilla dynasty in southern South Korea. Six of us are climbing Nam San (South Mountain), the most sacred mountain of Korean Buddhism. We've come early enough to see the sun rise over the craggy 3000 foot peaks to the east.
At the base of this 2000 year old trail is a traditional farm. The paddies are thick and green with waving shoots of 'pab' or rice for cooking. My favorite Korean dish, 'bee bim pab' or mixed rice, hot pepper sauce, and vegetables, flashes in front of my eyes. None of us climbers has had our breakfast yet. Although I'm hungry, I'm convinced my vision is a sign of wonderful things to come, if I have patience.
"This mountain has always been a sacred place," Yun Dong-koo, our guide says. "Anything growing on it is believed to be the very best and healthiest you can find."
The almost spotless trail, bordered by lush flora on both sides, is a testament to an age-old succession of dedicated Buddhist monks who still maintain Nam San. Ancient trees and flowers still grow in wild abundance, in spite of the thousands of pilgrims who come here every year seeking inspiration and a sacred plant relic from the mountain.
"A plant from here is a prize in any garden," remarks Yun Dong-koo. "There's a special style of Buddhist temple cooking called 'San Chun' consisting of some wild but mostly cultivated plants that Korean people believe can cure diseases and stabilize the body's natural balance. It's the Um/Yang diet. When ingredients come from this mountain, they're especially good for you; perhaps even inspired."
As we climb higher into the steamy, mysterious clouds, we come upon ancient Buddhist rock carvings, statues, burial mounds, and the foundation of a fortress. For three millennia shamans and monks have prepared meals and herbal formulas using Nam San's indigenous plants and rice from farms in the valley below.
Yun Dong-koo points into the mountains. "There are dozens of mountain foods all around us," he states, "but the ones we are looking for are wild ginseng, called 'in sam' in Korean, 'taroji' the root of the bellflower plant, and 'manul,' wild garlic. These three herbs are available in most food shops. When they are picked wild, they should be peeled and eaten raw within a few minutes of their discovery for the maximum results." I imagine myself walking with a group of monks, searching the sides of this very beautiful, tranquil path looking for sacred foods. I begin to hum in anticipation.
Suddenly, Yun Dong-koo calls to us, "See that purple flower? It's 'taroji.' We have to dig it out of the mountain."
Each of us takes a turn digging with a sharp Opinel pocket knife. The 'taroji' fights back with its own internal strength. We get the stalk, flower and an inch or so of the usually foot long root. Immediately, the root is peeled and divided. It tastes like musty, mild garlic, with a scent of the fresh earth that garlic doesn't have. It's gone in a minute.
We continue to climb to the top of the mountain. The sun rises. The heavy clouds break up just enough to let the sun's rays shine through, in golden streaks on the terraced farms in the valley below. It's an incredibly glorious sight.
The day starts getting darker. The rain comes down hard. We walk quickly; working up an appetite for a hearty and healthy vegan Korean breakfast.
Today, Korean vegetarian cooking is based on many of those same ancient recipes that combine spirit, health, and beauty in hot, cool, spicy, and sweet foods. Korean food is an ecstasy of herbs and spices that open and stimulate the palate and awaken the spirit. It is not food for the lazy.
Time and care are needed to prepare dishes that warm the heart in deepest winter, as well as cool the body during the intense heat of summer. It's a diet developed specifically for living in harmony with nature's learned bounties and accepted extremes.
Paradoxically, Koreans living in Seoul, the nation's capital, are surrounded by a highly industrialized, polluted environment. They live at a frantic pace in every way: long work hours, intense traffic jams, and high-pressure competition from the rest of industrial Asia. In addition most Korean men drink alcohol frequently and chain-smoke cigarettes. We would think they must have extraordinarily serious health problems.
I've asked Koreans both in Seoul and New York how Seoulites' health is affected in this atmosphere. The consensus is: "Industrialization and Western ways are so new to us, no one thinks about the long term health hazards. We like prosperity. Until it becomes a problem, people in Seoul will go on just the way they've been living for the last thirty years, since the economic boom started. Everyone knows it's a complete reversal of the traditional ways, but how can you stop it?"
When Koreans finally discover the physical damage their environment and "Western" behavior causes, I think many city dwellers will go back to the healthy ways of "San Chun" vegetarianism. Here are six simple, traditional vegan recipes I tried in Buddhist temples and vegan restaurants called Min Suk Jip (Folk Food Restaurants). The recipes have been adjusted for availability of American ingredients.
FRESH INSTANT CABBAGE KIMCHI (PICKLED VEGETABLES)
(Serves 6)
This easy to make instant "kimchi" is served in small bowls with any meal. You can adjust the spices to your taste by adding more or less pepper and sweetener.
Medium head of fresh Chinese cabbage (bok choy or napa)
2 green onions or scallions
5 peeled fresh garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon red chili pepper powder
1 red chili pepper, sliced into very thin rounds
1 teaspoon organic sugar or other sweetener
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
Quarter the cabbage head the long way.Soak the sections in salted water until soft. Rinse, drain and set aside. Cut off the base.
Cut the scallions into 1-1/2 inch lengths.
Mix together and finely chop the garlic, ginger, and green onions.
Mix the cut-up vegetables with the red pepper powder, the sliced pepper, garlic, ginger, and sugar.
Tear the drained salted cabbage leaves lengthwise into narrow strips. Mix with the red pepper mixture. Garnish with sesame oil.
Total calories per serving: 43
Fat: 2 grams
MU SAENG (HOT SHREDDED RADISH)
(Serves 8)
Serve this as a condiment.
1 large white daikon radish
1 Tablespoon salt
3 Tablespoons red pepper powder
10 thin scallions or chives, cut into 1 inch lengths
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
Cut the radish into 1/4" thick slivers, like a thick toothpick. Place the radish slivers in a bowl. Then sprinkle salt over them. Allow to stand for five minutes. Rinse salt off, drain well, then squeeze slivers dry in a colander.
Mix and coat the slivers well with the red pepper powder. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Taste the mixture and add salt or soy sauce to taste. If it's too spicy or salty add a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar or other sweetener.
Total calories per serving: 12
Fat: <1 gram
KOCH UJANG TCHIGAE (RED PEPPER PASTE TOFU STEW)
(Serves 4)
This stew is usually served with a side dish of plain boiled rice, which is often added to the stew in small amounts.
4 cups vegetarian broth
4 teaspoons Korean red pepper paste (available in Korean food markets and gourmet
stores)
4 ounces tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Bunch of scallions
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup bellflower root (toraji, available in Korean food markets)
Bring broth to a boil. Mix all the ingredients into the boiling broth. Cover and bring back to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn down flame and let the stew simmer for another ten minutes before serving.
Total calories per serving: 59
Fat: 2 grams
KAJITCHIM (EGGPLANTS IN SOY SAUCE)
(Serves 5)
Serve hot with plain rice. Kajitchim is also great cold the next day.
2 medium eggplants or Asian eggplants if available
2 ounces texturized vegetable protein (TVP) granules (found in natural food
stores)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame salt (see recipe instructions below)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon organic sugar or other sweetener
2 scallions, cut in 1 inch lengths
1 Tablespoon water
Cut each eggplant into three pieces; split each piece twice through center without cutting through the ends.
Drop the cut up eggplants in a bowl of salted water for 15 minutes.
Sauté the TVP with soy sauce, onion, garlic, sesame salt (white sesame seeds and sea salt roasted together in proportions of 1 cup seeds to 1 teaspoon sea salt until brown and mixed well), and sesame oil until the TVP is soft and the flavorings absorbed.
Stuff the eggplant pieces with the TVP mixture, put them in a frying pan and drizzle in the vinegar, sugar, scallions and water.
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently until all the liquid evaporates and the eggplant is soft.
Total calories per serving: 104
Fat: 2 grams
TUBU PUCH'IM (FRIED BEAN CURD)
(Serves 4)
This is a hot appetizer served with many types of cold kimchi (pickled vegetables) and teas.
4 ounces firm or extra firm tofu
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
5 scallions cut in 1 inch lengths
1 teaspoon red pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons sesame salt (see previous recipe)
Cut the tofu into 1/3 inch thick slices. Broil them in the oil and soy sauce for five minutes on each side, or until both sides are lightly browned.
