Exploring Korean Buddhist Temple Food in Seoul
This post is a continuation of my last post in which I talked about celebrating the Buddha’s Birthday in Seoul at the Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) parade. Today, I’m going to talk about what else I did to celebrate: eat! This post will detail what temple food is, where to find it, and my own experience trying it.
What is Buddhist Temple Food?
While veganism and sustainability have become a growing trend in South Korea only within the last 3~4 years, Buddhists in Korea have been living an ecofriendly, vegan/vegetarian lifestyle for well over 1,600 years.
However, Buddhists’ diets vary widely depending on region and belief and not all Buddhists are strict vegetarians. For example, early monks and nuns were said to eat meat only if the animal was not purposely slaughtered for them or if the meat was given to them as alms. As Buddhism moved East, vegetarianism became more widely regarded as the norm. This goes for Korean Buddhism as well.
As the Korean Temple Food website states, “Korean Buddhism forbids meat.” The use of animal byproducts are also often excluded, making most Korean temple food vegan. A typical Korean Buddhist diet also refrains from using allium plants: garlic, chives, shallots, and onions. These pungent foods are believed to hinder a monk’s practice as their strong smell and taste can be a distraction during meditation. Korean temple cuisine instead focuses on harmonizing flavors and textures: earthy, salty, spicy, crunchy, chewy, and firm. This Buddhist philosophy of balance has actually been the inspiration behind a lot of Korean cuisine - from kimchi, bibimbap, and tofu stew to a variety of banchan and desserts. In fact, some site Buddhism’s influence on Korean gastronomy as one of the reasons for its survival throughout the Joseon Dynasty despite its suppression.
Another important concept in temple food preparation is environmental sustainability. Korean temples often cook using locally grown ingredients and emphasis eating only what your body requires as to minimize food waste. As written on the Korean Cultural Center’s website, “Rice is eaten without being fully husked to prevent the loss of any nutrients. It is often encouraged to eat fruits without peeling the rind or skin. After washing rice or boiling Shiitake mushrooms, the same water is used as the base for making soup… Using every part of the ingredients and not wasting anything is a fundamental tenet of temple food.” Such cooking methods not only ensure sustainability, but also guarantees that all the foods’ nutrients are being consumed.
Where can I eat Temple Food in Seoul?
There are quite a few Buddhist temples in Seoul that are known serve temple food at a reduced (or free!) price, including Bongeunsa, Gilsangsa, and the aforementioned Jogyesa Temple. There are also two major restaurants in Seoul offering gourmet-style temple food: Balwoogongyang and Sanchon. Outside these places, there are a variety of restaurants around Seoul serving Buddhist-friendly meals.
Buddhist Temples
This year, I wanted to experience Korean Buddhist cuisine in all its possible forms. So, I first headed to Gilsangsa in Northern Seoul. I had read that Gilsangsa offered free meals from 12pm-1pm daily—free vegan food in a beautiful temple? How could I pass that up! Well, unfortunately, the restaurant was closed to all visitors due to the pandemic. As I later found out, this was true for all temples in Seoul. Gilsangsa did have an open café located one floor above the restaurant, but besides that, there was no food in sight.
Cutting my loses, I decided to roam the temple grounds before hunting for a restaurant outside the premises. Gilsangsa was astonishingly pretty, with colored lanterns strung through the trees and along the sky. There was a small stream running through the middle of the temple, which I believe contributed to the lush greenery and vibrant florals inhabiting the facility. I would definitely return to Gilsangsa in the future to try their food once the kitchens reopen.
Buddhist-Friendly Restaurants
After exploring Gilsangsa, I took the bus down to Hansung University Station. From there, I walked to Rice Jitgo Tiurim (밥짓고티우림). While the restaurant is not inherently a temple food restaurant, I ordered what seemed like a decent substitute: lotus leaf rice, seasonal pickled vegetables, and a small soybean stew. The owners were also kind enough to give me a side salad as “service,” (meaning free of charge).
Clockwise from bottom left: lotus leaf rice, salad, soybean stew, tea, seasoned picked vegetables.
Lotus leaf rice—comprised of purple sticky rice, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, jujubes, and other herbs wrapped and steamed inside a lotus leaf— has been quoted to be, “one of the most luxurious dishes served at Buddhist temples.” Trying it for the first time, I can see why as it was absolutely the star of the meal; it was fragrant and flavorful without being overwhelming. The pickled vegetables consisted of kimchi, various wild greens, mushroom, seaweed, garlic, and peppers. As mentioned prior, temple food guidelines prohibit garlic and after eating this meal, I can see why as its pungent flavor entirely overpowered my senses. The soybean soup and salad were both tasty and I finished them quickly. Leaving only one piece of garlic behind, I ate well and felt quite satisfied afterwards.
After paying for my meal, the owners gifted me some puffed rice snacks (Gangjeong) as an additional service. How kind!
Another restaurant I love that caters to a Buddhist diet is Osegyehyang (오세계향), a vegan restaurant nestled along a side alley off the main Insadong tourist road. Not only is their food entirely vegan, but they have designated menu items that are free of allium plants. This restaurant has served some of the tastiest tofu I’ve ever had in Korea. I highly recommend getting the Bibimbap with Soybean Paste and Hand-made Soft Tofu.
Bibimbap with Soybean Paste and Hand-made Soft Tofu with side dishes and vegan egg
Gourmet Temple Food
The following day, I felt it was time to finally sample some real temple food, so I made a lunch reservation at Balwoogongyang. Balwoogongyang, located on the fifth floor of the Templestay Information Center, is one of the most famous temple food restaurants in Korea and is the only Korean-style temple food restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star.
Upon arrival, the staff graciously upgraded me to a private dining room-my luck this week!
Balwoogongyang’s meal prices typically range between 45,000 won - 150,000 won. They also have a slightly cheaper lunch option called the Seon course for 30,000 won which is what I ordered. My meal consisted of six courses: Suljuksim(amuse-bouche), Juksang(porridge), Sangmim(salad or cold preparation), Dammi(starter or hot preparation), Youmi(main course), and Ibgasim(dessert).
The amuse-bouche and porridge were brought out first, comprised of vegetables with fermented tofu paste, deodeok root vegetable and bean porridge, and spring water kimchi. The vegetables were fine, though nothing to write home about. I did enjoy the porridge and spring water kimchi; the porridge had a subtle flavor and satisfying texture while the water kimchi acted well as a pallet cleanser, being bright and refreshing.
Left to right: vegetables with fermented tofu paste, deodeok root vegetable and bean porridge, spring water kimchi
Next was the salad/cold preparation: a cold spring greens salad with strawberry sauce, spring greens wrapped in salted radish and steamed napa cabbage, and steamed spring greens with perilla seeds (if you haven’t noticed by now, there’s a lot of spring greens in these dishes). I was also given the starter/hot preparation: deep-fried assorted mushrooms seasoned with spicy gochujang sauce.
This round was a mix of hits-and-misses. I didn’t get much strawberry in the salad sauce and the spring greens’ taste was a bit too bitter for my personal taste. Regarding the cabbage wrap, I didn’t realize that the yellow sauce served on the side would akin to horseradish or wasabi, so I took a big swab of it with the wrap and ate it in one bite. It was not pleasant. Perhaps it’s on me for not being good at handling the burning nose sensation of wasabi, but at the same time, I feel like anything that induces burning should be included in that lineup of “foods that are disruptive.”
My favorites from this round were by far the steamed spring greens with perilla seeds and deep-fried mushrooms. The steamed spring greens were savory and nutty while the fried mushrooms were chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Left to right: cold spring greens salad with strawberry sauce, spring greens wrapped in salted radish and steamed napa cabbage, steamed spring greens with perilla seeds, deep-fried assorted mushrooms seasoned with spicy gochujang sauce.
For the main course, I was given seasoned spring greens bibimbap, cheonggugjang (extra-strong fermented soybean paste stew), and two kinds of temple-style kimchi. Everything this round was delicious: the kimchi tasted fresh, the stew was earthy and fulfilling, and the greens in the bibimbap were seasoned well. I also enjoyed the rice, which caught my attention due to its bright yellow color. In Spanish, Mexican, and Indian cuisines, yellow rice is often made using the spices turmeric and saffron. Those spices aren’t used in Korean cooking, so I was curious how they made it. After asking the waitress, she said that they actually use ground edible yellow flowers! How cool is that! I ate it all-making sure to not leave any grains of rice behind- before moving on to the last dish.
Clockwise from bottom left: rice, two kinds of temple-style kimchi, fermented paste, cheonggugjang, seasoned spring greens bibimbap
Rounding off the meal was the dessert: a ginger pancake covered in omija (magnolia berry) and dandelion rice syrup aside spring mugwort tea. The “pancake” had a chewy texture reminiscent of an extra-chewy rice cake. The tea was also good and a nice way to cleanse my palate at the end of the meal.
Left to right: ginger pancake covered in omija and dandelion rice syrup, spring mugwort tea
Overall, I really enjoyed the meal I had at Balwoogongyang! The staff were incredibly kind and I loved the attention placed on all the individual ingredients. As noted, “spring greens,” were used in almost every dish, but the variety of greens used and the different methods of preparing them made each dish unique and nothing felt too similar. I also experienced a full range of flavors and textures: earthy, sweet, salty, spicy, soft, chewy, crunchy, etc. It is hard to say if I will be returning to Balwoogongyang in the near future as the price-while understandable- is somewhat high. I think if I did visit again, it would be to try one of their more expensive dinners to see how it compares. Nevertheless, I had fun!
Through these various dining experiences, I have personally gained a better understanding and appreciation for Buddhist temple food in Korea. The various unique flavors and textures were enjoyable to experience and the heavy emphasis placed on environmentalism and sustainability is admirable. I’ve learned that for many, following a temple food diet implies more than just eating certain foods and omitting others. It is a form of practice in of itself. While eating, one can practice gratitude, limit over indulgence, care for the body and for the planet, and more. Furthermore, as I began to learn more about temple food, it became easier to recognize its place and impact on everyday Korean cuisine-from the kimchi and various fermented foods eaten with every meal as a side dish to bibimbap, stews, and more. I highly encourage anyone visiting Korea to try temple food out for themselves.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me a message!
Gilsangsa: 서울 성북구 선잠로5길 68 길상사(조계종)
68 Seonjam-ro 5-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
Rice Jitgo Tiurim (밥짓고티우림): 서울 성북구 성북로2길 15
15, Seongbuk-ro 2-Gil, Seoul South Korea
Jogyesa: 서울 종로구 우정국로 55
55 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Osegyehyang: http://www.go5.co.kr/default/
서울시 종로구 인사동 12길 14-5
14-5 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Balwoogongyang: http://eng.balwoo.or.kr/
서울 종로구 우정국로 56
71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul