Bringing Vegan Food and Art Together: Korean Fusion Food for Hiking, Part 1 of 2

Today we will travel to Bukhansan National Park, a popular hiking place in Seoul, Korea. Ready to paint these stunning sceneries are two sisters, Woo-ju and Min-ju.

Now, Min-ju prepares the ingredients for the gomchwi wrap. She’ll use V-mince which is a seasoned vegan soy protein mince produced by a vegan food company, Veggie Garden in Korea. “I’ll dice the bell peppers for the wrap. First, the yellow bell pepper. Next, I’ll dice the red bell pepper. Now I’m going to add the diced bell peppers to the cooled cooked rice. This is roasted soy protein mince. I’ll add three tablespoons. I’ll add some sesame oil. I’ll grind one tablespoon of sesame seeds and add it in. Since it’s a lunch box, I’ll add a little lemon juice for freshness. And mix it well. If you look at the gomchwi leaves, one side has veins that can be clearly seen. Place this side of the leaf so it faces upwards. Next, I’m going to apply the fermented soybean paste on the gomchwi leaf. I added sesame oil and grain syrup so that the fermented soybean paste will taste even more delicious.”

Woo-ju will also prepare her own favorite lunch box. Let’s watch how she makes vegan hamburgers. “I like vegan hamburgers, so I’m going to make a vegan hamburger lunch box. First, cut the burger bun in half. Then stir-fry about 100 grams of minced soy protein in a frying pan. (Add oil to the pan.) Form the soy protein into a patty shape.” “Now spread the vegan hamburger sauce on the bun. This sauce is made with ketchup, vegan mayonnaise, raw mustard, and agave syrup. It’s my own recipe. Put the leafy vegetables on top of the vegan hamburger sauce. Add plenty of vegetables like this. Now put a tomato slice on top of the leafy vegetables. Place the patty and vegan cheese on top of the tomato slice. Looks delicious, doesn’t it? I’ll apply vegan hamburger sauce on the upper half of the bun before putting it on the top of the hamburger. The vegan hamburger is done.”

“She made and packed Gomchwi Wraps in a lunch box for us to eat together here on the mountain top. It’s absolutely delicious.” “If you buy pre-packed lunch, you end up having disposable packaging which ends up as trash. However, if you bring your own lunch box when you go hiking, you not only get to enjoy the taste of home cooking but have a better appreciation of nature.”