The Korean Vegan shares her story (and some yummy kimchi) with a visit to Northwestern
On May 8th in Parkes Hall kitchen, NU Real food hosted FeedFeed editor, lawyer, aspiring marathoner, and vegan food blogger Joanne Lee. Going by the epithet The Korean Vegan online, Joanne has amassed a social media following of over 20K foodies for her innovative plant-based takes on traditionally meat and fish-based Korean dishes such as sweet and spicy barbecued mushrooms, kelp-broth-based soups bursting with umami, and fish-sauce-less kimchis that taste great immediately or fermented a few days later.
Alongside her oi kimchi (spicy fermented cucumbers) tutorial, Joanne gave her no-bullshit take on going vegan. “I don’t believe anyone has one single reason for going vegan, it’s a combination of factors and for me it was my father being diagnosed with prostate cancer alongside my struggle with weight-loss and self-acceptance, my boyfriend going vegan, and exposure to food documentaries such as Forks Over Knives and Cowspiracy.” Joanne initially struggled with staying vegan, saying that walking past her favorite brunch spot, Kanela Breakfast Club, and visualizing their crispy chicken sandwich nearly brought her to tears, but ultimately the thought of the animals and the thousands of gallons of water used for each chicken patty or burger was not an even trade-off for the short-term gratification of the food.
Joanne by no means has abandoned tasty and delicious comfort food, instead being able to devour bibimbap at Alice& Friends Vegan Kitchen in Edgewater or luscious milkshakes and savory black bean burgers at the Chicago Diner as an occasional treat. In terms of a health and nutritional perspective Joanne says “no miracles happened… my skins not perfect, I don’t have twenty times the energy, I possibly have gained weight since switching from a restrictive keto-diet, but I feel good and can eat as much as I want without concern”. She also found her love of cooking at home and making creative infusion of East and Western desserts such as Red-Bean-stuffed Matcha Hot Cross Buns or Vegan Chocolate Cake with the taste Heightened by the addition of Black Sesame Powder.
Her Korean family is still adjusting to the shift, as Joanne went vegan in the winter of 2016, and many members still view the shift as more of a fad-diet than a lifestyle change. “I tried everything”, said Joanne, “low-carb, Atkins, paleo, keto”, but this is the lifestyle that works for me now.
As someone who previously stated triple-layer pork belly and miso soup to be her last meal on earth, it’s hard to believe Joanne is surviving and thriving as a vegan. While Joanne shows that Korean food can be made plant-based with just a few substitutes, it is difficult battling the cultural mindset that meat is a necessity. “My parents were North Korean refugees and part of the post-war generation after a terrible civil war” said Joanne, “meat was not only a luxury but a vital source of protein in hard times.” Another family member, worried for her strict diet, asked “why can’t you be Joanne (the vegan) 364 days and Sunyoung (Joanne’s given Korean name) today?” during a celebratory Korean meal involving beef, pork, and fish. In any case, Joanne has shown through her beautiful and creative recipe crafting that a Korean identity is not limited by veganism, rather expanded through a variety of delicate pickled vegetables, fresh noodles, and opportunities for fusions with traditional vegan food culture.
Find the recipe for this vegan kimchi at http://thekoreanvegan.com/recipe/favorite-kimchi-time/
Find more pictures like these on Instagram @realfoodnorthwestern and @the.korean.vegan
