SPOTLIGHT 25/05/29 Korean Catholics learn to cook ‘eco-friendly’ food

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Ingredients used for preparing ‘Earth Table’ are all organic vegetables produced domestically

Elizabeth Seong Mi-seon, a vegetarian culture activist, shows how to make vegan gimbap during the 'Earth Table' program held on May 29 in Seoul. (Photo: Catholic Times)

By UCA News reporter

Published: June 13, 2025 08:01 AM GMT

Updated: June 13, 2025 08:59 AM GMT

South Korean Catholic ecological campaigners organized a special program for young Catholics to teach them to prepare food from organic vegetables as part of celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the famed environmental encyclical by the late Pope Francis.

Catholic Climate Action (CCA) Korea organized the program titled “Earth Table” at Jongno Bajib, a Catholic-run free meal center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on May 29. 

Elizabeth Seong Mi-seon, a CCA steering committee member and a vegetarian culture activist led the cooking session in which 15 participants took part.

The participants learned preparing mugwort soup with seasonal mugwort and mushrooms, strawberry noodles made with ground organic strawberries and wrapped in brown rice noodles, and gimbap with chrysanthemums.

All the ingredients for the dishes made that day were either picked directly or produced domestically. The bitter chrysanthemum used in the gimbap is an ingredient that can be eaten until early summer.

“Mugwort, which is in season in spring, retains its fragrance until May, so if you open it in advance and store it in the freezer, you can eat it all year round,” Seong explained.

“We brought a basket of strawberries that are difficult to grow organically and made strawberry noodles with a sweet red color. Although it is a somewhat unfamiliar food, the attendees that day unanimously agreed that the strawberry noodles were the most delicious,” she said.

Vegan Gimbap with brown rice, water parsley, chrysanthemum, and pickled melon instead of radish is not only filling but also easy on the stomach because it is not spicy, she added.

Mugwort soup, which is made by boiling tofu made with domestic soybeans, mugwort, and minced mushrooms in a broth with domestic soybean paste, was full of flavor even though it was only seasoned with soybean paste, she said.

Media reports say amid rising awareness about environmental protection and animal rights, the consumption of meat is falling while vegetarianism is increasing and spreading.

Seong said that the trend presents an opportunity to learn how to change “eating habits” and make the best food from plant-based ingredients.

“The vegetarian culture was brought in from abroad, so it has become established in an unsustainable form, such as convenience food. To have a truly eco-friendly diet, we need to change the way we consume crops from our own fields and paddies,” she noted.

Studies suggest carbon dioxide emitted from industrialized agricultural activities accounts for nearly 40% of total emissions globally. In addition, the use of large amounts of pesticides causes water pollution and soil loss.

Catholic environmentalists say the situation requires the practice of “ecological repentance” as suggested in Laudato Si’.

“In order for humanity to survive the climate crisis coming to us in 2050, we will need to double our vegetable intake and halve our meat consumption,” said Seong. “The vegetables we consume must come from local sources with a lower carbon footprint and from healthy produce from small farmers.”

Participants appreciated the “Earth Table” initiative as an eye-opener.

“It was helpful to learn about recipes such as adding turmeric to tofu or making sauce with peas, and to see that there are many different vegetarian meals that are both pretty and delicious,” said Joanna Choi Hee-young.

“I learned ‘why we need to be vegetarian’ to overcome the climate crisis, and from now on, I’ve decided to refrain from eating meat about once a week,” she added.

Maria Jeong Eun-ji, a vegetarian, echoed similar sentiments.

“I started being a vegetarian because I was interested in animal rights, and today, while participating in the Earth Table, I learned that the climate crisis and vegetarianism are closely related,” Jeong said.

“In particular, I learned that there are various seasonal foods, and I thought that I should become a vegetarian using seasonal ingredients for the health of the earth and myself,” she added.

* This report is brought to you in partnership with Catholic Times of Korea