GS25 rolls out tteokbokki for vegans

Local convenience store chain GS25 is bringing instant vegan tteokbokki to its stores, the company said Monday. Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food of rice cakes in chili sauces.

The products, under the name Veggie Garden, are 100 percent meatless, and have been certified vegan by the Korea Agency of Vegan Certification and Services, a non-profit organization that has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

The company said the products have removed all possible contacts with meat in the manufacturing process, using only facilities producing meat alternatives.

“We chose to make vegan tteokbokki, which is a popular food for Koreans, to offer an opportunity for people to easily experience a vegetarian diet,” an official from GS Retail, the convenience chain operator, said.

The vegan tteokbokki product comes in two flavors, spicy and black bean sauce, and costs 2,700 won ($2.46).

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)