🇰🇷 The cheeses of South Korea

Dairy and cheese occupy a minor place in Korean food, which has long centered on rice, vegetables, seafood, and fermented condiments. Ancient farming and nomadic practices favored grains and preserved foods over animal milk. Modern commercial dairy farms appeared only in the late twentieth century, leaving traditional tables built around plant-based staples and side dishes.

• Dairy remains largely absent from traditional Korean meals.
• Commercial dairy production began expanding in the 1970s.
• Traditional diets rely on rice, vegetables, and fermented pastes.
• Soy milk serves as a base for noodle dishes like kongguksu.
• Kimjang, the communal kimchi making, holds UNESCO heritage status.

Cheese in South Korea

Traditional Korean meals revolve around steam-cooked short-grain rice accompanied by numerous side plates. Animal milk and its derivatives have historically played a very small role in this culinary framework. Early agricultural communities and northern nomadic contacts encouraged the domestication of crops and livestock, yet the resulting diet prioritized legumes, grains, and heavily seasoned vegetable preparations. This approach mirrors broader East Asian patterns where fermentation replaced dairy as the primary method for preserving nutrients and building deep savory flavors. Even as trade routes opened and foreign ingredients arrived, the core structure of daily eating remained anchored in soy pastes, chili flakes, and fresh produce rather than curds or aged wheels.

Today

Commercial dairy operations began growing during the 1970s alongside mechanized farms and increased livestock raising. This period marked a steady rise in meat and milk consumption across South Korea. National culinary initiatives now focus on sharing historic recipes and fermentation techniques globally rather than promoting dairy products. Local producers continue to supply modern supermarkets, while traditional households still prepare meals without animal cheese. The sector remains a recent addition to a deeply established plant-forward food culture.