Allergy in Korean: Phrases for Restaurants in Korea

“Allergy” in Korean is 알레르기 (allereugi). To say you have one, name the food and add allereugi-ga isseoyo: 땅콩 알레르기가 있어요 (ttangkong allereugi-ga isseoyo) means “I have a peanut allergy.” In casual speech you will also hear 알러지 (alleoji); both are understood.

The word to learn early is 참기름 (chamgireum), sesame oil. It is drizzled on most Korean dishes after cooking, so a cook who says a dish has no sesame may be thinking of the seeds and forgetting the oil.

Phrases for the restaurant

Ppae juseyo asks them to take the ingredient out. Like “no nuts” in English, it does not tell the kitchen about shared pans or oil, so pair it with jogeumman meogeodo wiheomhaeyo.

Food words

Ingredients that are easy to miss

• Kimchi is usually made with salted shrimp (새우젓, saeujeot) or anchovy fish sauce, so it is not safe for a shellfish or fish allergy unless the maker says otherwise.
• Stir-fried anchovies (멸치볶음), a common side dish, are often tossed with almonds or peanuts.
• Walnut cakes (호두과자) sold at stations and rest stops contain walnut, wheat and egg.
• Pine nut porridge (잣죽) and pine nuts on top of sujeonggwa and other traditional dishes.
• Broths for many soups and noodle dishes are made from anchovy, kelp or dried shrimp, invisible once served.

Note that Korea’s food labelling list does not include sesame, even though it is in almost every meal. Name sesame oil by itself on your card.

If you need help

The emergency number in Korea is 119 for an ambulance. Interpreters are available on 1330, the Korea tourism hotline.

Common questions

How do you say “allergy” in Korean?

알레르기 (allereugi). It sounds close to the English word, so even if your pronunciation is off, staff will usually understand.

How do you say “shellfish allergy” in Korean?

갑각류 알레르기 (gapgangnyu allereugi) for shrimp, crab and lobster. For clams and mussels, say 조개류 (jogaeryu). If you avoid both, name them: 새우, 게, 조개 다 안 돼요 (saeu, ge, jogae da an dwaeyo), “no shrimp, crab or clams at all.”

Do Korean restaurants understand food allergies?

Staff in Seoul increasingly recognise the word, and large chains publish allergen information. Small restaurants often prepare side dishes in advance in big batches, so ingredients cannot be removed from them. Ask which dishes are cooked to order.