Korean Cuisine

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Korean - Cooking and Food

Overview of Korean Cuisine History
Korean cuisine is exotic; they are rich in seasonings and spices – onion, ginger, red pepper, soy sauce, bean paste, sesame, vinegar, ginger and wine. Most Korean dishes are fermented (kimch’i, bean paste, and soy bean sauce) and dried (salted fish). Kimch'i, which is vegetables pickled with red pepper, garlic, onion and salt, is one of Korea’s most common food. Kimch'i is served to complement almost every kind of Korean dish. One of the more popular Korean dishes is bulgoki or Korean barbecue. In this famous dish, meat is marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sugar and other seasonings.

Korea is also known for its “soup culture”, which developed over the course of its history as a way to get through famines. Maeuntang is a spicy soup consisting of white fish, bean curd, vegetables and red pepper. Twoenjang-guk is soup made from fermented soybean paste and baby clams.

Koreans have also developed a way to brew grains in order to make Korean wine. Rice, wheat, barley, millet and beans are five such popular grains used for winemaking. Fruits, roots and petals of flowers are also used to make wine. In spring, Koreans much prefer wine made from azalea petals. Cherry wines, ginseng wines, apricot brandies and pine tree wines are also popular wines in Korea. In general, the Korean diet is healthy and well balanced: it is high in fiber and protein, low in fat, has moderate caloric content and sweet. It consists mainly of grains (rice), vegetables (bean curd and bean sprouts), meat and seafood such as fish, seaweed and clam.

Like the Japanese, Koreans consider rice as its staple food and they eat it with various side dishes. Side dishes, which can be anywhere from raw vegetables, fresh water fish, pork, beef or eggs, are usually seasoned with soy sauce, red pepper paste or bean paste.

An example of a regular Korean diet is made up of steamed rice, soup (kuk), an assortment of pot stews (tchjge), broiled meat (kui), fried foods (chonya), raw vegetables (saengch'ae), raw fish (saengh’oe), pickled vegetables (kimch'i), dried fish (p'o), radish seasoned with soy sauce (changatchi), pork (chokp'yon) and soy sauce (kanjang).

The number of side dishes on the table is an indication of one’s status in Korean society. Commoners have only 3 to 5 side dishes, while the rich have 12 or more.

Traditionally, Korean breakfasts and dinners are heavy and have many side dishes, while lunch is very light.

The ancient inhabitants of Korea were great at hunting animals and cooking them, as well as all the local plants. The food was an important part of life and pottery making was very developed, like in the Chinese culture. The agriculture developed because of the good climate and natural conditions and about 400 B.C., the Korean farmers migrated across the Sea of Japan to Japan. Korean cuisine resembles to the Chinese and the Japanese one, as these countries interfered a lot through the history.

Some of the traditional Korean meals are the noodles, the rice mixes, the pork and beef dishes and the sweet desserts. The noodles that are the most popular are: naegmyeon with hand made cold noodles, japachae with a lot of garlic, jjajangymyeon with black bean sauce, and the kalguksu with broth. Rice mixes are topped with veggies and sometimes with raw eggs. The pork is used for the stews and the thick soups with rice and soy and dough and beans are used for the preparation of defend desserts. Other lighter dishes include the traditional: pajeon and bindaetteok (pancakes) or the mandu (pork, beef, tofu and special noodles) or the tteok (a rice specialty with onions and oysters). Koreans drink liquors, wines and beer. The rice beverages and herbal wines are very famous: acacia, soju or yakju.

Cuisines of Korea


By Geographic Area and Style:



Add an Korean Article or Recipe: createpageform-korean The Korean food is found in strong connection with the natural surroundings and climate and that is why, there are some specific regions with specific Korean cuisines. Korea is a peninsula, almost surrounded by waters, which has cold winters and warm summers. The cuisine differs from the west to the east coast and also there are differences between the north and the south regions. This climate and nature makes the Korean food very abundant and the main characteristic of this cuisine is its spiciness: red pepper, green onion, soy sauce, bean paste, garlic, ginger, sesame, mustard, and vinegar, wine have been combined in various ways to achieve the unique Korean taste. In the northeastern part of the country, which is situated in the mountains, the dishes contain plants with roots and wild ferns. In the south of the country, there are wide rice plantations, so the rice mixes are very popular. In the region of Chonju, the most important dish includes a pile of rice in the middle, covered with vegetables and meats, all covered by a special local sauce, which is called pibimpap. On the coast of the Yellow Sea or the Eastern Sea, seafood is the main ingredient for the meals. In these regions, sardines are eaten even at breakfast.

Korean Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for a Korean Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


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Preparation Methods for Korean Cooking
Some of the Korean meals include fermented veggies or aliments which are left for hours or days to marinate in salt and water, like the fish or seafood. But also, even if this technique requires some waiting sand more time, there are many meals that include raw meat: fish or seafood, raw eggs, which don’t require any cooking. Besides these, there is a wide range of meals that include many preparations, as they consist of a base, a topping and a dressing or a spicy or sweet sauce. The meat is sometimes ornamented with lettuce, wrapped in lettuce or decorated with greens. The stone pots are used to bring the food to the table, like for kimchi and for a traditional meal; the food is brought to the table while it is still boiling. A preparation regarding drinks is the gyojasang, which consists of a large banquet table, prepared for a special occasion. On this table, rice cakes, alcohol beverages and fruit punch are arranged. After the alcohol is finished, a noodle soup is served, to calm the effects of the alcohol.

Special Equipment for Korean Cooking
Many Korean chefs use charcoal fire in the middle of the restaurant for the grilled meats. The meat is usually served on a metal plate and the chopsticks are made of metal, unlike the wooden Chinese ones, due to the governmental measures to protect the nature. Knifes are not common at all, because meat and vegetables are already chopped or in cubes before serving. For the rice and the vegetables, that are put aside, near the meat or the main course, Koreans use spoons, made of stainless steel. The bamboo mat is used to set the Korean sushi and different leaves are used to wrap aliments or cooked meals. The Koreans families are seated at a very low table when taking lunch or dinner. The pots and the plates lack ornaments and they are usually white. The food is not served in big quantities, but it is arranged elegant in the middle of the plate. Cucumbers and other greens are used for decor.

Korean Food Traditions and Festivals
Koreans have 12 traditional holidays, given by the Lunar Calendar. The most important celebrations are the Seoul (the Lunar New Year) and the Chu Suck, the Korean Thanksgiving. Great feasts are enjoyed by the Korean people on the 5th day of the lunar month (Dano). Another celebration is Buddha’s birthday, the national holiday. The atmosphere of the holiday is created by a parade with lotus shaped lanterns in the streets of Seoul. All Koreans holidays are celebrated with the family and both cooking and eating the traditional meals is a very important activity during these celebrations. The ttokkuk is the special meal people eat in Korea at birthdays and New Year, as this meal means that one year has passed. This meal is basically a rice cake soup, but with a deep meaning. Ttok is also named byung tang, which represents a broth made of ttok, which is cut long and round, meaning the circle and the strength of life. The garettok contains rice powder and it is hand made into floral shapes. The ttokkuk is boiled and seasoned with soy sauce and with chi-Dan on top of it.

People in Korean Food
The Korean chefs are very good at their job, as they are not afraid to experience and explore new recipes. All the Korean chefs and cooks and like to feel close to their customers. That is why in some restaurants, the chefs prepare the foods in front of the customers, on a charcoal fire. The Korean chefs give all necessary information’s to the customers about the foods that they prepared, including its effects and nutrients. Many people sell foods in the streets, including local plants and specialties that make the tourists curious. The Korean people carried on the traditions through their cooking and all participated to the cultural Korean cuisine, which is unique, exotic, creative and now famous in the entire world. For the Korean chefs, the most important aspect is that their food tastes healthy, combines the most important elements and the basic nutrients and is original and innovating.
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