Korean Cuisine
From the 1stopKorea Website
Korea has long history and a unique culture and cuisine. Both influenced by and influencing nearby countries, Korea has developed in a way entirely its own. The distinct and various dishes that make up traditional Korean cuisine are a perfect example of this point.
Dining Customs
In a traditional Korean home, meals are served on a low table around which diners sit on cushions. Breakfast and dinner are the heaviest meals of the day; lunch is generally light.
Proper manners are important, so if you plan to dine with Koreans, especially with older people, you should read a detailed description on the subject. Here are a few tips to get you started: Don't begin eating and don't pick up your eating utensils until the eldest person at the table has done so. Also, wait until the eldest person is done before finishing your own meal. Excessive chatter at the table is not encouraged. Don't leave your utensils in the rice, as this signifies an offering to the dead. And finally, don't blow your nose at the table: this is considered very rude.
Korean Dishes
Along with Kimchi, the staple eaten at almost every meal, rice along with soup and some other vegetable side dishes also make up the typical meal eaten in most Korean homes. If you enjoy some meat in your diet, not to worry, there's plenty to feast on.
Kimchi
There are many different kinds of kimchi but all of them are made from cabbage mixed with various spices, most commonly garlic, chili pepper and ginger. Most foreigners who try kimchi for the first time are generally not overly impressed with the taste but like many things, it grows on you.
T'ong-baech'u Kimchi - Cabbage Head Kimchi
The classic Korean kimchi made with Chinese cabbage, served at almost every Korean meal.O-e sobaegi - Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi
Suitable for the summer months when people lose their appetite. Slit-cut cucumbers are stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and seasonings, and fermented a day or two.Ch'ong-gak Kimchi - Bachelor Radish Kimchi
Nice and crunchy. Unmarried Koreans traditionally wore their hair in a braid. Radish with tops resembles a head and ponytail.Rice
Korean rice is different from most other rice in the world. It is known to Koreans, as sticky. Unlike rice from Southeast Asia or North America, Korean rice is moist and sticks together rather than falling apart.
Meat
Bul-gogi - Marinated Beef Strips
Beef strips marinated in salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. It's then put on a grill and cooked over coals where you do your own table-top cooking. After the meat is cooked, you grab a piece and put it on a piece of lettuce with some rice, vegetables and other spices. Roll it up like a burrito and enjoy! The pork version is called Twae-ji kalbi.Dakkalbi - Spicy Chicken Dish
Chicken mixed with some cabbage, onions, green onions, glutinous rice and a spicy hot sauce that gives it the zip that makes it a popular choice among diners in Korea. I think the whole atmosphere of eating dalkkalbi adds to the taste. The contents are put on a large iron skillet and it's up to you to cook it.Noodles
Kal-gook-su - Thick Noodles with Onions
A big bowl of steaming hot thick noodles with onions and sometimes clams thrown in.Naeng-myun - Cold Noodles
A dish with very thin buckwheat noodles that comes in two forms. Bi-bim (mixed) naeng-myun contains some vegetables, a lot of chili pepper sauce and mool (water) naengmyun contains vegetables, water, a splash of vinegar and very little or no chili pepper sauce.Stews - Chigae
Korean stews (chigae) generally have two things in common, they're hot and spicy.
Kimchi chigae - Kimchi Stew
Loaded with kimchi, small pieces of pork and various vegetables.Dwen-jang chigae - Soy Bean Paste Stew
is a soy bean paste based soup filled with vegetables and clams.Boo-dae chigae - Mixed Stew
Originated from the Korean War. After the American soldiers finished eating, many times they had a little food remaining that they threw away. The Koreans were very poor at that time and they would go around collecting that thrown away food and put it in a big pot and presto, the birth of boo-dae chigae. It includes hot dogs slices, ham, glutinous rice, and other vegetables. Ramen noodles are usually thrown in as well.Soups - Tang
Korean soups (tang) are eaten year round but enjoyed most, like the stews, when the temperature drops below freezing. Unlike the stews, spice is not a main ingredient but can be added if desired. Most of the soups, like most all Korean meals, are served with rice and plenty of side dishes.
Sam-gae tang - Chicken Soup with Ginseng
A delicious, healthy soup that is made with a whole chicken, ginseng, garlic and a jujube. It's believed by Koreans to give one "stamina" although I've personally never experienced this burst of energy.Yuk-kae-jang - Hot Beef Soup
Unlike other soups, spice is the main ingredient here. It contains strips of beef and just looking at it, with its red broth, you know you'll be breathing fire.Vegetable Dishes
Bi-bim bab - Mixed Rice
Either in a large steel bowl or a piping hot earthenware bowl, a variety of vegetables and a spoonful or two of hot chili sauce piled on a bed of rice makes up bi-bim bab. An egg is usually included and depending on the restaurant it could be fried or raw. A word of caution to all of you vegetarians out there, some places put some meat in their bi-bim bab, so be sure to say, "Gogi bbae(double b is a strong b pronunciation) juseyo" to have it excluded.Kimbab - Rice Rolled in Seaweed
Kimbab contains rice rolled up in a super thin piece of dried seaweed (like sushi) and usually includes egg, cucumber, spinach, radish, imitation crabmeat and a couple other vegetables. For a little bit more money you can order kimbab with ground beef, tuna, cheese or kimchi.Side Dishes
This is what makes a particular Korean meal go from good to fantastic. As stated before, some type of kimchi will almost always be served as a side dish and generally anywhere from 2 to 6 others as well. Most common side dishes include spinach, potatoes, radishes, small black beans, bean sprouts, zucchini, squash or sausage fried in an egg batter.
Sweets
When you think about Korea, you probably don't think about scrumptious delicacies but there are many wonderful sweets for the sweet tooth. There are numerous store bought cookies, cakes, and other goodies made for export but it's the things that are mainly bought on the street or in restaurants that really taste fantastic. Ho-ddok is a fried sweet roll with cinnamon and a honey paste inside. Pot-bingsu is make of crushed ice with sweetened red beans, fruit and a sugary sauce on top. Boong-aw bbang is a hot bread with sweetened red beans inside. Ddok is a very soft and chewy rice cake of various shapes, sizes and ingredients.
Tea
Unlike China and Japan, which are well known for their teas, Korea has yet to be discovered on a global scale but produces what are arguably the best teas in the world. The most famous tea (cha) in Korea is probably nok cha, or green tea. It's considered extremely healthy and has been proven to be a prevention of cancer. If you like sweet teas try, mae-shil cha or ggool tae-chu cha. Check out omi-ja cha and you-ja cha for something a little more tart.
Alcoholic Drinks
Soju - Potato Liquor
Soju is the national liquor that is guzzled by all. It's a cheap booze made from potatoes that looks like vodka and tastes like a 3 day old pair of socks. I recommend trying some of the other a little more expensive sojus. They seem to be of a better quality and go down a little more smoothly.Dong dong ju - Traditional Rice Drink
A traditional drink made from rice with a milky appearance. Drinking dong dong ju is a cool experience. It's generally consumed in a more traditional, rustic establishment and is served out of a large bowl and poured into a separate cup with a ladle.All information on Korean dishes and drinks was kindly provided by the 1stopKorea Website. Click to Visit Site
