All about Korean Cuisine

National Food

Kimchi
One of the oldest and probably the most essential dishes in Korean cuisine, kimchi is a spicy and sour dish made up of fermented vegetables. It is prepared with various kinds of ingredients, but the most common main ingredient is cabbage. Kimchi is popular among foreigners for its unique flavor, as well as its high nutritional value, fiber content and low calorie content. However, for Koreans, it is most popular due to its significant cultural value. Without kimchi, dinner is considered incomplete.

Bulgogi

A juicy, savory dish of grilled marinated beef, bulgogi is one of the most popular Korean meat dishes throughout the world, and was ranked as the 23rd most delicious food in the world according to CNN Travel’s reader’s poll in 2011. It is often grilled with garlic and sliced onions to add flavor to the meat. The meat is usually wrapped in lettuce and it is also traditionally eaten with ssamjang (a thick, red spicy paste).

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is essentially a bowl of mixed ingredients including, but not limited to, rice, namul (seasoned and sautéed vegetables), mushrooms, beef, soy sauce, gochujang (chili pepper paste), and a fried egg. The ingredients found in bibimbap vary by region, and the most famous versions of the dish are found in Jeonju, Tongyeong, and Jinju.

Spicy Ramen

Welcome to my very first post. We will begin by talking abot ramen noodles, the most inexpensive and well-known foods in the Asian market. Of course, all Asian cultures have their own kind of ramen noodles, but Korean ones especially are famous for their taste and spiciness. One of the most well-known noodles are the SamYang company ‘Fire Noodles’. They have made significant impact worldwide because the heat consumers get from this product is quite astounding! They are also extremely tasty, spiciness aside. Here are a couple of pictures of the noodles so you know what you should be looking for the next time you’re at the market and need some Korean food.

Korean Fried Chicken

On my second post, I’ve decided it’s time to talk to another staple of the Korean cuisine, and that is, Korean fried chicken! In South Korea, fried chicken is consumed as a meal, an appetizer, anju (food that is served and eaten with drinks), or as an after-meal snack .

Korean fried chicken differs from typical American fried chicken because it is fried twice; the skin is therefore crunchier and less greasy. Furthermore, Korean-style chicken is not characterized by the crags and crusty nubs associated with American fried chicken; it was described by Julia Moskin of The New York Times as a “thin, crackly and almost transparent crust”.^[5] The chicken is usually seasoned with spices, sugar, and salt, prior to and after being fried. Korean fried chicken restaurants commonly use small- or medium-sized chickens; these younger chickens result in more tender meat. After frying, the chicken is usually hand-painted with sauce using a brush in order to evenly coat the chicken with a thin layer. Pickled radishes, beer and soju are often served with Korean fried chicken.

Thanks for reading!