Korean Cuisine (한국 음식)~^^

Korean Cuisine (한국 음식)

Korean food is mainly based on Rice, Meats & Veggies. Traditional meals includes more number of side dishes called "Banchan"(반찬). East Asian regions are famous for soups, stews, side dishes, noodles, kimchi etc. Commonly used ingredients in Korean food are sesame oil, salt, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, red chilly paste, soy sauce & soy bean paste. They'd always love to take beverages too (both non-alcoholic & alcoholic). Depends on the season their food intake change. Let's look into what Koreans enjoy eating.. 사랑하는 Foodies out there, here's the feast for your eyes! 😉

These dishes are the very famous ones that we often see in dramas 😋 

1. Ramyeon (라면)
          Ramyoens are literally seen in almost all the episodes of the dramas. Ha ha! So many varieties of noodles are available. Asian Noodles are obviously everyone's favorite. Never miss to try noodles if you visit Korea.  I've uploaded few of the varieties. The pictures itself will make you 'al crave for it😁

Normally the Ramyoens are just boiled well in water and veggies/eggs/meat are added with it. Hot Ramyoens are often made soupy. Soupy and spicy noodles are chewy & really delicious~^^

Knife-cut wheat flour noodles (Kalguksu) prepared with seafood based broth.

Black bean noodles (Jjajangmyeon) made with soy sauce/oyster sauce, meat seafood veggies, stock. It looks dark because of Soy sauce. 

Stir-fried glass noodles (Japchae) - sweet potato noodles usually topped with thinly sliced beef, mushrooms and assorted vegetables. It is seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. Japchae could be prepared hot or cold. 

Cold noodles (Naengmyeon) are served with Gochujang (chili paste) based sauce. It tastes spicy and tangy & is made either soupy or dry.

2. Kim-bap (김밥)
              Its a famous Korean dish made of rice, egg, meat and vegetables all together rolled in Kim dried sheets of nori seaweed, served in bite-sized slices. Its a Dosirak (lunch box) meal, popular take-away food in South Korea.

Kimbap is made using a bamboo kimbap roller - Kim sheets are first place on it. Then cooked rice is evenly spread over and ham, beef egg strips, perilla leaves, spinach, carrots, etc. are arranged in such a way that it could be rolled easily. 

Meat ingredients are stir-fried or pan-fried. The picture shows the step by step of Kimbap dish. Kimbap is very yummy. Veg version is available for the vegetarians😉 Do try it and comment.










3. Bulgogi (불고기)
              Bulgogi is a Korean style grilled dish, made of thin, marinated slices of pork or beef grilled on a barbecue or stove-top griddle. It can be found anywhere in South Korea from upscale restaurants to local supermarkets.

 

Look into the other popular, yummy foods of Korea...😋

Bibimbap where 'bibim' means mixing various ingredients & 'bap' means rice. It is served in a bowl of warm white rice and on the top of it, seasoned veggies, kimchi, sliced meat(usually beef), spinach, a raw or fried egg is added. Red chili paste is given along to stir it together with all the ingredients. Bibimbap is served in a normal bowl.


Dolsot bibimbap - hot pot bibimbap. The food will be hot until you take the last bite. This dish is super filling and healthy one!

Banchan (Side dish). Korean traditional cuisine has really a lot of Banchan, served along with main dishes. Usually, the more traditional meals are, the more Banchan there will be.

Gyeran mari (rolled omelette) is also a famous side dish of Korea. It is prepared with beaten eggs mixed with several finely chopped ingredients like onion, carrot, garlic chives, Korean zucchini, scallions, processed meat(ham, bacon, canned tuna), mushrooms, etc. The omelette is rolled and sliced similar to Kimbap. Gyeran mari is also one of my favorites💛

Seolleontang (beef bone soup) is very popular all year round; especially in the winter. By boiling the beef leg bones for several hours, the broth becomes rich and creamy white. 

Samgyetang (Ginseng chicken soup), consists of a full chicken filled with garlic, ginseng, rice and jujube. Its a traditional soup for body health.







Galbi (grilled ribs of chicken/beef/pork) often featured in barbecue and the diners themselves grill it on the tabletop. 








Jjigae(찌개) - Korean dish similar to western stew. There are varieties in Jjigae made with meat, vegetables or seafood in a broth seasoned with Gochujang(red chili paste), Doenjang(soy bean paste), Ganjang(seasoning sauce), Saeujeot(salted & fermented small shrimp). Jjigaes are served boiling hot in a communal dish.

Sundubu jjigae - soft tofu stew (Tofu's are the best)

 Doenjang jjigae - soybean paste stew (My all time favorite dish!)

"Kimchi" very famous staple in Korean cuisine. Its a traditional side dish of salted & fermented vegetables (napa cabbage, Korean radish). Kimchi is seasoned with Gochugaru(chili powder), spring onions, ginger, garlic & jeotgal (salted seafood), etc.
jeotgal This is more like our Indian pickle😁, where the pieces(lemon, mango, etc) are coated with spice and salt as preservatives and store it in jars for long time.




Street food - Korean street food stalls have become an integral part of the country's infamous food culture. These are usually run by older men (ajusshi) or older women (ajumma). During ancient times Eomuk, Tteok-bokki & Bungeo-ppang were the popular ones. 

First thing comes to my mind is Bungeo-ppang!

Bungeo-ppang is a classic street snack - fish shaped buns filled with sweet red beans.

Tteok-bokki is stir-fried rice cake (white, cylindrical shaped rice cakes) prepared with spicy chili paste and seasoned with scallions & eggs. Nowadays, more varieties of Tteok-bokki are available. 

Hotteok is a sweet Korean pancake made of wheat flour, water, sugar/honey and yeast.

Eomuk (fish cake) is a mixture of wheat flour and fish meat. It is a typical Japanese food called "Oden". Ingredients vary according to region and each household. 
Eomuk Guk (fish cake soup) is that Eomuk is stewed in a light, soy-flavored broth.








Desserts - Korean desserts and other confectioneries are a must-try when you find yourself out there.😍 There are wide variety of desserts (from ancient culinary tradition to modern times) available. To start with basic desserts like Chapssal-tteok (glutinous rice cake), Hwangnam-ppang (red bean paste filled bread), Hoppang (steamed bread filled with red bean paste), Bungeo-ppang, Hotteok, Patbingsu (red beans shaved ice-cream), Puffed rice, Yakgwa  (wheat-based sweet) and the list goes on... 

When it comes to exploring food, obviously there are a plenty of dishes that pours down in our lists and is always never-ending crave for the new food.😃 So I suggest you 'al again that these dishes are too delicious and never miss it when you get a chance to try these out! Do comment your favorites among these..✌

Chapssal-tteok (glutinous rice cake)

Hwangnam-ppang (red bean paste filled bread)

Hoppang (steamed bread filled with red bean paste)

Patbingsu (red beans shaved ice-cream)

GangJeong (Puffed rice) which is very similar to our Indian puffed rice snack.

Here comes Yakgwa (wheat-based sweet), my most favorite snack! This totally has the taste of our Indian confectionery. It's made out of wheat and honey.. Mild in sweetness which I loved the most. So, these confectioneries are specially prepared during holidays or festivals. 




It also comprises regional and variant cuisines like Vegetarian cuisine, Buddhist cuisine, Ceremonial food, etc.. Plus beverages are in wide range too (both non-alcoholic & alcoholic).

Oh man, it's staggeringly making me crave for K-cuisineㅠㅠ 😢. 
This is really an important topic, I know and I shouldn't pause like this. Still this would help you out to know the famous/common dishes to be explored when you get a chance. Better I'll move on to the next topic to avoid craving. Lol! 😂😂😂



More contents 'll be up soon! ✌