Similar to soup, there are also stew and hot pots. The side dishes to try include vegetables, steamed dishes, braised dishes, grilled dishes, stir-fried dishes, fried dishes, pancakes, and so on. The representative side dish is kimchi.
Rice aside, there are also noodles (such as noodles, cold noodles, etc.), dumplings, rice cakes, etc. As more and more couples work and family forms change, single meals, convenience foods, and delivery foods are also increasing.
And what is the most popular Korean food? Read on to find out~~
Know this!
Let's eat with Koreans
Eating with Koreans makes it much easier to get closer to them. Getting used to the food is one of the fastest ways to adapt to Korea. If you open your heart to Korean food, you will also become more familiar with Korean culture, and your life in Korea will be much more enjoyable.
Eating with Koreans makes it much easier to get closer to them. Getting used to the food is one of the fastest ways to adapt to Korea. If you open your heart to Korean food, you will also become more familiar with Korean culture, and your life in Korea will be much more enjoyable.
Drinking water
In Korea, you can drink water safely. Koreans either drink filtered water or boil tea and let it cool down. There is no big problem if you drink tap water, but many people boil it or filter it.
When you first come to Korea, you may have diarrhea for a few days because the water is different. Most of the time, it gets better after a few days. But if it is severe, it is better to go to the hospital. You can drink water for free at restaurants, and you can easily buy it at stores if you need it.
Basic Korean food to try
.jpg "What Koreans usually eat")
1. Rice (밥)
Rice is a staple food in Korea, made by boiling and cooking rice grains that are thicker than those in Southeast Asia. You may experience indigestion or an upset stomach at first, but if you keep eating it for about a week, you will get used to Korean rice.
Bibimbap (비빔밥)
It's a typical Korean dish that consists of rice mixed with various vegetables, beef, and seasonings, along with sesame oil and gochujang (red pepper paste). The most famous regional variety is Jeonju bibimbap. It is also one of the most popular Korean food choices among celebrities around the world.
.webp "What Koreans usually eat")
2. Soup (국, 탕, 찌개, or 전골)
Koreans usually eat soupy dishes with rice, which are made with vegetables, fish, and meat. Depending on the ingredients and cooking method, they are called (kuk), (thang), (jjigae), (jeongol).
Remember:
- 국 (guk) is a general term for soup, which has more broth than solid ingredients. The ratio of broth to ingredients is usually 6:4 or 7:3. Guk is served in individual bowls and eaten with rice.
- 탕 (tang) is a term for soup that is usually made with meat or seafood and has a rich flavor. Tang is also served in individual bowls, but sometimes with additional seasonings like salt or green onions. The ratio of broth to ingredients is similar to guk, but tang takes longer to cook.
- 찌개 (jjigae) is a term for stew that has less broth and more solid ingredients. The ratio of broth to ingredients is usually 4:6. Jjigae is seasoned with soy sauce, soybean paste, red pepper paste, or shrimp sauce. Jjigae is served in a communal pot and eaten with rice.
- 전골 (jeongol) is a term for a hot pot that is cooked and eaten at the table. Jeongol has various ingredients like meat, seafood, vegetables, and noodles in a shallow pot with broth. The broth is replenished as the ingredients are cooked and eaten. Jeongol is often shared by a group of people.
Now, let's move on to more detail~
.png "What Koreans usually eat")
Bean sprout soup (Kongnamulguk - 북어국): A soup dish made with bean sprouts, which are the sprouted roots of soybeans.
Seaweed soup (Miyeokguk - 미역국): A soup dish made with miyeok, which is a kind of seaweed.
Seolleongtang - 설렁탕: A soup made by simmering various parts of beef for a long time, or by cooking rice in the beef broth.
Galbitang - 갈비탕: A soup made by boiling beef ribs for a long time, and seasoning them with soy sauce and salt. Noodles can be added as desired.
Potato soup (Gamjatang - 감자탕): A stew made with pork spine, potatoes, and vegetables.
Spicy chicken soup (Dakgalbi - 닭볶음탕): A a traditional Korean dish that is cooked with chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, and a red sauce made with chili paste, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sugar. It's usually served in a communal pot and eaten with rice.
Miso stew (Doenjangjjigae - 된장찌개): A stew made by adding tofu, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and other ingredients to the water with doenjang (soybean paste).
Budaejjigae - 부대찌개: A dish made with kimchi, ham, and various vegetables. It is also known as army base stew, because it originated from the food that was available near the US military bases in Korea.
Dongtaejjigae - 동태(생태찌개): A stew made with frozen pollack, radish, tofu, and zucchini.
Octopus hotpot (Nakjijeongol - 낙지전골): A hot pot dish made with chopped octopus, vegetables, mushrooms, and other ingredients, and cooked with a lot of broth.
Tofu hotpot (Dubujeongol - 두부전골): A hot pot dish made with tofu as the main ingredient, along with onions, carrots, scallions, beef, and other ingredients, and simmered in broth.
3. Kimchi (김치)
Kimchi is the most essential food for Koreans, and it is eaten at every meal. It has a great taste, nutrition, and shelf life. It is made by salting vegetables such as radish, napa cabbage, and cucumber, and mixing them with seasonings and ingredients such as chili pepper, garlic, green onion, ginger, and salted seafood. It is then sealed and fermented and aged at a certain temperature for a certain period before being eaten.
Since it isn't possible to grow cabbage in winter, a lot of kimchi is made in late November or early December, so that different kinds of kimchi can be eaten for a long time. This is called ‘kimjang’. Making kimchi requires a lot of work, so close relatives gather to help each other.
4. Meat dishes (고기요리)
Koreans also enjoy meat dishes, which are prepared in various ways.
Bulgogi - 불고기: Thinly sliced beef marinated in a sauce of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and other spices, and stir-fried. >
Galbi - 갈비: Ribs of beef or pork marinated in a sauce of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and other spices, and grilled.
Pork belly - 삼겹살: A dish of pork belly slices cooked on a grill or a pan, and wrapped in lettuce, perilla leaves, or other vegetables, along with sauces and side dishes.
Dakgalbi - 닭갈비: A spicy dish of chopped chicken and vegetables stir-fried with a sauce of gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and other spices.
Stir-fried meat - Jeyukbokkeum (제육볶음): A dish of pork and vegetables stir-fried with a sauce of gochujang, vinegar, sugar, and other spices.
5. Fish (생선요리)
Sashimi - 생선회: A dish of raw fish that is sliced and served with vinegar or miso, soy sauce, horseradish, etc.
Grilled fish - 생선구이: Fish that is grilled with just salt or with spices
Steamed fish - 생선찜: A dish that is made by seasoning the fish, adding water, and boiling it or steaming it with steam
Stewed fish - 생선조림: Fish and vegetables that are cooked slowly with soy sauce and seasonings
Stir-fried squid - 오징어 볶음: Squid and vegetables that are stir-fried with spices and a spicy sauce
6. Foods that are easy to eat (간편하게 먹을 수 있는 음식)
Ramen - 라면: A popular instant food that can be cooked and eaten quickly. It comes in different flavors, such as spicy and mild, and there are also instant cup noodles that only need hot water.
Gimbap - 김밥: Seaweed rolls filled with rice, pickled radish, ham (pork), egg, carrot, cucumber, etc. They are cheap and convenient to eat.
Noodles - 국수(면): Noodles that are served in soup or with a sauce
Dumplings (만두): Small pieces of dough that are filled with meat, tofu, kimchi, etc., and steamed or fried. There are different types of dumplings, such as meat dumplings, kimchi dumplings, water dumplings, and fried dumplings
Tteokbokki (떡볶이): Rice cakes and wheat flour rice cakes that are cut into bite-sized pieces, mixed with fish cakes and various vegetables, and stir-fried with a spicy sauce
Sundae - 순대: A dish that consists of vermicelli stuffed in pig intestines, mixed with blood and seasonings
7. Seasonal fruits (계절별 과일)
Korea is a country with four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season produces a lot of fresh and delicious fruits. Nowadays, greenhouse cultivation has become common, and you can eat fruits in any season, but fruits are best eaten when they are in season. If you want to eat the fruits that you used to eat in your home country, you can find them at a large discount store or department store.
Here are some most popular Korean food options:
Spring - 봄: cherries (앵두), strawberries (딸기 등), etc.
Summer - 여름: melons (참외), peaches (복숭아), watermelons (수박), plums (자두 등), etc.
Autumn - 가을: persimmons (감), pears (배), apples (사과), jujube (대추), chestnuts (밤), grapes (포도 등), etc.
Winter - 겨울: tangerines (귤), oranges (오렌지 등), etc.
You may also be interested in: Korean foods for summer, winter & more: Enjoying seafood, vegetables, fruits in season now
Seasoning
Garlic - 마늘: It has a hard outer skin. The flavor is strong and spicy, but when roasted, the spiciness is reduced and the taste is sweet. When used as a seasoning, it is finely chopped, and when used as a spice, it is used whole.
Soy sauce - 간장: This is a salty, black liquid seasoning that is used to flavor food. It is made by fermenting soybeans and salt. There are two types of soy sauce: Korean soy sauce (Korean soy sauce, dark soy sauce) and brewed soy sauce. Korean soy sauce is used to make soup and side dishes, while brewed soy sauce is used for marinating, sashimi, and dipping.
Gochujang - 고추장: A spicy paste. It is made with chili powder, fermented soybean powder, and salt. The savory flavor of the fermented soybean powder, the spiciness of the chili powder, and the saltiness of the salt are well balanced to create the unique flavor of gochujang.
Miso - 된장: A distinctive Korean paste that is made with fermented soybeans and salt. It is often used in soup dishes.
Sugar - 설탕: A sweet powder that comes in white, yellow, and brown colors.
Vinegar - 식초: A yellowish sour liquid that you can use to make sauces or salads. It is different from cooking oil, even though they look similar. You can tell them apart by the images of apples or brown rice on the vinegar bottle.
Salt - 소금: A white powder that makes food salty. It looks like sugar, so be careful not to mix them up.
Seasoning - 조미료: A powder that you can add to food to make it more delicious and adjust its flavor. It can be used for different kinds of dishes, but it is similar to salt and sugar, so watch out for the amount. Too much seasoning can ruin the taste and be unhealthy.
Cooking oil - 식용유: A yellow liquid that you can use to fry food or drizzle over dishes. It usually has pictures of corn or peanuts on the container.
Sesame oil - 참기름: A brown liquid that adds a rich and nutty flavor to food. It is also called sesame seed oil, and there are other kinds of oils like perilla oil.
Fish sauce - 액젓: This is a sauce made from salted fish, and there are different types like anchovy fish sauce or canary fish sauce. The canary fish sauce has a similar taste to the fish sauce used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.
0 comments:
Post a Comment