Whether or not you’re consuming black noodles or downing a complete rooster to resume the soul, meals in South Korea is filled with smoky, candy flavours like nowhere else on this planet. That will help you navigate the mouthwatering world of Korean meals menus, we’ve designed a starter package that can assist you perceive a number of the hottest dishes in South Korean delicacies. We advocate starting with soups and sides, shifting on to the meat and noodle dishes, after which ending with a shot of soju. Cheers!
Korean soups
Kongguksu
Korea isn’t any stranger to a chilly soup. No, it’s not a touch upon the sluggish service — the waiters are very attentive. It’s a cooking type they’ve perfected. Kongguksu is a chilly soy milk noodle soup. “Milk soup?!” you exclaim. Properly, what’s milk however a chilly soup? Add noodles, recent soybeans, and a sesame seed garnish, and also you’ve bought your self a wealthy, nutty ice-cold broth excellent for a sizzling summer time’s day.
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Tteokguk
Referred to as Korean New 12 months soup, tteokguk is a lightweight however filling dish made with a beefy broth and thinly sliced rice truffles. How they preserve the rice truffles from getting soggy is one among life’s nice mysteries. It’s historically made for the Lunar New 12 months as a result of it’s stated to carry well being and prosperity. The truth is, it’s believed that consuming this soup provides a yr to your age. When you don’t care about private progress, then perhaps give this dish a miss and keep younger eternally.
Doenjang jjigae
Jjigae is a thick Korean stew often made with a selection of meat, seafood, or greens and seasoned with a sizzling pepper paste, fermented miso, and soybean paste. There are totally different varieties, however doenjang is essentially the most iconic soybean stew and sometimes makes use of dried anchovies, white radish, potato, zucchini, and tofu. Many select so as to add clams, prawns, or beef to provide it a bit extra heartiness.
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Samgyetang
Samgyetang is actually rooster soup, however not fairly as it. Order samgyetang and also you’ll get a bowl of soup with a whole rooster submerged in its frothy ginseng depths. Common sufficient? Koreans sometimes eat this piping sizzling bowl of soup in the summertime as a result of they consider it renews the physique’s power. Put together to get sweaty and produce some chilly towels.
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Korean snacks and sides
Kimchi
Koreans have greater than 100 forms of kimchi. It’s the spicy staple on each Korean desk. Sometimes made out of fermented cabbage, carrots, and radishes and blended with chilli, ginger, garlic, and inexperienced onions, kimchi, even the milder sorts, pack a punch. Kimchi is commonly served on the facet, however it’s additionally gorge-able by itself or with white rice. The fermented snack goes again 2,000 years, however should you suspect the kimchi in your plate is from the Silla dynasty, please notify your server.
In addition to a famous person facet dish, kimchi can also be utilized in stews. For instance, kimchi jjigae is tofu, pork, and greens cooked in sautéed kimchi. There are additionally kimchi pancakes referred to as kimchi jeon and kimchi fried rice. For sure, it’s all scrumptious.
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Gimbap
Sushi-like in look, gimbap, often known as kimbap, is a seaweed-wrapped parcel of floor beef, sautéed greens, candy pickled radish, and rice. Prized for its portability, gimbap is a well-liked on-the-go meals and sometimes makes an look at picnics and outside occasions. It has a lot of varieties, however we advocate mayak gimbap, which interprets as “drug seaweed rice” — it’s dangerously addictive.
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Ppeongtwigi
Ppeongtwigi, made out of popped grains, is a standard road meals snack in Korea. It’s not massively thrilling, however it fills the hole while you’re out and about and wish a top-up. It’s additionally enjoyable to say, the onomatopoeic pronunciation mimicking the sound of the grains within the popping machine. Place your order with any curb-side vendor for an area eating expertise.
Korean meat dishes
Korean fried rooster
The colonel gained’t like this, however Korean fried rooster is finger-licking good. It’s greater than a hangover staple; it is earned its place on the lunch desk. The candy and spicy batter is uniquely Korean and in style with locals and travellers alike. There’s even a phrase for rooster and beer: chimaek. Why overcomplicate the ordering course of while you simply want two syllables?
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Korean barbecue
Good for fussy eaters, Korean barbecues carry the grill to you and allow you to prepare dinner the meat nonetheless you need from the consolation of your eating desk. Select from a variety of various cuts and marinades. Bulgogi (marinated sirloin) is among the hottest, however galbi (marinated beef rib) can also be an area favorite. When you don’t need to prepare dinner, some Korean barbecue eating places have a chef and a hotplate constructed into the desk. Simply open your mouth and so they’ll pop the meat proper in.
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Bulgogi
Arguably the primary occasion of any Korean barbecue, bulgogi is a candy meat dish fabricated from skinny, marinated slices of meat, mostly beef. The smoky-sweet marinade is usually a mixture of soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, onion, and a spicy paste. The dish is then served on a facet of leafy greens, spicy soybean paste, and kimchi. Bulgogi has been doing the rounds for greater than 1,000 years however is just now blowing up all over the world — proof that the most effective issues in life are sluggish burners.
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Korean rice and noodle dishes
Bibimbap
If one Korean dish, it’s most likely going to be bibimbap. It’s a fast-food favorite. Low cost and cheerful, it’s the go-to for time-strapped staff. The bowl usually consists of a easy salad, rice, greens, rooster or beef, and an egg. There’s additionally a variation referred to as hoedeopbap, which swaps the meat for uncooked seafood, reminiscent of salmon, tuna, or octopus. As soon as a snack served to the king, it’s now devoured by hungry hordes far and extensive.
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Jjajangmyeon
Jjajangmyeon is skinny Chinese language-style noodles made juicy and fats for final indulgence. Some Koreans stay off this dish. The wheat noodles are topped with uncooked cucumber, black soybean paste, diced pork, and a choice of greens. It’s not a lot to have a look at, however it’s wealthy, hearty, and sometimes low-cost. It’s stated that individuals who don’t obtain presents on Valentine’s Day usually get collectively, placed on their blackest garments, and gorge on black-coloured meals like jjajangmyeon.
Japchae
Japchae is among the hottest dishes in Korea, and it’s simple to see why. Candy noodles lined in sesame and soy are blended with stir-fried meat and greens. It’d sound simple to arrange, however there’s an artwork to getting all the pieces cooked completely. When you’ve had candy potato noodles, it’s laborious to think about anything.
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Korean drinks
You’ve ordered your meals, and the server is watching you expectantly, ready so that you can order a drink. What is going to you select? Worry not, we’ve ready a brief pairing menu.
Soju
Historically made out of rice, soju is among the hottest drinks in Korea. The flavour is much like vodka, and it’s usually served neat. The lightness of soju means it’s usually paired with heavier meals like stews, in addition to grilled meats and fried dishes. Order it together with your jjigae and you’ll’t go improper.
Makgeolli
When you’re sitting at a Korean barbecue, the chances are tables round you’ll all characteristic a bottle or two of makgeolli. It is a milky rice wine with a candy, tangy flavour. It’s much less alcoholic than most wines, however its drinkability can catch you off guard, so drink responsibly.
Korean inexperienced tea
Inexperienced tea is broadly thought-about to be a superdrink, with a formidable résumé of well being advantages. It tastes good irrespective of the event, however it goes significantly properly with a serving of rice truffles.
Bokbunja
Bokbunja, historically made out of fermented black raspberries, is a Korean fruit wine broadly believed to advertise magnificence. You may drink it anytime you want perking up, however don’t pair it with something too wealthy as a result of the flavours will compete. Salads and salty snacks go properly.
