BEST KOREAN FOODS II

Japchae( Stir Fried Noodles)

Japchae belongs to the well-known dishes within and outside Korea. Tasting it will prove it. Japchae is originally done without noodles; it has been created for a King by one of his chefs. The King fell in love with the dish that it became prominent in the whole Korea. Recently noodles became part of the dish and they have been important elements of it. The type of noodles used are made of sweet potato starch thus japchae has a unique chewy texture. The vegetables are cooked lightly to retain the flavors. This is a typical substitute to the common stir fry prepared at home whenever we want “Chinese”.

 Yangnyeom Tongdak (Seasoned Fried Chicken)

You must try this Korean fried chicken believe. Once you take a bite of a piece of this chicken you can taste the sweet, sticky, spicy red sauce. Your teeth will grind through a crunchy triple cooked batter which then leads to the extremely flavorsome and moist chicken within. This really belongs to the greatly enjoyable Korean foods. Several Korean shops sell their own variety of yangnyeom tongdak which they deliver ’til late at night. The homemade version of the dish is still better. Because of the use of ketchup, the recipe shows Koreans’ will to reinvent foreign flavors.

Bibimbap ( Mixed Rice)

“Bibim” denotes “mixed” and “bap” implies “rice”. All the ingredients but the meat are cooked ahead and are placed on the steamed rice while they are at room temperature. The meat is then quickly fried and a sunny-side up egg is placed at the top. Usually, bibimbap is prepared by adding gochujang or Korean hot pepper paste). You use the spoon to mix everything altogether.

Bulgogi (Marinated Beef BBQ)

Bulgogi is an incredibly versatile way of creating a beef dish. This is tried by a lot of westerners eating in Korean restaurants.  In the west, people commonly enjoy bulgogi on Korean barbecue, while in Korea this just belongs to the several ways on eating it. It can be prepared as a basis for a different dish or into stew.  Being a versatile marinated meat, it can probably be used as a substitute to pulled pork for a western style sandwich. Bulgogi is an extremely thin beef slices marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, pear juice etc. It has many uses and recipes. The product is a savory, sweet and soft meat slice. Th good thing about it is that it is remarkably healthy and low in fat.

Kimchi (Fermented Cabbage)

Kimchi is referred to as Korea’s national dish. In Kimchi, the cabbage has been coated leaf by leaf in a savory spicy mixture of pear juice, chives, onion, garlic, pepper flakes and more. It can be eaten at once (fresh and not fermenteds). If not it may be left out of the refrigerator. As the fermentation goes, it acquires a sour and rich taste. It lasts for several months and it is used as base for some other dishes like kimchi stew and also as filling for Korean sushi or kimbap. Being an essential dish in Korea, it is served for breakfast, midday meal and dinner. Premade kimchi are sold at local Korean groceries.

Read Part 1 BEST FOODS IN KOREA.

BEST KOREAN FOODS

You have to try Korean food if you aim for a varied taste experience. The Korean culture poses an extraordinary method in preparing foods. For them food pervades each of life’s aspects. While watching Korean drama you may have noticed some scenes with certain persons eating. Some dramas or films are based entirely on Korean cuisine. On Koreans’ perspective, food means greater than just something to indulge; it provides medicine taste and a linking to the country.

Hoeddeok (Sweet Syrupy Pancakes)

If you are craving for sweets, you will be surely satisfied with these pancakes vended on the streets.  It is more complex compared to a western style pancake since it is created with yeast dough however the effort is much worth it. The dough, which is comparable to western bread dough, contains a combination of chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar and fried in a pan with just a little oil until the mixture becomes syrup.  This seems to be the queen of pancakes and is liked by children. If you don’t like the filling, you can substitute it with mozzarella cheese.  

 Dakjuk (Chicken Porridge)

This dish is done by boiling a chicken using large amount of water having a lot of garlic and some onions. Consequently, sushi rice is added then the chicken is cooked well. The rice which is broken down produces a rich stew (which Koreans call porridge).  This meal is super easy to do however you should be careful on preparing the garlic oil since it may result to third degree burns.

Soondubu Jiggae (Soft Tofu Stew)

This Korean stew (jiggae) is thinner compared to porridge however it is thicker than a soup. This starts with some beef and fish stock then ended with eggs, shot pepper flakes, silken tofu and fresh shell fish. You can minimize the quantity pepper flakes; you can make it very mild or blisteringly hot. The use of meat in small amounts is distinctive in Korean cuisine showing how healthy it is. The meat is only used for flavour not for filling the stomach. The tofu in this dish picks up the flavours of the stew while giving a comforting texture.  

Ddukbokkie (Rice Cake Street Food)

Ddukbokkie fills the streets of huge Korean cities during night. Ddukbokkie (pronounced like “dok-bok-ee”) is popular and has several styles. The sauce tastes spicy but sweet and full of flavours. The spiciness gets cut by lengthy cylindrical rice cakes which become soft and chewy as soon as it is cooked. The rice cakes are considered unusual parts of the dish by westerners however when they try it they learn to love it.

Seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup)

Seolleongtang is a soup which is greatly popular in Korea. Some restaurants even specialize in cooking just it.  Preparing this dish requires a lot of time since you should boil the leg bones (commonly ox leg bones but ox tail also is good) for long hours in order to release the calcium which results to a typical white look. This is a soup with a strong beefy taste. Radish and a large piece of beef are also added to the soup. In Korea this may not only be eaten for dinner but also for breakfast, since Koreans serve side dishes, rice and soup for breakfast. 

Continued in this post BEST KOREAN FOODS II.