Know The Authentic Korean Cuisine Flavours

Seoul – Asdaf News:

By: Samar Yahya

One of the most fascinating ways to learn about people and their cultures is through their food and cuisine.

Knowing the type of food, eating habits, and top dishes of a cuisine all contribute to a person’s food culture. When you recognize a people cuisine, you have already recognized a large portion of their true culture; here we have a model in the intimate Korean cuisine.

The cuisine methodology is based on the importance of food to humans, echoing an old adage: “food and medicine grow from the same root, share the same origin, and thus there is no better medicine than food.”

Korean cuisine has long been regarded as healthy, with a focus on rice, seasonal vegetables, fish, and meats. Traditional Korean meals are distinguished by the abundance of side dishes that accompany steamed rice. Kimchi, a fermented spicy vegetable, is served at nearly every meal.

Sesame oil, fermented bean and red pepper pastes, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger are commonly used as basic traditional ingredients because Koreans have long believed that the spices and condiments used greatly influence the taste and quality of food.

Ginseng, known for its medicinal properties, is another important ingredient in Korean cuisine. Ginsing saponin has been shown to boost immunity and prevent virus reproduction.

Invited by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), I recently visited Seoul, where I had the opportunity to visit Kwangjang Market, Seoul’s most famous food market, and taste and enjoy traditional authentic Korean dishes.

Gwangjang Market is a traditional Seoul street market. It is one of the oldest and largest traditional markets in the world, with over 5000 shops and 20,000 employees serving over 60,000 visitors daily. The name Gwangjang Market is derived from the two bridges that it was built between and translates to “wide bridge” and “large bridge.”

Gwangjang Market has grown to become one of Korea’s largest markets. Approximately 1500-2000 vendors sell fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, bread, clothing, souvenirs, handicrafts, kitchenware, and Korean traditional medical items at the market today.

Some episodes of Korean dramas, as well as Netflix TV series Street Food, were filmed in Gwangjang Market due to its fame.

Top Korean Dishes:

Korean Barbecue: Korean barbecue is unlike any other type of barbecue. It combines sweet and savory flavors. Koreans are barbecue masters. Whether it’s beef, pork belly, short ribs, chicken wings, or thighs, each has its own distinct flavor. The Korean BBQ marinade consists of soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, scallions, and black pepper.

Kimchi: The side dish that goes with everything. Kimchi fermentation produces lactic-acid bacteria, which aids in the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. The secret to Kimchi is not only its health benefits, but also its sourness and spiciness while remaining crisp and refreshing.

Kimchi is made with cabbage, radish, scallions, red pepper, garlic, ginger, a small amount of sugar, and fish sauce.

Kimbap (seaweed-wrapped rolls): Kimbap is made simply by wrapping rice with a few ingredients in a sheet of dried seaweed. The best part about Kimbap is that you can add whatever ingredients you want, such as fish, lobster, tuna, meat, vegetables, and so on.

Bibimbap and Dolso Bibimbap: Bibimbap is a Korean dish that consists of mixed rice with meat and vegetables.

It is a rice-based dish with mixed vegetables that can be topped with eggs or beef, and it is one of the most well-known and beloved Korean dishes. Red pepper paste is used to season it. It allows you to create an infinite number of Bibimbap variations based on your preferences.

Dolsot Bibimbap: is a Korean Stone Pot Rice Bowl served with a variety of vegetable and meat toppings. It is served sizzling hot in a stone pot, which preserves the warmth of the bibimbap and adds extra delicious flavor with the crispy rice at the bottom.

Dak-galbi: is spicy chopped chicken marinated in a spicy Korean sauce mixture before being stir-fried with rice cakes, green cabbage, and perilla leaves. It is a dish that is prepared and shared among friends. It is served in a large pan filled with the dak-galbi ingredients; while the pan cooks on the tabletop, everyone can begin eating on side dishes until the dak-galbi is cooked to perfection. Soy sauce, milk, and black pepper are used to marinate the chicken in the dak-galbi. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, water, hot pepper flakes, rice syrup, and black pepper are included in the seasoning sauce. Cabbage, onion, sweet potato, perilla leaves or basil, chopped kimchi, and rice cake are the vegetables.

Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang): A bowl of chicken soup that is unlike any other chicken soup is one of the healthiest meals you can try from Korean cuisine. A whole small soft and tender chicken stuffed with rice. Cooked in a broth with ginseng, garlic, and herbs to make an aromatic, warming soup. If you are exhausted, it is an energizing drive.

The Army Stew (Budae jjigae): One of the most popular hot pot dishes in Korea is The Korean army stew. It is a Korean fusion stew with American-style processed foods like spam, sausages, canned baked beans, and sliced cheese. Mushrooms, Korean rice cake, spring onions, tofu, and chicken stock are also included.

Stir Fried Rice Cake (Tteokbokki): Tteokbokki is a rice-based dish made from cylinder-shaped white rice cake. Tteokbokki is made with anchovy broth to add depth of flavor, as a flavorful broth makes a big difference in this recipe. Tteokbokki’s cabbage pairs well with the spicy broth. Boiled eggs or ramen noodles can also be added. It is seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, salt, sugar and contains scallions, onions, and fish cakes.

Cold Spicy Noodles (Bibim guksu): Bibim guksu, made with noodles and crisp, fresh vegetables, is ideal for hot days. It can be made simply with sliced kimchi and fresh cucumbers, but you can add any fresh vegetables you like to make a healthy, cool, and refreshing drink.

Korean Dumpling Soup (Manduguk): Manduguk is a popular Korean soup made with dumplings (mandu). It can be made with any type of dumpling, including kimichi mandu and classic mandu. Manduguk is a warming and comforting soup that incorporates mandu into the broth, which is typically beef broth with garlic, scallions, and soy sauce for an exquisite flavor.