Hongeo: Not for the weak of stomach
One of the most difficult dishes to get used to in Korean cuisine for foreigners and locals alike is sliced fermented skate. Some even say that Swedish fermented herring, also notorious for its distinctive, fermented taste, has nothing on Korea’s fermented skate. The dish in Korean is called hongeo samhap. Hongeo means skate and samhap...read more...
Markets nourish with down home comforts: Namdaemun Market
Standing in front of Namhae restaurant on a cold Monday afternoon, Lee Suk-hee, 42, said that the 40-minute bus ride from her home to Namdaemun market will all be worth it after a bowl of the restaurant’s famous kalguksu, or knife-cut noodle soup. “Especially during winter, I sometimes have this impossible-to-escape craving for Namdaemun kalguksu,”...read more...
Star chefs get a taste of Korea in Jeonju
JEONJU, North Jeolla – As Chef Joan Roca walked into a lecture hall at Jeonju University this Monday, a roar of loud clapping and whistling followed, as a crowd of students in chefs whites surrounded him. The students, mumbling to each other, seemed to be in disbelief that the world-renowned, Michelin three star-chef was standing...read more...
Northern noodles served cold as ice
[GLIMPSE of KOREAN CULTURE] Pyongyang naengmyeon Soba is perhaps the most recognizable cold noodle dish from Asia for Westerners, but for Koreans, naengmyeon, or cold buckwheat noodles, is still the reigning cold noodle delicacy. There are many variations on the dish, but Pyongyang naengmyeon, originating from North Korea, is considered the “real deal,” with a...read more...
DIY seaweed at Seocheon Farm
Gimbuchimgae, a Korean pancake made with gim It is currently seaweed season in Korea and the laver farms in Seocheon, South Chungcheong, one of the biggest areas for seaweed farming, are very busy. Despite the freezing weather, the workers at seaweed farms in the area are at their busiest in cold temperatures because gim is...read more...
Jeju Hallabong Honey Bread
Guest post by Kelly Brock I recently went to Jeju-do and took a chance on a street vendor that was at the base of Mt. Sanbang temple. They were selling hot chestnuts, so I bought some. After I purchased my chestnuts, I noticed in a basket these little balls covered in seeds. My interest...read more...
Bok days 복날 and Samgyetang 삼계탕 (Korean chicken soup)
So you already know that Korean fried chicken is addicting, but what about that quintessential chicken dish of all time, the dish that exists in almost every country and culture? Of course I’m talking about chicken soup. It’s the ultimate soup of healthy eating, a cure-all, a bowl of warmth and comfort. In Korea, it’s...read more...
Introduction to Korea’s national cuisine – Kimchi (김치)
Kimchi (김치), a fermented vegetable, is a national cuisine of Korea, which is enjoyed by millions of people every day and anywhere in the world. Kimchi (김치), is one of the most common side dish served in Korean eateries and restaurants worldwide. Common vegetables used to make kimchi (김치) include cabbage, beansprouts and radish among...read more...
Top 10 Korean Ramyeon (라면)
When you’re a Korean kid, the first thing you learn how to cook is ramyeon (라면), the instant noodles with soup. You put a pot of water on the stove, let it boil, add the ingredients in the package and the noodles, add extra ingredients if you want, let it boil for a couple of...read more...
Best Seoul bindaetteok: Flipping good Korean ‘pancakes’
Best enjoyed by night between draughts of fizzy rice wine, the wide world of Seoul bindaetteok can include anything from delicate, palm-sized kimchi fritters to pan-fried monsters bursting open with chopped squid and green onion. You can refer to them as buchimgae, jijimgae or jeon — the last being most common — but chances are...read more...
The unique tastes of Korean tea
Green tea Koreans have a long tradition of drinking teas and tisanes for health, enjoyment and rituals. Even today, drinking tea is something many Koreans do every day, whether at home or at one of the country’s many elegant teahouses. Tea was first introduced to the Korean peninsula during sixth or seventh centuries, and was...read more...
