Peculiarities of Korean cuisine

What is Korean cuisine? It’s spices, it’s traditions, it’s richness of ingredients and benefits for body and soul. At first glance, the dishes of Korean cuisine do not stand out among others in Asian cuisine, but there are a few nuances. The main feature of Korean cuisine is its sharpness, expressiveness and spiciness, they dominate in local dishes.

Main ingredients and additives

The main ingredient of the local cuisine is rice, and vegetables, meat or fish are used as additives. Korean cuisine is also based on various additives that give a unique flavor:

• Twenjan is a fermented soybean paste;
• fish paste;
• Fermented seafood, including shrimp.

Kimchi stands out separately. This is an appetizer, for the preparation of which white cabbage, radishes, cucumbers are used. Vegetables are pickled and fermented with ginger, garlic or chili pepper. It tastes a bit like sauerkraut. Kimchi is used both as a stand-alone dish, as an appetizer, and as a base in many dishes.

Although spiciness is prevalent in Korean cuisine, connoisseurs will appreciate the attempt at balance through contrasting aromas and flavors. After the sweetish flavor you will certainly feel a slight sourness, soup with a warming effect in the process of reception will allow to cool down, and soft buns may give off a spiciness. The way of serving dishes, characteristic of Asian cuisine, stands out separately.

At the beginning of the feast, the entire table is filled with bowls and bowls of appetizers, the dishes are laid out portion by portion in front of each participant of the meal. Serving is done simultaneously and is characteristic not only for a home feast, but also for a restaurant. The number of dishes depends on the generosity of the host.

The intricacies of eating out

Urbanization has not passed Korea by, and if just a couple of decades ago breakfast was the basis of the daily ration, today the emphasis has shifted to lunchtime meals. Therefore, the street food and fast food trade has started to develop actively. At the same time, you can not worry about the quality of products or the hygiene of employees – in Korea, safety is carefully monitored. But the precision, sense of flavor, and speed of preparation of an individual portion are no less valuable.

What’s worth trying?

If you’re just starting to familiarize yourself with Korean culture and recipes, we recommend starting with:

• pibimpapa – boiled rice with meat, vegetables with the addition of a chicken or quail raw egg and definitely a portion of chili paste (hotpot);
• Bapa – steamed rice with a variety of additives, up to and including meats and nuts;
• Guka is a soup of vegetables, meat and fish, served with steamed rice;
• Juka is a porridge of beans, vegetables, mushrooms, chicken and rice;
• Chona is an appetizer of pancakes with pumpkin, meat, mushrooms or seafood.

Spices are added to any dish to give it a unique flavor. The most common are bean paste, chili, ginger, garlic, ginseng or sesame.

Korean cuisine is not limited to this. The basic diet depends on the region of the country, but in any case you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of flavors.