What Korean dishes are loved worldwide?
For foreigners visiting Korea, Korean food itself is a new experience.
The combination of various and rich flavors and the use of different ingredients make Korean food loved worldwide.
It's a food that many people all over the world love and look for.
Here are 10 Korean dishes that foreigners must try when they come to Korea.
1. Kimchi (김치)
Kimchi is a representative Korean side dish and symbolizes Korean culture. It is good for health as a fermented food and comes in various kinds, offering multiple flavors to enjoy.
Typical types of Kimchi
- Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Baechu Kimchi): The most representative kimchi, made by fermenting salted napa cabbage with chili powder, anchovy sauce, garlic, green onions, and other seasonings.
- Radish Kimchi (Kkakdugi): Made mainly with radish, cut into large pieces and seasoned. Its crunchy texture makes it popular as a rice side dish.
- Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Sobagi): A kimchi made with cucumbers, especially popular in the summer. It is known for its refreshing taste and crunchy texture.
- Young Radish Kimchi (Chonggak Kimchi): Made with whole young radishes, fermenting the entire radish. It is popular for its unique taste and texture.
- Green Onion Kimchi (Pa Kimchi): A kimchi made primarily with green onions, known for its aromatic flavor. It pairs well with meat dishes.
- White Kimchi (Baek Kimchi): White Kimchi is one of the traditional Korean fermented foods, made with white cabbage and various ingredients, known for its clean and mild taste.Unlike typical kimchi, White Kimchi does not use spicy seasonings like chili powder or garlic, making it more accessible to foreigners, and it is especially popular among vegetarians and children.
- Water Kimchi (Dongchimi): Dongchimi is more a traditional Korean dish similar to kimchi. It is made with radishes, peppers, green onions, ginger, seaweed, etc., and is known for its cool and refreshing taste. Its lack of spiciness makes it easily enjoyable for foreigners, and it pairs wonderfully with warm rice during the winter.
2. Bibimbap (비빔밥)
Bibimbap is one of Korea's representative traditional foods, consisting of rice with various kinds of namul (Korean seasoned vegetables), meats, gochujang (chili paste), and sesame oil mixed together.
It is a dish where various vegetables and meats, along with gochujang, are placed on top of rice and mixed. It is popular for its balanced nutrition.
The dish is rich in nutrients due to the variety of ingredients used, and the sesame oil and gochujang add a rich flavor.
Hot stone bibimbap is served in a hot stone bowl, allowing it to be eaten warm and creating delicious crispy rice at the bottom.
3. Bulgogi (불고기)
Grilled marinated beef is a representative Korean meat dish, popular even among foreigners for its sweet and savory taste.
Bulgogi is one of Korea's traditional dishes, where thinly sliced beef is marinated in soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil, and other ingredients before being grilled over a flame.
The tender texture and sweet taste are superb, and it's even better when eaten with rice.
It is prepared in various ways depending on the region; Seoul-style bulgogi has less broth and is saltier, while Gwangyang-style bulgogi is directly grilled for a crispy texture.
It can also be enjoyed as a hot pot with vegetables and glass noodles, making it popular among foreigners and a representative food of K-Food.
4. Samgyeopsal (삼겹살)
Grilled pork belly wrapped in lettuce, allowing for a healthy and delicious meal.
Samgyeopsal is one of the meats most loved by Koreans, referring to the part of the pig that has alternating layers of meat and fat, appearing as three stripes.
With economic development and the spread of consumer culture, the culture of enjoying meat has become more vibrant, and samgyeopsal in particular has provided a unique dining experience of grilling meat on the grill.
It is one of the meats most frequently enjoyed by Koreans.
5. Korean Fried Chicken (치킨)
Korean-style chicken is known for its crispy exterior and juicy interior. It is loved worldwide for its variety of flavors and seasonings.
There are many kinds of Korean chicken.
Seasoned chicken, which is a Korean-style crispy fried fried chicken and sweet red pepper paste seasoning, is popular, and various chickens such as soy sauce chicken are loved.
Fried chicken is popular with everyone because it is aged in the Korean style and fried crispy on the outside.
Seasoned chicken is made by mixing fried chicken with a spicy and sweet sauce made of red pepper paste, garlic, and sugar.
As its name suggests, soy sauce chicken is cooked with soy sauce, especially influenced by Chinese cuisine, and has been popular in Korea since the mid-1990s.
6. Haejangguk (해장국)
A soup eaten the morning after drinking alcohol, effective in recovering the body. It is made with various ingredients and has a strong taste.
Haejangguk is one of Korea's traditional foods, eaten not just for hangover relief but also as a regular meal and receives much love.
Typically, the soup is made using beef or beef broth, along with gochujang, chili powder, soy sauce, and other seasonings.
Haejangguk and gukbap are similar concepts; haejangguk is primarily eaten for hangover relief and is made with meat or vegetables in the broth.
In contrast, gukbap is a dish where rice and soup are eaten together, similar to the types of haejangguk introduced below.
Haejangguk varies by region, with notable examples including:
Beef Haejangguk- A soup made with beef and various vegetables, it is hearty and healthy. The use of beef broth gives it a deep and rich flavor, and vegetables add nutritional value.
- A soup made with pork broth and various vegetables, it is delicious and healthy. Pork haejangguk has a less salty taste than beef haejangguk, and the flavor of the pork broth stands out more.
- A soup made with ribs and various vegetables, known for its unique rib flavor and taste. Galbi haejangguk uses rib broth, giving it a deep and rich flavor, and the tender texture of the ribs complements the vegetables' texture for a delicious combination.
7. Japchae (잡채)
A dish made by stir-frying glass noodles with meat and various vegetables. It is known for its sweet and savory taste.
Japchae is one of Korea's traditional foods, made by stir-frying various vegetables, meat, and glass noodles together.
Japchae has a savory and slightly salty taste, allowing for the enjoyment of a variety of ingredients together, making it healthy. It is also often eaten on special occasions like feasts and holidays.
8. Tteokbokki (떡볶이)
A spicy dish based on rice cakes and gochujang, it is one of the most popular street foods in Korea.
Tteokbokki is one of Korea's representative foods, made by stir-frying rice cakes with gochujang, chili powder, soy sauce, etc., known for its spicy flavor.
In addition to rice cakes, tteokbokki can include various ingredients, with common additions being fish cakes, eggs, instant noodles, and cheese.
9. Sundubu Jjigae (순두부 찌개)
A spicy stew with soft tofu, various seafood, and vegetables. It warms the body and has an excellent taste.
Sundubu jjigae is one of Korea's traditional foods, a spicy stew made with soft tofu, pork, kimchi, vegetables, etc.
It is popular for its spicy flavor and the combination of soft tofu, pork, kimchi, and other ingredients.
There are various flavors depending on the region, and there are also less spicy versions of sundubu jjigae.
10. Galbi (갈비)
Grilled marinated ribs, a high-class dish in Korea known for the tenderness and rich flavor of the meat.
Galbi is one of Korea's traditional foods, a dish where beef or pork is marinated in a sauce and then grilled.
Galbi can have various tastes and textures depending on the type of meat, marinade, and cooking method used.
Beef ribs are mainly eaten as grilled or steamed, marinated in a sauce made of soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil, etc., before being grilled over charcoal or in a pan.
Pork ribs, along with pork belly, are among the most popular meats in Korea, prepared in various ways such as bulgogi, barbecue, and steamed.
In addition, gimbap, Korean pancakes(Buchimgae), and snacks are also loved.
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