Korean foods, with its rich tapestry of flavours and vibrant dishes, has captivated taste buds across the globe. As a testament to the deep-rooted pride Koreans have in their culinary heritage, the variety is immense, offering a staggering array of more than 100 types of kimchi alone. Let’s embark on a gastronomic journey through 39 essential Korean dishes that not only tantalise the taste buds but also embody the heart, soul, and digestive tract of Korea.
The finest foods in South Korea: Korean foods
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살):
Korean BBQ wouldn’t be complete without samgyeopsal, succulent pork belly strips grilled to perfection and enjoyed with lettuce, perilla leaves, sliced onions, raw garlic, and a smear of ssamjang or salt and pepper in sesame oil.
Sundae (순대):
A street food favourite, sundae is a type of sausage made with pig intestine, often enjoyed with lungs and liver on the side.
Gimbap (김밥):
Resembling Italian millefiori glasswork, gimbap features sautéed vegetables, ground beef, sweet pickled radish, and rice, tightly wrapped in laver seaweed, creating a visually appealing and delicious dish.
Kalguksu (칼국수):
Known for its divine taste when done right, kalguksu features noodles and broth with mushrooms, sliced pumpkin, and seafood or chicken, celebrating the pleasure of simplicity.
Kimchi (김치):
Dating back to the Silla Dynasty, kimchi is a beloved spicy sidekick found on every Korean table. Fermented cabbage marinated in a blend of red chilli pepper, garlic, ginger, and scallion, kimchi is a culinary icon that has stood the test of time.
Chuncheon dakgalbi (춘천 닭갈비)
At the opposite end of the galbi spectrum lies Chuncheon dakgalbi, a cherished choice among budget-conscious students.
Hailing from the provincial city of Chuncheon in Gangwon, this dish boasts a unique method for grilling marinated chicken. The culinary magic unfolds as sweet potato slices, cabbage, carrots, tteok, and chicken chunks come together in a large pan, having been bathed in a marinade crafted from chili paste and an array of aromatic spices.
Diners, eager to partake in this interactive culinary experience, often don aprons over their attire. This precaution becomes necessary as the vibrant red dakgalbi sauce, with its tendency to spill, adds a splash of excitement to the communal cooking and dining affair.
Bossam (보쌈):
In the realm of South Korean meat dishes, bossam stands out for its elegant simplicity. At its core, bossam revolves around steamed pork, creating a delightful harmony of textures and flavours.
The essence of this dish lies in the meticulous preparation of the steamed pork, artfully sliced into squares slightly larger than a single bite. The culinary finesse continues as these succulent pork pieces find a loving embrace within a leaf of lettuce, perilla, or kimchi. The final touch is a drizzle of a carefully crafted dipping sauce, elevating the dining experience to new heights.
Soy Sauce Crab (간장게장):
Ganjang gejang, or crab marinated in soy sauce, is a dish so addictive it’s often called a “rice thief,” emphasizing its irresistibly tangy, bitter, and pungent taste.
Jjajangmyeon (짜장면):
A Korean twist on a Chinese classic, this noodle dish features a thicker, sweeter version that has become a staple in Korean diets, often enjoyed regularly through quick deliveries.
Jjambbong (짬뽕):
The soupier, spicier counterpart to jjajangmyeon, jjambbong features copious amounts of chili oil-saturated onions, vegetables, and noodles, creating a flavoursome and satisfying dish.
Galbi (갈비):
In the culinary lexicon of South Korea, “galbi,” translating to “rib,” unveils a gastronomic tale of succulence. While the term technically encompasses pork and chicken variations, the unadorned mention of “galbi” conjures visions of thick meat slabs, marinated to perfection and grilled over an open flame.
This culinary masterpiece involves a meticulous blend of soy sauce, chopped garlic, and sugar, transforming the meat into a symphony of flavours. The grilling process over a proper fire imparts a smoky essence, elevating galbi to a pinnacle of rib-grilling mastery.
Army Stew (부대찌개):
A hodgepodge stew with sausages, spam, American cheese, instant noodles, tteok, and assorted vegetables, originating from the aftermath of the Korean War, showcasing creativity in the face of scarcity.
Mudfish Soup (추어탕)
This spicy soup has a more stew-like consistency. Despite being crushed and boiled to oblivion, chueotang is called from the freshwater mudfish (chueo) that serves as the major component.
The coarse yet pleasing texture of the mudfish and the vegetables – mung bean sprouts, dry radish greens, sweet potato stems, and, most importantly, the thin, delicate outer cabbage leaves – are the soup’s selling point.
Bulgogi (불고기)
If galbi represents Korean BBQ, then bulgogi represents Korean cuisine in general. During the Joseon Dynasty, this well-known sweet meat dish, which has existed in some form for over a thousand years, was haute cuisine.
The meal is also a fusion favorite: bulgogi-flavored burgers are on the menu at fast food brand Lotteria, and other versions, such as the bulgogi panini, have been spotted.
Dotorimuk (도토리묵):
This light brown jello, made of acorn starch, is eaten cold as a side dish with chopped leeks and soy sauce, or as an ingredient in Dotorimuk salads and dotorimukbap (dotorimuk with rice).
Dotorimuk, like tofu, can be tasteless on its own, despite being healthful and vegan-friendly. The flavor is one-of-a-kind and can only be described as acorn – bitter rather than nutty. Although dotorimuk is an acquired taste, most dotorimuk recipes have a plethora of enticing spices and sauces to aid in the process.
Hobakjuk (호박죽):
The pumpkin, its namesake and principal ingredient, gives this sticky, yellow-orange juk or porridge its characteristic hue and flavor. The pumpkin is peeled, boiled, and combined with glutinous rice flour, yielding a bowl of porridge that is so creamy, golden, and sweet that it appears more like pudding than porridge.
Hobakjuk is frequently served as an appetizer or as a health dish, as it is said to be beneficial to persons suffering from intestinal disorders. Aside from the specifics of medicinal science, it’s not difficult to think that this gently flavored lunch can heal.
Tteokguk (떡국):
Originally, tteokguk was only eaten on the first day of the Lunar New Year to represent good luck and the addition of another year to one’s age. If you think about it in Korean, growing a year older is idiomatically stated as “eating another year.”
But, regardless of age or season, this dish of oval rice cake slices, egg, dried laver seaweed, and occasionally dumplings in a meat-based broth is now consumed all year.
Naengmyeon (냉면):
In South Korea, we look forward to summer so that we can begin eating naengmyeon every week. Cold buckwheat noodles are ideal for a light lunch or as a palate cleanser after a meal of Korean barbecue.
Mul naengmyeon, or “water” naengmyeon, is a North Korean dish made of buckwheat noodles in a tangy pork or kimchi broth, garnished with radish, cucumber, and egg slivers, and seasoned with vinegar and Korean mustard (gyeoja).
Bibim naengmyeon, or “mix” naengmyeon, is made with the same ingredients but without the broth. Instead, the noodles are smothered in a chili paste sauce.
Bibimbap (비빔밥):
A harmonious mix of rice, vegetables, beef, and egg, bibimbap is a lunch-in-a-bowl masterpiece seasoned with sesame oil and a dollop of chili paste.
Tteokbokki (떡볶이):
This iconic red-orange street food, made of rice cakes and fish cakes in a sweet and spicy sauce, is a popular snack enjoyed in the bustling streets of Korea.
Samgyetang (삼계탕):
A Korean ginseng chicken soup, samgyetang is a thick, glutinous soup with a whole stuffed chicken, enjoyed even on the hottest summer days.
Bibimbap (비빔밥):
A harmonious mix of rice, vegetables, beef, and egg, bibimbap is a lunch-in-a-bowl masterpiece seasoned with sesame oil and a dollop of chili paste.
Bulgogi (불고기):
Nakji bokkeum (낙지볶음):
This octopus dish will set your mouth on fire.courtesy of the Korean Tourism Organization
In this enduring favorite, octopus is stir-fried with vegetables in a sauce of chili paste, chili powder, green peppers, and chili peppers—ingredients that would be spicy enough on their own but that all congregate to create one extra fiery dish.
When it’s done right, the chewy, tender octopus swims in a thick, dark red, caramelized sauce, so good that you can ignore the fact that it sets your mouth aflame to keep eating.