Korean food (Hansik) refers to traditional Korean food or dishes that become Korean as they are made using Korean recipes. It is based on the table setting of 3-4 types of appetizers and soups, usually made with white rice, meat and vegetables, but on holidays or special occasions nengmyeon, samgyetang and jeon etc. also eaten. Popular Korean dishes such as black ddokbokki, kimbap, and samgyeopsal can also replace meals.
Kimchi
As the most basic fermented food of Korea, bok choy, Chinese radish, etc. are kept in salt water, then gochutgaru (a kind of Korean hot chili pepper), garlic, green onions, etc. It is fermented by adding flavor and spice. According to the ingredients, there are various types such as cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, cucumber kimchi, water kimchi.
Bibimbap
Pilava is eaten by mixing meat and vegetables with various sauces. It is popular only because it can be easily made at home if rice, basic appetizers, and gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) are available. There are ordinary bibimbap and dolsot bibimbap made in hot stone pots called dolsot.
Samgyetang
Sticky rice, ginseng, chestnuts, etc. in the chicken. It is a dish that is made by putting it and boiling it scaldingly. There are many Koreans who think that if they eat this food during the summer, it will give them energy. Similar chicken dishes are jjimdalk (chicken dish made with vegetables marinated in various sauces) and dalkhanmari (a type of dish in which chicken is cooked with onions and potato-style vegetables).
Bulgogi
Marinated beef or pork with vegetables, mushrooms, etc. It is a dish made by mixing and cooking on fire. Soy sauce, starch syrup etc. as sauce. used. It has both a sweet and salty taste. Some Koreans also eat bulgogi with naengmyeon (cold noodles).
Japchae
It is a dish made with vegetables such as carrots, red peppers and ear mushrooms, and meat, which is cut into small pieces and boiled, mixed with soy sauce and mixed with Chinese noodles. Since the cooking process is a bit of a painstaking dish, it is usually made in Korea on special occasions such as holidays or birthdays.
Ddokbokki
Rice cake and fish cake are made by pouring broth and boiling with sauces such as vegetables, gochujang. The most famous ddokbokki is the red ddokbokki made using gochujang. According to the sauce, there are also soy sauce, curry, jjajang sauce, creamy ddokbbokki.
Chicken
Fried chicken, which is made by frying the chicken in flour, is one of the most basic dishes. Here, gochujang or Yangnyeom chicken made by coating in sauces such as starch syrup and garlic; It is the menu that represents Korean style chicken dish. Apart from that, soy sauce, garlic, green onions etc. There is a wide variety of chicken dishes that use ingredients such as
Samgyeopsal Roast
It is a dish made by roasting pork on a grill or coal fire. The name samgyeopsal comes from the fact that the fat and meat of the pig look like three layers, but recently Daepae samgyeopsal, which is thinly cut depending on the way of slaughter, Beoljib samgyeopsal, which makes the meat soft that leaves cut marks, and ogyeopsal, which has layers of pork.
Jeon
It is a dish made by chopping the ingredients finely, mixing them with flour and cooking them in a pan. Mung bean custard (bindaeddok) in which spicy vegetables and meat are added to mung bean powder and fried pajeon with green onions in flour, kimchi mucveri (kimchibuchimgae) in which kimchi is cut into small pieces and fried, etc. is popular. Its most famous feature is that the inside is suitable for chewing like gum and the outside is crunchy in places, and it is often consumed with alcohol because it suits alcohol.
Korea has a strong "food personality" that varies depending on its geographical features. Dishes consumed across the country, such as ttokbokki and jjajangmyeon, also differ from each other in terms of recipes and ingredients, depending on the region. While the food of Seoul, Gyeonggi District in the north is light and simple, the spice flavor becomes dominant and the dishes using unique ingredients increase as you go to regions like Jeollanam and Jeju further south. With the development of distribution, dishes specific to each region can be tasted regardless of location in today's Korea, but there are also many Koreans who go on gastronomic trips to these regions to experience the unique tastes themselves.
Chungcheong-do
Danyang ssogari maeuntang* (spicy mandarin fish stew), Chungju kkwong-yoli* (pheasant dish), Cheonan hodu gwaja* (walnut snack), Dangjin ggot gaejang* (crab stew), Seosan eolguljeot* (spicy oyster), etc. Chungcheong-do has a different food range due to the geographical features of Chungcheongbuk-do, which is a mountainous region, and Chungcheongnam-do, which is a western coastal region. Freshwater fish and vegetable dishes thrive in inland Chungbuk, while seafood dishes such as oysters and crab abound in Chungnam, near the west coast. Cheonan's famous walnut snack (hodu-gwaja) has become a well-known Korean food to the point of being seen often on the streets of the country.
Jeolla-do
Jeonju bibimbap, Damyang tteokgalbi, Naju gomtang* (bone soup), Yeosu gat kimchi, Gwangyang bulgogi, etc. Jeolla-do; It is equally rich in materials such as water, livestock and grain products, it has a variety of dishes and is magnificent in taste. Foods especially favored by Koreans such as stingray, bibimbap, and soy sauce crab originated in Jeolla-do. However, since the temperate climate prevails in Jeolla-do, fermented foods have also developed. Sunchang often uses gochujang prepared here in tteokbokki sauce, which is one of the most popular dishes of Korea, which tastes especially great with sauces and spices.
Gangwon-do
Chuncheon dakgalbi* (chicken ribs), Sokcho squid sundae* (stuffed squid), Pyeongchang osam bulgogi* (sautéed squid and pork), Hoengseong Korean beef, Jeongseon gondrenamulbap* (dried Korean thistle leaf rice) etc. Gangwon-do's food is divided into mountainous and coastal regions, and these regions have their own unique colors. In the mountainous regions, plain dishes made with crops such as potatoes, buckwheat and corn are in the majority, while in the coastal regions, dishes with their own taste and texture made using aquatic products such as coal fish, squid and seaweed are predominant. There are also places like Hoengseong and Pyeongchang where Korean beef and pork dishes thrive as there are many animal farms.
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Masan agwi-jjim* (steamed spicy anglerfish), Yeongdeok daegae* (snow crab), Andong jjimdak* (steamed chicken), Daegu makchang* (beef intestine), Busan dwaeji gukbap* (pork soup) etc. It is common in Gyeongsang-do that dishes using local produce such as seafood and agricultural products develop into regional dishes. Yeongdeok snow crab, Andong jjimdak, and salted mackerel in particular have original flavors that are difficult to access in other regions, so they are popular enough to be ordered from other regions. However, in the case of Busan, pork soup, wheat noodles, and plain street food have flourished due to a historical background, such as frequent exchanges of supplies with foreign countries and hosting many refugees during the Korean War.
Jeju-do
Heuk dwaeji* (roasted black pork), gogi-guksu* (meat noodles), omegi rice cake, kalchi* (grilled squid), salgassum* (bay seaweed) soup, okdom* (grilled octopus), jeonbokjuk* (abalone) porridge). Jeju Island, Korea's largest island, is rich in seafood, including unusual fish caught on the shore. For this reason, there are many types of dishes that use seaweed, such as fish dishes such as grilled scabbard and coral fish, and sargassum soup. Also, instead of rice, kalguksu, bingtteok and omegitteok are prepared and eaten by using grains such as barley, buckwheat and soybeans. The five-layer grilled black pork and tangerines, which are thickly sliced and grilled, are also famous for their chewy texture.
Seoul
Heuk dwaeji* (roasted black pork), gogi-guksu* (meat noodles), omegi rice cake, kalchi* (grilled squid), salgassum* (bay seaweed) soup, okdom* (grilled octopus), jeonbokjuk* (abalone) porridge). Jeju Island, Korea's largest island, is rich in seafood, including unusual fish caught on the shore. For this reason, there are many types of dishes that use seaweed, such as fish dishes such as grilled scabbard and coral fish, and sargassum soup. Also, instead of rice, kalguksu, bingtteok and omegitteok are prepared and eaten by using grains such as barley, buckwheat and soybeans. The five-layer grilled black pork and tangerines, which are thickly sliced and grilled, are also famous for their chewy texture.
Gyeonggi-do
Suwon galbi* (ribs), Uijeongbu budaejjigae* (hot dogs), Icheon ssalbap jeongsik* (set menu with rice), Incheon jjajangmyeon, Anseong someori gukbap* (beef head soup) etc. The foods that Gyeonggi-do creates with the historical and geographical uniqueness of each region are shaped as dishes that represent the region. Among the examples; Incheon jjajangmyeon, which emerged from the increase of Chinese visitors with the opening of Incheon Port in the 19th century, Uijeongbu budaejjigae, which was made from materials supplied to the nearby Korea-US Base, and Suwon wanggalbi, which emerged thanks to Joseon cattle traders.
Traditional Markets & Food Streets
Korean snack trends can be seen when looking at Korean street food. While traditional pastry snacks such as tteokbokki and bungeoppang were popular in the past, they have recently ranged from desserts such as macarons and waffles to simple foods such as skewers, toast and ravioli. Street food can often be found at local traditional markets and the main streets around the universities called Rodeo Street.
Seoul Gwangjang Market: Located at Jongno 5-ga Station in Seoul, this traditional market is famous for its food street and hanbok shops. Popular dishes include yukhoe bibimbap, bindae-tteok, etc. takes place. On the weekends, it is crowded with tourists.
Suwon Nammun Market: A unified market that brings together 9 traditional markets in front of Paldalmun Gate in Suwon, each section has a different atmosphere with products for specific areas. Jidong Market has many sundae towns and groceries, while the Public Market and Yeongdong Market have many clothing stores. You can also see the "chicken street" where 14 chicken shops are gathered in Nammun Market.
Busan Changseon-dong Food Street: Changseon-dong Food Street, adjacent to Busan International Market, is famous for its bibim dangmyeon, tofu bag and seed hotteok. You can also take a pleasant gourmet tour on foot, as Jagalchi Market, which is a big market, and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market, Busan's most famous night market, and Nampo-dong Food Street, a frequented by young people, are close to each other.
Gyeongju Seongdong Market: It is considered one of the two largest traditional markets in Gyeongju, along with Jungang Market. Food is mainly sold. Here is a Korean food buffet town where you can taste Korean home cooking delicacies, and you can choose and taste appetizers according to your taste. It is also close to Jungang Market and Hwangnidan Road, a popular spot among Gyeongju youth.
Cheonan Namsan-Jungang Market: Located towards Exit 3 of Cheonan Station, this large traditional market; It is close to popular tourist destinations such as the Independence Monument, Byeongcheon Sundae Street, and Minarit Road Mural Village, so it is frequented by tourists. Byeongcheon sundae unique to Cheonan, walnut cookies and Cheonan pear are the local main foods, such as curly dumpling, corn cheese waffles, hot dogs, etc. You can taste the food.
Jeonju Hanok Village Food Street: As a food street built into Hanok Village, you can taste various foods such as skewer dishes, grilled Imsil cheese, homemade croquettes and ravioli fries. At the Nambu Market Night Market, which is located around it, the food is more colorful and splendid.
Gangwon Gangneung Jungang Market: As the traditional market representing Gangneung, it is located 10 minutes by bus from Gangneung Station. Most of the Yeongdong area's local produce is harvested and traded, where the trade of seasonal produce is more lively than elsewhere. The most famous street foods include chicken gangjeong, fish cake croquettes and hotteok ice cream. There is also a night market every Friday and Saturday evening.
Jeju Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market: Seogwipo, Jeju's largest traditional market, Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market; It has many Jeju local products such as tangerines, hallabong, and coral fish. Market staples include omegi tteok, saury gimbap, whole chicken, and modakchigi* (mixing gimbab snacks into tteokbokki juice), and common street food uses Jeju-specific ingredients like snow crab, black pork, and hallabong.