Archives for posts with tag: korean food

Korean Food: Bulgogi (불고기)

February 2, 2015 //
2

Bulgogi is a popular Korean dish usually consisting of marinated beef that is thinly sliced and cooked over a grill. It translates to fire (bul) meat (gogi), referring the grilling of the meat over an open flame, however it is common to see this dish being pan-cooked as well. There are different variations of the marinade, but they are all usually slightly sweet, making it especially appealing to those that don’t like spicy food. Soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, onions, pepper, ginger, and sugar are common ingredients for the marinade, and you’ll sometimes find fruits such as crushed pear added for sweetness (my favorite!). When bulgogi is pan-cooked, vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, green onions and bok choy are often added, resulting in more of a soupy dish rather than just the grilled meat. I still haven’t decided which way I prefer bulgogi to be prepared, but I have come to the conclusion that I like to eat pan-cooked bulgogi with rice and grilled bulgogi with lettuce or perilla leaves for wrapping. I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and try my own version!

Pan-cooked bulgogi with onions, peppers, mushrooms and carrots.

Pan-cooked bulgogi with onions, peppers, mushrooms and carrots.

Bulgogi that is being pan-cooked at our table with traditional side dishes of cabbage salad, cubed radish kimchi, bean sprouts, mashed sweet potato, kimchi and dried seaweed. It was all delicious!

Bulgogi that is being pan-cooked at our table with traditional side dishes of cabbage salad, cubed radish kimchi, bean sprouts, mashed sweet potato, kimchi and dried seaweed. It was all delicious!

This is bulgogi jungol (a stew of sorts) that has extra broth, glass noodles and rice cake in addition to the beef, mushrooms, onions and bok choy. At this particular restaurant they used fruit juices to sweeten the marinade instead of sugar, making it one of my favorite bulogi dishes so far.

This is bulgogi jungol (a stew of sorts) that has extra broth, glass noodles and rice cakes in addition to the beef, mushrooms, onions and bok choy. At this particular restaurant they used fruit juices to sweeten the marinade instead of sugar, making it one of my favorite bulogi dishes so far.

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Korean Food: Mandu Guk (만두국)

December 30, 2014 //
2

Mandu guk is a simple, yet very satisfying soup. The literal translation is dumpling soup, a meal typically eaten in the fall and winter.  The hearty, non-spicy broth is usually beef based in which the dumplings are boiled, along with green onions, garlic, kelp and sometimes anchovies. This soup often comes garnished with egg and dried seaweed.

Tteok mandu guk, or rice cake and dumpling soup, is traditionally enjoyed by Koreans on Lunar New Year’s Day. This version of soup includes slices of rice cake in addition to the dumplings. The whiteness of the broth symbolizes purity and the tteok, shaped like old currency, represents a prosperous year. Maturity also comes into play since Koreans turn another year older on New Year’s Day rather than their birthday. It is said that you won’t become a year older until you’ve consumed your tteok mandu guk. Maybe I’ll skip the soup this year and be 30 again.

Mandu (Korean dumplings) are not just found in this soup, they are frequently eaten on their own as a snack, appetizer or side dish. More often than not I see them steamed, but they can also be served pan fried or deep fried with a side of soy sauce for dipping. So far I’ve only seen two kinds of mandu—gogi (meat, usually pork) mandu and kimchi mandu. Both kinds usually include minced onions, mung bean sprouts, garlic, ginger, and sometimes glass noodles. I still haven’t decided which one I prefer, but I do think I enjoy them best in soup.

A steaming bowl of tteok mandu guk, which could easily become just mandu guk by removing the rice cakes. As usual, kimchi, radish kimchi and pickled daikon radish are served as sides.

A steaming bowl of tteok mandu guk, which could easily become just mandu guk by removing the rice cakes. As usual, kimchi, radish kimchi and pickled daikon radish are served with the soup as sides.

Delicious kimchi mandu.

Delicious kimchi mandu.

Disk-shaped, thinly sliced rice cake is called garaetteok.

Garaetteok is a thinly sliced, disk-shaped variety of rice cake found in tteok mandu guk and tteok guk.

 

 

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Korean Food: Doenjang jjigae (된장 찌개)

December 10, 2014 //
2

‘Tis the season to bundle up and eat hot soup, so I thought I’d post about another traditional Korean dish that I like particularly like when it’s cold out.  Doengjang jjigae is a stew made with fermented soy bean paste, or doenjeang, which is an essential element in Korean cuisine.  I think many foreigners are initially turned off by this dish, mostly because doengjang is so pungent.  Fermented soy bean paste doesn’t necessarily sound too appetizing, either.  However, the hearty flavor of this dish is unlike any other soup or stew I’ve tried, and I love it.

The broth is usually comprised of doenjang, anchovy stock, garlic and Korean red pepper powder or flakes (gochugaru), which creates a perfect blend of spicy saltiness.  Onions, zucchini, tofu, mushrooms and potatoes are added to the broth, making a deliciously balanced stew (clams, pork or beef are also sometimes included, depending on the recipe).  Doenjang jjigae is often served as a side dish at barbecue restaurants, but lately I’ve been ordering it on it’s own with a bowl of rice for a cheap, healthy and quick dinner.  If you ever have the opportunity to try it, I highly recommend doing so.

Doenjang jjigae is served sizzling hot in a stone bowl along with a side of rice.

Doenjang jjigae is served sizzling hot in a stone bowl along with a side of rice.

This version was made with onions, zucchini, mushrooms, tofu and chili peppers.

This version was made with onions, zucchini, mushrooms, and tofu. I have yet to try a version with clams or any other type of meat. I also haven’t tried making it on my own yet, but I plan on doing so soon as I know this will be one of the dishes I’ll miss when I leave Korea.

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Korean Food: Bibimbap (비빔밥)

August 28, 2014 //
4

Bibimbap was one of the first traditional dishes I had after arriving in Korea (I even had an airplane version on the way over,  and though it was quite tasty for airplane food, it didn’t compare to the real deal).  It basically translates to mixed rice and traditionally consists of warm rice topped with seasoned vegetables, an egg and a modest amount of thinly sliced beef.  Bibimbap is famous in the city of Jeonju where it was first found in a cookbook—Siuijeonseo from the 19th century—and is believed to have been a royal dish/snack from the Joseon Dynasty.  (I was lucky enough to enjoy a large bowl of traditional Jeonju bibimbap during my EPIK orientation, but unfortunately didn’t get a picture of it.)

Usually, bibimbap is served either cold with a fried egg on top or in a sizzling hot stone pot with a raw egg which cooks when you mix everything together.  The latter, called dolsot bibimbap, is my favorite. The stone pot is lightly coated with sesame oil and because it’s so hot, the bottom layer of rice gets slightly crispy.  Gochujang (spicy red pepper paste) is typically served right on top in the bowl alongside the vegetables and the egg.  Once mixed together thoroughly, you’re in for spoonfuls of deliciousness (yes, Koreans eat bibimbap with a spoon, not chopsticks).

Dolsot bibimbap is served in a sizzling hot stone pot. The raw egg starts to cook when you mix everything together.

Dolsot bibimbap is served in a sizzling hot stone pot. The raw egg starts to cook when you mix everything together.

Before eating bibimbap you must thoroughly mix everything together.

Before eating bibimbap you must thoroughly mix everything together.

David's first time enjoying bibimbap, which was of course accompanied by an array of side dishes (banchan), as well as beer (maekju) and soju.

David’s first time enjoying bibimbap, which was of course accompanied by an array of side dishes (banchan), as well as beer (maekju) and soju.

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Korean Food: Kimbap (김밥)

July 1, 2014 //
4

Kimbap, also known as gimbap, is the ultimate picnic food of Korea.  It’s cheap, easy to make (or purchase) ahead of time and easily eaten on-the-go.  The two main ingredients are dried seaweed (kim or gim) and white rice (bap).  Various veggies and meats accompany the rice which is wrapped in sheets of dried seaweed.  It looks very similar to sushi, however raw fish is not used in kimbap, and the rice is seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds rather than rice vinegar.  The most common ingredients in basic kimbap are cucumber, carrot, fried egg, radish, imitation crab and spam (yes, spam is everywhere in Korea).  You’ll also see canned tuna (chamchi kimbap), cheese (chijeu kimbap), beef (soegogi kimbap) and of course kimchi as ingredients as well.

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Basic kimbap with carrots, cucumber, fried egg, spam, imitation crab, radish, and rice seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds. Unlike sushi, it’s served by itself without any sort of soy sauce, wasabi or ginger.

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Kimbap to go, all for just $5!

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You’ll often see Koreans enjoying kimbap on picnics in the park or while resting on a hike in the mountains. You can even buy it in any convenient store at all hours of the day, either in rolls or triangles which are called samgak kimbap.

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A fancier version of kimbap (excuse the blurriness) with my co-teacher and another English teacher in Cheongju. Big fat rolls with bulgolgi (marinated beef) were accompanied by pickled radish, kimchi and bean sprout soup.

 

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