The foods of South-Korea
Traditional Food in South KoreaKimchi
Kimchi is a bit part of the national identity and is therefore served with pretty much every meal in South Korea. It’s usually made from fermented cabbage and chili, and it’s fair to say it’s a bit of an acquired taste for travellers. You’ll also find lots of other kimchi flavoured foods in South Korea, so try to like it! Barbecue
Korean Barbecue Meal
Korean barbecue has become popular in the west, but health and safety usually means restaurants can’t use a charcoal broiler at the table like they do in South Korea – undoubtedly key to the best flavours. Generally at a barbecue restaurant you’ll find bulgogi, cuts of marinated meat (usually pork or beef), and galbi, ribs that are usually unmarinated. You cook these yourself at your table, and then choose from a number of sides or sauces to complete the meal.
Many waiting staff might supervise or even try to do all the cooking for you, but have confidence and assure them you can do it yourself to get the full experience.
Rice dishes
South Korea Barbecue Dishes
Restaurants in South Korea serve a near limitless variety of rice dishes, so here are a couple of the most common (and tasty) to look out for:
Bibimbap – This is a bowl of rice served with a range of condiments – vegetables, shreds of meat, egg – that you can mash together and stir in some chilli sauce to taste.
Gimbap – You might think of this as Korean sushi, as it consists of rice, meat or fish, pickled radish, and sesame seeds wrapped up in dried seaweed. The difference from sushi is how the rice is flavoured with salt and sesame oil. A roll of gimbap can be a useful snack to carry with you, but is also an option in a restaurant or cafe.
Soups and stews
Again, the amount of soups and stews you’re likely to encounter in South Korea is ridiculous, and the difference between soup and stew might not always be clear. Soups are known as guk or tang, while jjigae usually means stew. You’ll find soups and stews made with vegetables, kimchi, seafood, meat, tofu, noodles, and more, sometimes all at once. We recommend experimenting to see what you like (and being careful if you have food allergies).
The regional cuisine
Appetizer recipes coming soonMain recipes
Chicken salad Singapore noodlesSide dishes recipes
Seafood green onion pancake haemul-pajeon Dessert recipes coming soonAsian - See the recipes
Appetizer recipes coming soonMain recipes
Brown rice and chicken stir fry with edamame and walnuts Oriental lemon chicken Spicy peanut chicken Tomato stack salad Side dishes recipes coming soonDessert recipes
Meringues with ginger ice cream and chocolate sauce
Cooking in South-Korea
South-Korea - Asian -
Dessert suggestions for South-Korea