Cuisine
Korea is a mountainous country and the winters are long. As a result, local food traditions developed based on scarcity and survival. It’s about making the most of ingredients and making them last. This means that Korean cuisine utilizes many preserved, fermented, and seasonal ingredients.
From street food stalls to Michelin starred restaurants, you are not short of options in Korea.
A typical Korean meal consists of soup, rice, and a myriad of side dishes called banchan. The dishes are served all at once instead of in separate courses.
Ingredients are agriculturally sourced and foraged so there’s a wide spectrum of flavors. And the usage of fermented seasonings gives the cuisine strong and unique flavors. One of the most widely used seasonings is doenjang, a fermented bean paste similar to Japanese miso or Chinese doubanjiang. Doenjang is also used to produce soy sauce and gochujang, a red chili paste.
As K-Pop and Korean dramas have gained popularity, Korean food has also become more well-known. Dishes like Korean barbecue and fried chicken have become familiar to many people. However, Korean cuisine is a more vast and diversified cuisine than many people realize.
In contemporary Korean restaurants, chefs are interpreting classic Korean dishes and ingredients in new ways. The Seoul Michelin guide was first released in 2016 and has been highlighting contemporary and traditional Korean restaurants ever since.
There are many ways to experience Korean cuisine other than eating at restaurants. Touring the food markets is a feast for all the senses. As soon as you walk in, you’re hit with the enticing scents and vibrant colors of the food on offer.
Cooking classes can give participants hands-on experience at cooking home-style meals and even learning how to make kimchi. There are programs where participants go shopping for ingredients at a market then learn recipes at a kitchen nearby.