Another type of stored food includes twigak (deep-fried seaweed
or leaves and stems of various vegetables), bugak(deep-fried vegetables
coated with starch), and po (beef or
fish jerky). Yukpo, one of the most
popular types of jerky, is thin slices
of beef marinated in soy sauce, then
dried in the shade. It is often served
as a dried snack with alcohol or prepared for a wedding ceremony.
Kimchi is Korea’s most representative fermented food and the most basic
side dish in the Korean diet. As it is an indispensable part of any Korean
meal, some people say they cannot have a meal without Kimchi. There are
many different kinds of Kimchi depending on region and its ingredients.
Kimchi comes in various colors and tastes according to its ingredients, and
types of jeotgal, or fermented seafood, used to make it. There is also a water
kimchi with its refreshing and tangy juice.
Hoe (raw fish or meat), Ssam (vegetable leaf
wraps), Muk (jelly) - Cuisines Unique to Korea
Hoe is raw meat, fish, or vegetables served
with dipping sauces such as red chili pepper paste with vinegar and sugar, soy sauce
with vinegar and sugar, mustard, and salt
with sesame oil. Sukhoe is similar to hoe,
but it uses parboiled ingredients. Some of
the popular ingredients for sukhoe include
parboiled parsley, small green onions, and
fatsia shoots.
Ssam, vegetable leaf wraps, is an unique
eating style of the Korean diet which is loved by many Koreans. Ssam is
spoonfuls of rice wrapped in wide leafs such as lettuce, Chinese cabbage,
sesame leafs, fresh seaweed and dried laver with soybean paste.
Also unique to Korean food is jokpyeon, pressed ox feet, and muk, firm
jelly made of acorn, mung bean, or buckwheat starch.
Tteok (traditional rice cake), and Hangwa (traditional sweets and cookies) for Festive and Seasonal Occasions and Ancestral Memorial Services
Koreans always prepare for tteok and
hangwa for festive occasions and a variety of special occasions. They are usually enjoyed as desserts these days. There
are wide varieties of tteok based on how
to make it. Sirutteok is rice power mixed
with other ingredients and steamed in a
siru, an earthenware steamer. Jeolpyeon
and injeolmi is made by steaming glutinous rice and pounding it to make a firm
and sticky dough. Bukkumi and hwajeon is kneaded glutinous rice dough
shaped into small circles and pan-fried. Jeungpyeon is a steamed rice cake
made with white rice flour and rice wine. It is also called as Sultteok, or
rice wine cake. Yaksik, also called as yakban and yakbap, is steamed sticky
rice made with chestnuts, jujubes (Korean dates), honey, pine nuts and
cinnamon.
Hangwa is traditional Korean sweets and cookies. It is rice or wheat flour
dough mixed with honey, yeot (sticky rice sugar), and sugar and then deepfried. It is also made by simmering fruits and plants’ roots in honey syrup
until they are glazed. It is also called as jogwa, which means cookies made
of natural produce by adding artificial flavor. There is a wide variety of
hangwa, such as yakgwa (deep-fried honey cookies), sanja
(deep-fried sweet rice cookies), ganjeong (deep-fried sweet
rice puffs), yyeotgangjeong (malt toffees), dasik (traditional
pressed sweets), and jeonggwa (candied fruits and roots).
The Basis of Korean Food
-Spices
Gochu(고추), Gochujang(고추장),
Soybean(콩), Ganjang
(간장),Doenjang(된장)
Koreans traditionally believe that the taste and quality of food
depends on its spices and sauces, the essential ingredients to
making a delicious meal. Therefore, soybean paste, soy sauce,
red pepper paste and kimchi are some of the healthiest and the
most important staple in a Korean household.
Red Hot Pepper(고추)
Korean food is never the same without red, hot peppers.
Hot peppers are the main ingredient of gocujang(red pepper
paste) and the required ingredient in several casseroles and
side dishes. The components in peppers, which gives them
their spicy taste, helps to relieve pain and breaks down fat,
making red, hot pepper an ideal dietary food.
Soybean(콩)
Soybean is the main ingredient of doenjang(soybean paste)
and contains various nutrients, including protein. Soybean is
also high in enzymes, which aids in preventing cancer and
Vitamin E, which lowers cholesterol level. Soybeans can be
cooked with rice, grounded into bits or flour, or made into
tofu.
Gochujang(고추장)
Gochujang(red pepper paste) is made from dried peppers,
salt water, fermented soybeans and sweet rice powder.
These ingredients are mixed thoroughly and then fermented, which enhances the spicy flavor of this sauce. People
typically eat rice mixed with this spicy paste and sesame oil.
They also use it as a dipping sauce for fresh vegetables.
Doenjang(된장)
This soybean paste has been popular among Koreans for
over 2,000 years. The ingredients consist of soybeans, salt
and water, which are combined with natural elements, such
as sun and wind. Doenjang has been scientifically proven to
help prevent cancer. People from all over the world come to
Korea to enjoy this soybean paste. It IS used in casseroles
or mixed with fresh mountain herbs.
Ganjang(간장)
Ganjang(soy sauce) is made through the same process as
soybean paste. Water and are added to soybeans and then
fermented for two months. During the fermentation process,
amino acids and lactic acids are released, which creates soy
sauce. Ganjang is used in casseroles and soups. It can also
be used as a dipping sauce for various fried foods.
The significance of Korean sauces and condiments
Korean sauces, which include soy sauce, soybean paste
and red pepper paste, are enjoyed