Top 20 Korean Foods: Enjoyed by Koreans and Tourists
One of the most popular cuisines in the world is Korean. In a study of the top international dishes on Instagram, it came in fourth place.
Korean cuisine offers an experience, that foodies are starting to yearn for. Not just the food you eat is important; the experience itself is also significant. Perhaps the world's attention has been drawn to South Korea and all that it has to offer as a result of the enormous success of the movie Parasite.
As a result of Korea's four distinct seasons, spring, fall, and winter offer a variety of seasonal dishes made with fresh local ingredients.
Koreans enjoy seasonal spring greens in the spring that are not available during the long winter. In the sweltering summer, they consume cold food to cool off or high-protein foods to refuel. There is a wide variety of foods available during the harvest season, and during the chilly winter, fermented foods with high nutritional value are prepared and eaten.
Korean food is gaining popularity at the same time that Korean culture, including K-drama and K-Pop, is becoming more and more well-known. These 25 Korean dishes are favorites among both Koreans and visitors.
Korean cuisine made with rice
Korea has ideal rice-growing conditions, which results in a wide range of rice-based foods. It is always offered as a side dish to main courses and is the largest staple food for Koreans. Of course, rice is used in a number of main dishes. The dishes that follow are typical examples of how rice is served in Korean cooking.
1. 비빔밥 (Bibimbap: Mixed Rice with Vegetables)
A rice dish with a variety of vegetables is called bibimbap. Depending on your preference, you can also add eggs, fried ground beef, or ground pork. Red pepper paste is the most typical seasoning, but soy sauce is frequently used by people who don't like spicy food.
It is unclear where bibimbap came from, but it is very likely that it was given to the ancestors as an offering during ancestral rituals.
2. 김밥 (Gimbap: Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls)
In order to make gimbap, dried seaweed is rolled up with white rice and a variety of ingredients, including spinach, pickled radish, carrot, egg, burdock, and others. When traveling or having a picnic, it is very practical.
The main filling determines the name of the gimbap. There are numerous variations, including cheese, kimchi, and beef gimbap. For instance, tuna gimbap is made with canned tuna, mayonnaise, sesame leaves, and other vegetables.
3. 떡국 (Tteokguk: Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Tteokguk is rice cake boiled in beef broth. It is particularly well-liked on Lunar New Year's Day, one of the most important holidays in Korea.
The rice cake dough known as "Garae Tteok," which is cut into long strips to symbolize long life, is used to make the actual tteokguk. But it can also be shaped into the wealth-symbolizing round coins.
During the festival, Koreans celebrate getting older and becoming wiser by eating rice cake soup and making wishes for wealth and long life.
Noodle dishes from Korea
The development of numerous noodle-based dishes over the years reflects the importance of noodles in Korean cuisine. The long noodles' shape is a symbol of luck, success, prosperity, good health, joy, and enduring love. This is why people love them for celebrations like birthdays and weddings because they bring luck and vigor for the future.
Here are some popular Korean noodle dishes that are eaten all over the world.
4. 잡채 (Japchae: Glass Noodle Stir Fry)
Japchae, which is Korean for "noodles mixed with various vegetables," is the definition. It is prepared with noodles made from sweet potato starch and a variety of fried vegetables, including carrots, spinach, mushrooms, and onions. Soy sauce is then used to season the dish.
During the Joseon Dynasty, a civil servant created a dish as a gift for the king that is the ancestor of japchae. The king is said to have loved the flavor of japchae so much that it became his absolute favorite dish, and it is also said to have aided officials in achieving higher positions of authority.
5. 라면 (Ramyun: Korean Instant Noodles)
Most people consider ramyun to be instant noodles. It has become a favorite dish of Koreans, frequently consumed as a snack, thanks to its affordable prices and straightforward recipes. In actuality, ramen consumption worldwide is highest among Koreans.
As a replacement for other snacks, Korean instant noodles are growing in popularity as they are featured in Korean dramas and films. Cheddar cheese on top of ramyun is known as "cheese Ramyun" in the United States. In Australia, a renowned chef has even created a menu using Korean instant noodles.
6. 냉면 (Naengmyeon: Cold Noodles)
The term "cold noodles" is naengmyeon. They can be broadly classified into Pyeongyang and Hamheung. Each dish has a distinctive flavor that sets it apart from the others. Because it is served in plain broth, Pyeongyang is known as "mul" (water) naengmyeon, whereas hamheung is known as "bibim" (mixed) naengmyeon because it is mixed with red pepper paste.
Half an egg is placed on top of the noodles, which are also served with slices of pickled radish, cucumber, and pear. White vinegar and mustard can be used for extra flavor.
Korean Soups
In Korean cuisine, soup and rice are frequently served together. Even though rice is the most essential component of a meal, soup and side dishes are next in importance.
The four main categories of Korean soups are Guk (국), Tang (탕), Jjigae (찌개), and Jeongol (전골). Tang takes a little longer to cook than guk, while jjigae has more substantial ingredients. Guk is primarily made of broth. Jeongol is prepared right there on the table. The most popular soups among Koreans and non-Koreans alike are listed below.
7. 김치찌개 (Kimchi Jjigae: Kimchi Stew)
The traditional soup kimchi is regarded as the national dish of South Korea. This nation's famous food is adored by many people worldwide due to its health advantages. In Korea, there are undoubtedly lots of dishes made with kimchi. A stew based on kimchi is known as kimchi jjigae.
Although there are many different kimchi jjigae recipes, pork, kimchi, and tofu are used most frequently. Since the distinct flavors are enhanced more than when kimchi is freshly made, kimchi used for kimchi jjigae is to some extent fermented.
8. 삼계탕 (Samgyetang: Ginseng Chicken Soup)
A whole chicken is used to make the chicken soup samgyetang, which also includes glutinous rice, ginseng, jujube, and garlic. The word "sam" in its name, "samgyetang," refers to ginseng, a key ingredient in this well-known chicken soup.
In order to replace the energy lost due to the heat during the three hottest days in July and August, known as "Sambok," Koreans traditionally eat samgyetang.
9. 순두부찌개 (Sundubu Jjigae: Spicy Soft Tofu Stew in Korean)
One of the most well-liked dishes in Korean restaurants abroad is sundubu jjigae. Uncurled and unpressed tofu is known as sundubu.
The traditional form of sundubu jjigae is made simply with Chodang tofu, or plain tofu in broth. However, sundubu jjigae is much more well-known and well-liked throughout the entire world due to its spicy seasoning, which includes red pepper oil and red pepper powder.
10. 감자탕 (Gamjatang: Pork Back-Bone Soup)
Pork backbone is used to make the soup gamjatang. This intriguing dish is boiled with perilla seeds, vegetables, potatoes, and other ingredients. There are numerous gamjatang restaurants open around-the-clock because the soup is well known for curing hangovers when consumed in the morning.
Gamjatang consistently comes in the first place when foreign visitors to Korea are asked to list their "favorite Korean foods."
11. 부대찌개 (Budae Jjigae: Army Stew)
The first Eastern and Western fusion dish in Korea is called budae jjigae. "Budae" is Korean for "military unit."
Food was scarce after the Korean War (1950–1952). When Koreans encountered foreign ingredients like the canned ham and sausage served at the American military unit stationed in Korea, they started to develop recipes to suit their individual tastes. Budae jjigae was produced by combining kimchi, gochujang (red pepper paste), ham, and sausage.
Korean dishes with meat
Ordinary Koreans could add more meat to their diets thanks to the country's explosive economic growth in the 1980s. But in the past, only special occasions like Seollal (Korean New Year's Day) or Chuseok were served with meat dishes (Korean Thanksgiving Day).
Only 5.2 kilograms of meat were consumed annually per person in Korea in 1970. In the 1980s, this started to exceed 10kg, and by the 2000s, it had reached 30kg. Since then, numerous Korean dishes with meat have been created. Nowadays, so many people from other countries appreciate Korean meat-based dishes that the word "Korean barbecue" has acquired proper noun status.
12. 갈비찜 (Galbijjim: Braised Beef Short Ribs)
Braised beef short ribs are the main ingredient in the dish known as galbijjim. There is yet another, less popular variation that uses pork ribs. The character "Jjim" (), which appears in the word "galbijjim," denotes steaming. But the braised short ribs are stewed rather than steam-cooked.
Soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger, green onions, and sesame oil are combined to marinate and stew beef short ribs. Galbijjim, which is very well-liked, is excellent for welcoming guests and celebrating birthdays and holidays.
13. 불고기 (Bulgogi: Korean Barbeque Beef)
A traditional Korean meat dish called "bulgogi" is typically made of grilled beef cooked in sauce. For bulgogi, tender cuts like sirloin are used. Bul and Gogi, which both refer to meat and suggest grilled meat on the fire, gradually came to mean the seasoning used.
According to a recent survey, bulgogi was chosen as the preferred Korean dish by 25% of foreign visitors to Korea. Just like Koreans, they adore it.
14. 삼겹살 (Samgyeopsal: Grilled Pork Belly)
Pork belly is the most popular pork cut among Koreans. In Samgyopsal, the term "Samgyeop" refers to the three layers of fat that cover the pork belly. As Koreans find comfort in eating samgyeopsal and drinking Soju (a Korean alcoholic beverage) with friends after a trying day, pork belly is also referred to as "Korean soul food."
Samgyeopsal is a favorite among foreign visitors as well and was rated as the top Korean dish that they want to eat once they get home.
15. 치킨 (Chicken: Korean Fried Chicken)
This is fried chicken prepared "Korean-style." Fried chicken is available everywhere in the world, but Korean fried chicken stands out due to its delicate coating and use of distinctive seasonings like soy sauce and sweet chili (Yangnyeom) (Ganjang).
Like the ideal couple, beer is the ideal companion for Korean fried chicken. In fact, the Korean word Chimaek combines the words for chicken (chi) and beer (Maekju). Korean fried chicken is becoming more well-known outside of Korea thanks to TV dramas and films produced in Korea that frequently feature scenes with "chimaek."
16. 보쌈 (Bossam: Korean Boiled Pork Wrap)
Bossam is made by simmering pork neck or belly in a broth flavored with herbs, garlic, and ginger.
Bossam is always prepared following Gimjang (), a customary Korean event when kimchi is made in large quantities for the winter because it pairs perfectly with kimchi. With lettuce and perilla leaves as a wrap, bossam is eaten by dipping it in ssamjang, or salted shrimp.
Bossam Alley, a street in the heart of Seoul that is lined with bossam restaurants, is proof that bossam has long been a popular dish among Koreans.
Korean dishes with seafood
Koreans enjoy a wide variety of seafood because their country is surrounded by water on three sides.
The world's highest per capita consumption of seafood is found in Korea. Since seafood is typically used in most Korean cooking techniques—fermenting, boiling, grilling, seasoning, and pickling—it is uncommon to find a table of food without any seafood.
The best Korean seafood dishes are listed below, just for seafood lovers.
17. 해물파전 (Haemul Pajeon: Korean Seafood Pancake)
Haemul Pajeon is a savory pancake popular in Korea that is made with green onions, clams, squid, and other seafood. It is also served with vinegar soy sauce. Seafood's chewy texture and green onions' crunchiness work together to enhance the flavor as you chew.
On rainy days, Haemul pajeon is frequently consumed with Makgeolli, a traditional rice wine. It is thought that people crave Haemul pajeon when they hear the sound of rain because the sound of raindrops hitting a window or falling to the ground is similar to the sound of sizzling when you cook this savory pancake.
18. 고등어조림 (Godeungo Jorim: Braised Mackerel)
Mackerel cooked with a hot seasoning is known as godeungo jorim. However, since the seasoning masks the smell, even people who don't particularly like the fishy flavor and aroma can enjoy the braised mackerel.
It's an extremely easy recipe. Sliced radish, fillets of mackerel, red pepper flakes, finely chopped green onions, and minced garlic should all be combined in a pot. Just braise it for 15 to 20 minutes after that.
19. 간장게장 (Ganjang Gejang: Raw Crabs Marinated in Soy Sauce)
Fresh raw crab marinated in soy sauce is known as ganjang Gejang. Ganjang Gejang is also referred to as "bap-dodook," which is Korean for "rice thief." When you devour your first bowl of rice in a flash, you'll know why it's called rice thief. It really is that good. However, some people are hesitant to try this dish because they dislike eating crab that is still raw. One of the most contentious Korean dishes is ganjang Gejang.
There is a recommended way to consume Ganjang Gejang if you want to taste it. Incorporate hot rice, dried seaweed, and roe into the crab's shell. Your taste buds will be jolted by this.
20. 낙지볶음 (Nakji Bokkeum: Korean Spicy Stir-fried Octopus)
Octopus is stir-fried in a hot sauce as Nakji Bokkeum. Octopus stir-fried in oil is most frequently consumed with rice. In restaurants, when you order Nakji bokkeum, the dish is either brought to the table or prepared there, with the rice being served separately.
Some restaurants serve this stir-fried octopus, which is insanely spicy even when combined with rice. Typically, boiled bean sprouts are offered with the dish to tone down the heat. Even some Koreans claim to be addicted to this deliciously spicy dish!