Last fall was an opportunity to visit the wonderful heaven of Korea. Since I think that I would not be able to travel until summer break(when school's out), I decided to share this wonderful experience through a series of posts related to my recent tour. What better appetizer to begin it with? - Korean food.
Korean food fact #1:
KOREANS ARE VERY HEALTH CONSCIOUS
As related by our guide, Korea is a wealthy society. People are work very hard, thus, they are very well-compensated. Hence, they wish to maximize the pleasure of hard earned money by placing the best efforts to prolong life. With this, they take a lot of supplemental herbs, exercise a lot, and watch what they eat. Veggies are never out of the Korean meal. I remember the time when we dined in for barbeque, fresh cabbage leaves were there on the side. I was wondering what to do with them when our guide showed us how to wrap the piece of barbequed meat with kimchi unto that piece of cabbage leaf. Believe me, it tasted sooo good! It was then when she explained that they never take bare meat alone, as much as possible, veggies were incorporated.
I forgot the dish's name because it was our first meal from the country and I was all hyped and all. It's chicken with lots of veggies which you can stir fry by yourself. Notice the basket of cabbages on the side.
Another stir fried meat with LOTS of veggies. haha
I am sorry for not getting a decent pic. I can't help myself from plunging in the hot soup. It was sooooo cold outside. So I forgot to take a pic at it untouched. haha.. Its a chicken soup meal with noodles. The whole chicken is stuffed with rice and other condiments. It was a whole bowl, I wasn't able to finish all! :(
their cabbage. gigantic right? koreans have great farmers. They use knowledge from researches and technology that they cope with the challenges each season bring. Pesticides and artificial fertilizers aren't an option so that's an added point to health protection.
Korean food fact #2:
TRADITIONAL KOREAN MEALS ARE NOTED FOR THE NUMBER OF SIDE DISHES (banchan)
When I was there, dining time always felt like a feast was going on. So much was happening on the table. There was barely a place for chopsticks because of the number small of plates before me! From kimchi, mushrooms, and nappa cabbage, to anchovies, seaweed wraps, shrimps and a whole lot more. Principle of the yin & yang applies so all the 4 tastes (bitter, salty, sweet, sour) are present. Seeing one plate with such little serving might give you the illusion that the meal won't be as satisfying. But wait till you feel your stomach ache with fullness and you still got lots left.
Just a piece of history, the number of side dishes back in the korean royal court would give you the idea of the social standing of the person eating the meal. The emperor would have as much as 12 banchan. And this is on of those ways for him check on his empire. A bad tasting fish may give him an idea of a problem in the fishing industry.
see how stuffed the table is? By the way, the iron pot on the left is where the rice is, add boiling water and voila! A porridge it has become. :)
(L-R) seaweed wrap, kimchi, bracken fern
tofu with pork, anchovies
If you get confused on how to eat them, ask a local of the service lady. You won't complete the korean food experience without getting the proper combos of the side dishes. The wrapped barbeque meat with kimchi is an excellent example. Rice and seafood wrap is my fave too. Rice is usually placed on a separate bowl or a big pot . Just add hot water and you get an instant yummy porridge!
Korean food fact #3:
KIMCHI IS NEVER OUT
Known for being Korea's most popular food icon, kimchi really is a staple food to koreans. Commonly prepared as a side dish, it also can be used as a basis of other meals such as fried rice, snacks, or even cake! It is a traditional dish of fermented variety of vegetables, the most common being made with Chinese cabbage mixed with chilli peppers and additional condiments, fish sauce being stressed to us by our guide, as the key in making and authentic dish. The entire process to make it is long and tedious. I am currently remorsing of how I failed to take note of the entire process while it was being taught to us so I can share it with you, but I think it take 4-6 months to have a decent kimchi served on their tables. A distinct taste and appearance would tell you if its ready. Also, Koreans have a separate fridge with the specific temperature for kimchi storage. I myself am not a fan of it, but I admire how the locals love their food. Craving for it day by day, meal by meal.
Sorry, the picture's out of focus but I just want to show you this KIMCHI PANCAKE that I've tried. Usually, they do this dish when the kimchi's about to go past its quality but doesn't mean its spoiled. Coming from someone who doesn't fancy kimchi, I can fairly say that I loved this dish! It's a cool twist.
My personally made kimchi! :D I think something wrong though, I failed to fold it into half? but what the hell, I'm perfectly happy with it. haha!
Korean food fact #4:
KOREANS LIKE TO EAT BY THE WEATHER
When its warm, dry and the sun is high up in the sky, they may be looking for porridge, or a freshly boiled stew. So, next time you see them walking past eating the famous soft korean ice cream while its raining snow outside, you'd know why. :)
Other dishes you must try when you go there:
Bulgogi
It consists of barbecued chicken, beef or pork which had been marinated and mixed with herbs and spices for flavor. For those of you who might not want veggies like most of my friends, settling with this is fairly a good korean food experience.
Yogurt and Tons of Snacks to choose from
The thickest and creamiest yogurt and yogurt drinks I've tasted are from korea. Tons of flavors are available to choose from. They are also a part of buffet meals in hotel where we stayed. Also, the snacks are unique in that the flavors are likened to that of their meals. I have favorites but I wasn't able get the brands tho, I don't read Korean that's the problem. A piece of advice: be careful in choosing though because some might taste so odd that you might not like them. There are shops that bring out samples so you might wanna buy from them to be sure.
Korea has indeed a rich and intricate culture, and they are clever to infuse it with their food and palate. I hope you enjoyed my post.
Till next of my Korean chronicles,
Ness <3
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