Today, everyone is enticed by Korean pop, Korean drama, and Korean food. They have a different yet sophisticated style, which fascinates everyone. Koreans are known worldwide for their unmatched beauty and loving nature. So, in the series Korean Fascination, we are here with a new blog post that will tell you about the top foods associated with Korean cuisine. These dishes are not only highly delicious, but they also account for positive health responses. Here, we are talking about the Top 10 Most Famous Korean Dishes.
Here, we are talking about the Top 10 Most Famous Korean Dishes:
The Heart of Korean Cuisine: Kimchi
Kimchi, one of Korea’s most popular and essential side dishes from a traditional point of view, has earned fame all over the globe. Kimchi is like a must-have side dish while enjoying the meal. Made out of fermenting vegetables, especially napa cabbage, kimchi rules the hearts of every single Korean. There is a wide range of variations in the kimchi; among them, one of the most traditionally prepared and served is the kimchi, made in winter and called Xinjiang. There are particular types of vessels in which it is stored to pace upon the fermentation procedure; this vessel is prominently known as onggi. Some may worry about non-vegetarian ingredients, but initially, it is a vegan side dish from Korea.
Black Bean Supremacy: Jjajangmyeon (Noodles with Black Bean Sauce)
In Korea, noodles are perfectly blended in a mixture of black bean paste, various vegetables, and pork, which offers an aromatic aura of flavor wrapped in mild sweetness and a slightly spicy taste. Just like any other Korean dish, this dish also fosters a vast spectrum of diversity, like how they can be made out of dry sauce without any inclusion of water, made with the addition of desirable seafood, ground meat inclusion can also be implemented in their cooking procedure, and many more different ways are there to prepare them.
The most fascinating and imperative thing is their topping with the glossy sauce made of black beans on a particular basis. The main ingredient forms the base for exuding the different tastes and flavors of these black bean paste noodles.
Roasted and Grilled: Bulgogi
This roasted or grilled dish is prepared using methods and serving skills in Korean. If the literal meaning of bulgogi is considered, then it is fire meat. This dish was born in northern Korea, but gradually, it became the talk of the towns in southern Korea, South Korea. It is prepared out of sliced meat, which is marinated and thin.
This dish does not comprise a single flavor; it is a package of different flavors, like it tastes sweet, spicy, and savory all at once. All tastes are smeared in one bulgogi spoon, making it stand out and reign supreme. Beef has to be the main ingredient.
Handmade Aura: Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles)
Prominently popular in the face of their two varieties, Naengmyeon is another famous Korean cuisine that puts forth the top noodle dish prepared in an exotic Korean style. His dish gives out a tart, fiery, savory, and refreshing taste, which makes it perfect for switching on the good mood. The distinctive attribute of this recipe is that the noodles used while making it are not machine-made; instead, they are mainly formed by the hands.
To hold up their perfect shape, they are served in an icy and cold broth, which makes them cold noodles. Thus, to maintain the dish’s authenticity, they are made to be noodles that are also cold and refreshing. So, if you feel angry and hungry, have a bowl of Naengmyeon to scale down your anger level.
Reign of Rice Cakes: Tteokbokki
This super delicious Korean dish is made of rice cakes drenched in red and spicy broth. It is one of the most fascinating and famous Korean street foods, not only in its homeland but in other countries as well. Like tteokbokki, it is known by different names, such as topokki,derkbokee, dukbokki, or stir-fried rice cakes. This recipe also fosters a wide range of variations. It can go well with inculcating ingredients like rayon or ramen and seafood. Their chewy and soft texture makes them more adorable and delicious at the same time. Their spicy taste kicks out best, particularly during cold winters.
Not a Kimbap: Bibimbap
Having its authentic association with Korean cuisine, bibimbap is drenched in a luscious and crunchy texture with a spicy and sweet taste. This dish is a package of many flavors, particularly a bowl of hot rice made delicious with various types of seasoned toppings accompanying tteokbokki, bulgogi, eggs, and many more. This hot rice bowl is packed with loads of crunchy vegetables, which adds to its fame and taste.
Ginseng Hegemony: Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
Encased by the loads of herbs and healthy implications, this chicken soup blended with ginseng is one of the number one soups in Korean cuisine. This Korean dish is cooked in herbal broth, in which the small chicken is stuffed with rice filling, ginseng roots, and garlic. This soup is usually taken with meals during the scorching summer days to have cooling and refreshing vibes. This chicken ginseng soup is also known as summer stamina food. This soup is another traditional, hot, and steaming dish of Korea that is loved by all.
To Eat, Have Patience: Seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup)
If you want to enjoy this Korean dish’s original and authentic taste, you must have a lot of patience, as this soup takes hours to become an actual Seolleongtang. Served hot, it is one of Korea’s most famous local dishes. To let the flavor of bones slowly sweep out into the soup and make it milky and cloudy, this soup is simmered for long hours and even for a whole day on a low flame to bring out its unmatched taste and flavor. So, if you wish to cook at home, be patient.
Roast the Meat: Gogigui (Korean Barbecue)
Gaining fame on an international level, this dish is one of the most common in Korean cuisine. The Korean word gogigui means meat roasting. Hence, it is a dish in which the Korean method is implied to prepare a perfect barbecue. If you want to have this dish at restaurants, then in Korea, they have charcoal grills and gas, which is built on the dining table itself, and if this service is unavailable, they provide stoves for roasting or grilling the meat. Barbeque is a dish that is everyone’s all-time favorite.
Stew the Kimchi: Jjigae (Korean Stew)
This Korean recipe can be vegetarian if made from vegetables or non-vegetarian if it includes seafood. Jjigae is a Korean stew, one of the most popular recipes in Korean cuisine. Kimchi jjigae is the vegan version of Korean stew. There is a wide range of variations, including seasoned with red chili paste, soybean paste, soy sauce, or from the inculcation of fermented and salted shrimp.
FAQs
Is Jjajangmyeon an entirely Korean dish?
Not precisely; in actuality, Jjajangmyeon, or black bean noodles, are Korean cum Chinese dishes that traced their origins to a Korean region called Incheon during a period when there was a crowd of Chinese people who came to work there.
What is the point of having cold noodles?
Naengmyeon, or cold noodles, is one of the most famous dishes in Korea. It is said to be cold noodles because in this recipe, the noodles are served in a cold and icy broth, and it is to prevent the dissolution of the noodles because the noodles used in this recipe are handmade.
Is kimbap another name for bibimbap?
No, kimbap and bibimbap are two different Korean dishes. Kimbap is rice filled with other stuffing rolled up in nori, resembling sushi rolls, while bibimbap is served as a bowl of hot rice accompanied by various toppings like bulgogi, eggs, etc.
Why does the intake of ginseng entice Koreans?
Ginseng has many positive implications for health, which entices Koreans. It helps augment the blood circulation in the body, enhances immunity and fatigue, improves memory, has antioxidant properties, and more.
Conclusion
We are on the verge of wrapping up this blog post, through which we have a chance to acknowledge the foods associated with the cuisine of Korea. Not one, not two, or three, we came to know about the top ten most famous Korean recipes, which are popular in their homeland, and the talk of the town in other foreign countries. So, if you are a foodie and love to dig into different types of cuisine, go through this post and Try out the one that aligns with your tastes and preferences now!
