When thinking of Korean foods to try, what comes to mind? If it’s kimchi, this makes sense, since it’s a big part of South Korean cuisine. But what about glass noodles made of sweet potatoes, or bibimbap? And did you know that fried chicken is a big thing there?
I spent almost a week eating my way through Seoul, so here’s the list of the most popular Korean dishes that you need to try.
Considered South Korea’s national dish, kimchi is a fermented vegetable, usually cabbage, but can also be radish. A staple in most Korean households, kimchi is generally consumed as a side dish or mixed together with a main dish like rice or meat.
A popular Korean dish that you must absolutely try, is bibimbap. It’s a light yet filling meal with vegetables and meat served over a bowl of warm rice. You can substitute the meat with other vegetables, like mushrooms.
Often confused with sushi because of how it looks, gimbap is rolled-up rice with fillings and wrapped with seaweed. While sushi is usually made with vinegar rice, raw fish, or seafood, gimbap is rice cooked in sesame oil, with cooked fillings like egg and meat.
One of the most popular Korean dishes to try is bulgogi — thinly-sliced marinated meat (usually beef), usually grilled or stir-fried with onions, scallions, and mushrooms or other vegetables. The sauce is what makes it special: a soy sauce concoction mixed with sugar, garlic, and sesame oil. Bulgogi recipes vary, and the word itself is an umbrella term for thinly sliced meat. It can also be consumed in various ways: on rice, as BBQ meat, in hotpot (soup-style), or in a sandwich or burger.
Japchae is a dish made with glass noodles (dangmyeon). The noodles, made from sweet potato starch, are stir-fried and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. The main ingredients aside from the noodles include vegetables like carrots and mushrooms, and usually meat.
Fun fact: Japchae used to be considered a meal for royalty, though at the time, the dish consisted mostly of stir-fried vegetables and mushrooms without the noodles or meat. Today, the main ingredients are the glass noodles and a protein, and the dish is served on special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and parties, though you can also find it at many restaurants.
Did you know that fried chicken is a popular food item in South Korea? They even have multiple chain restaurants focusing on just fried chicken, such as Kyochon, BHC, Chicken in the Kitchen, and Two Two Chicken. Rumour has it that there are more fried chicken restaurants in South Korea than there are McDonald’s in the world (that’s great news if you ask me).
South Korea’s fried chicken stands out due to its extra crispiness from the double-frying technique. And then there are the sauces. You can choose between various sauces for the flavour: garlic, sweet chilli, gochujang Sauce (a spicy, sweet, and savoury condiment made with chilli paste gochujang), etc.
Fun fact: fried chicken is most often consumed with beer in South Korea.
Mandu are dumplings, Korean style. They can be cooked in a variety of ways: pan-fried, steamed, boiled, or deep-fried. The main ingredients are usually meat, such as beef or pork, with vegetables like onions, cabbage, or tofu.
Donkkaseu is the Korean version of the Japanese tonkatsu. The meat, typically a pork cutlet, is coated with panko breadcrumbs before deep-frying and then topped with sauce before serving. The sauce is usually a sweet and tangy brown gravy, distinct from the Japanese Worcestershire-ketchup mix sauce.
Eomuk (also sometimes called Oden, from the Japanese term for it) are fishcakes on a stick cooked in a hot broth, or fried. They are usually served with a dipping sauce, and are the perfect on-the-go snack.
Tteokbokki are chewy rice “cakes” made with white rice, served with a spicy sauce. It’s a delicious street food and has a rich umami flavour. You can also have it with a different sauce if you’re not a fan of spicy flavours.
This is a flat-shaped pancake made of mung beans and mixed with vegetables and meat. It has a rich, nutty flavour and makes a great snack or appetiser.
Hotteok is a pancake, crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It can be filled with various fillings, from sugar and cinnamon to peanuts, fruit jams, and chocolate, though there are also some savoury options.
Don’t sleep on South Korean pastries. While many of them might not be considered traditional Korean dishes, some of the best pastries I’ve consumed were from South Korea.
South Korea’s traditional food is kimchi (fermented cabbage), but bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables) and bulgogi (marinated grilled beef) are popular traditional dishes too.
South Korea’s national dish is the kimchi, which is fermented cabbage. Kimchi is usually consumed as a side dish or mixed with a main dish.
While gimbap does look like sushi, it’s slightly different as the rice is made with sesame oil rather than vinegar, and raw fish isn’t used.
