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Korea is one of the few countries with ancient culinary traditions that have survived to this day. Korean cuisine is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. It is second only to Japanese, Chinese and Mediterranean cuisines, and this is because it contains a lot of spicy.

Interestingly, Korean dishes were not always spicy. Red pepper appeared in Korea only in the 16th century, when it was brought by Portuguese sailors. This spicy American spice has become such an integral part of Korean cuisine that it has become its main characteristic. It is red pepper that gives Korean dishes a “signature” orange-red hue, and the word “spicy” in modern Korean is a synonym for the word “delicious”. Before the advent of red pepper, the main spices in Korean cuisine were black pepper, garlic, onion, ginger, and mustard. Along with red pepper, tomatoes, corn, pumpkin, peanuts, potatoes and sweet potatoes came to Korea, without which it is impossible to imagine Korean cuisine today.

It turns out that modern Korean cuisine is no more than 400 years old, but all borrowings are so successfully formed on a centuries-old basis that no one has any doubts about the antiquity of Korean dishes. A striking example is Korean-style spicy carrots. This dish is very young: it appeared in the 1930s among Soviet Koreans (kore-saram), who could not find the usual ingredients for their favorite kimchi in their new place of residence and were forced to use local vegetables, such as carrots. A new dish - carrots "in Korean" - was so fond of in the USSR, and later in Russia, that it was firmly included in the catering menu and in the kitchens of Russians.

Koreans' love for kimchi is a different story. It is so popular that they have developed kimchi for Korean astronauts, which is convenient to eat in zero gravity, otherwise they would refuse to leave the Earth. Korean families often have a separate refrigerator for kimchi, and no dinner is complete without this dish. And the rise in the price of kimchi during the crisis has become a national tragedy in South Korea, and the government had to urgently reduce taxes on suppliers of the ingredients of the beloved national delicacy in order to contain prices and popular discontent. Daily consumption of kimchi, rich in vitamins, fiber and lactic acid bacteria, according to nutritionists, explains the lack of excess weight in Korea.

What is Korean kimchi? Initially, these were vegetables pickled for the winter. Over time, pepper and other flavorings were added to the recipe. Today, anything can be hidden under the word "kimchi": cabbage, radish, cucumbers, beans, ferns, algae, mushrooms, soy products, anchovies, herring, shrimp, pork ears - everything that can be fermented and seasoned with hot sauce. The most popular ingredient for kimchi is Chinese cabbage. In Korea, this vegetable is treated in the same way as ours - to potatoes. In autumn, the whole family gathers to gather cabbage and prepare kimchi, and each participant is given his share.

In addition to kimchi, the reason for the health and slimness of Koreans is the daily consumption of soup. There are many soups in Korean cuisine: from light broths with vegetables or dried seafood to dense, hearty meat soups. Noodles in Korea have long been a ritual dish. It was prepared for a wedding or birthday as a wish for a long life. Now in Korean cuisine there are many types of noodle soups. The most exquisite is the imperial soup with buckwheat noodles in pheasant broth.

Thick Korean soups, similar to stews, are usually cooked in portioned ceramic pots and consist of various ingredients depending on the season: vegetables, fish, meat, beans, tofu, soy paste. There is also a similarity of our jelly in Korea: a thick broth of bones, tails, legs, heads and other offal. Cold vegetable soups are commonly eaten in Korea during the summer. Almost all Korean soups are very spicy. In winter it warms, and in summer it refreshes and invigorates.

In the cuisine of modern South Korea, rice does not occupy such an important position as in Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisines. This happened due to three decades of Japanese occupation, in which most of the Korean rice went to Japan, and the local population had to get used to other cereals: wheat, millet, barley, sorghum, buckwheat. Rice in Korea was often mixed with other grains or legumes. This is how the famous Korean dish kongbap appeared - a mixture of rice, black soybeans, peas, beans, barley and sorghum. Initially, it was food for prisoners, but now kongbap is considered a model of healthy food, as it contains almost all the elements necessary for a person: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins. The rapid economic growth of South Korea did not restore the role of the main dish to rice - noodles, bread and products from Europe took its place. However, it is impossible to forget the centuries-old romance with rice, and today many interesting dishes are prepared from rice in Korea: boiled in thick-walled stone pots, rice cakes, rice noodles, rice wines and even rice tea are made.

The wide use of legumes: soybeans, mung beans (mash), adzuki and other types of beans - makes Korean cuisine related to its neighbors. The most popular varieties of beans in Korea - mung and adzuki - are very different from the beans we are used to. They are small, bright (mung - green, adzuki - red, black, gray, motley), very tasty, and they do not need to be cooked for a long time. Adzuki beans also have a pleasant sweet taste, which, combined with the traditional spiciness, gives unexpected results.

Since ancient times, soy products have been widely used in Korea: soy milk, tofu, okara, soy sauce. In Korean cuisine, special attention is paid to soy sprouts and mung beans - the richest sources of vitamins. They are used to make kimchi, they are blanched and served as a side dish, fried with vegetables, added to salads and even sausage. By the way, sausage in Korea is not prepared from meat at all, but from blood, “glass” noodles (again, made from mung beans), barley, soy paste, glutinous rice, spices and various flavorings.

The basis of Korean cuisine is vegetables and other plants. In addition to the beloved Beijing cabbage, many varieties of potatoes, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, and mushrooms are grown here. Wild plants that are harvested in season and harvested for the whole year are very popular: young shoots of fern and bamboo, lotus root.

Many Koreans collect medicinal herbs, mushrooms and berries on their own. Medicinal dishes are a separate direction of Korean cuisine. There are special recipes for maintaining tone and treating various diseases. Korean machos, for example, prefer to eat dishes with goat and chicken meat, carps, eels, pig kidneys, bone marrow, ginseng.

As for meat and fish, Korean cuisine does not recognize any restrictions. The only exception is beef, which has long been banned by the canons of Buddhism. Cows and bulls were considered working animals, and only in the 20th century beef appeared on the tables of Koreans, but was not widely used. The main meats of Korean cuisine are pork and chicken. There are many ways to cook it, and everything goes into business: legs, ears, stomachs, brains and other offal.

Fish and seafood in Korea are more popular than meat. For centuries, shrimp, oysters, mussels, shellfish have been the food of the poor. A lot of sea and river fish are now consumed in Korea. It is grilled, boiled, stewed, salted, smoked, dried. Clams are often eaten raw, only seasoned with vinegar. Exotic recipes have also been preserved: for example, tzhetkal - salted fish or shellfish and their parts. This unappetizing mixture with a strong fishy smell is used as a seasoning for kimchi, sausages and soups, as a base for soy sauce. Thanks to salty fish seasoning, table salt is almost never consumed in Korea.

Contrary to popular belief, dogs are rarely eaten in Korea, and if they do, it is not mongrels or pets, but dogs of a breed specially bred for this purpose - nureongs. These are well-fed animals of medium size with short light hair. Do not be afraid that in a Seoul restaurant you will not be fed dog meat instead of pork, since dog meat in Korea is much more expensive and is used as a delicacy or as a medicine. Soup or stew with dog meat is considered a dish for longevity, a means to balance internal energies and easily endure the summer heat. Despite the fact that the sale of dog meat is officially prohibited in Seoul, some restaurateurs include it in the menu, as the demand for it among gourmets is huge.

In Korean restaurants, you can find an even more exotic and controversial dish than dog soup. These are sannakji - live octopus tentacles that keep moving on the plate. They are seasoned with spices and served with sesame oil so that the stirring pieces do not get stuck in the throat.

But enough horrors, let's talk about pleasant things, for example, about the imperial cuisine of Korea, which in terms of sophistication and complexity may well compete with French haute cuisine, although the table of the Korean emperor looked very simple to a European. Haute cuisine was distinguished from folk cuisine in Korea by a careful selection of products and their combinations, an ideal balance of 5 tastes, and care for the health of the emperor. Until the 19th century, the Korean imperial cuisine did not depend on the seasons, like the cuisine of the common people, and 8 provinces provided a constant variety to it, sending their best local products to the palace in turn during the month. The “duty” of the province always fell at different times of the year, and the emperor, during the long years of his reign, barely had time to get acquainted with all the delicacies that his subjects produced throughout the year in different parts of the country.

The breakfast of the imperial family, usually served at dawn, was very simple: boiled rice with various additives - soy sauce, nuts, sesame seeds, oysters, mushrooms. It is this kind of breakfast, according to Korean doctors, that gives enough strength to govern the state. The emperor's dinner was also far from European concepts of court luxury: 2 types of rice, soup, stewed vegetables, 2-3 types of kimchi, one meat dish and about 12 snacks. Even at ceremonial receptions, the courtiers and guests of the emperor were treated quite simply. Court favorites were chogitan (chicken soup with eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, soy sauce, and vinegar) and yaksik (sticky rice dessert with chestnuts, nuts, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon).

The refined taste of the Korean rulers was manifested not in food, but in more refined pursuits. This is evidenced, for example, by the artificial Koksugo stream in Phoseokchon Park, created for the Yusankoksu court poetry competitions. They passed like this: the invited aristocrats sat down along the bank of a winding stream, the emperor pronounced the beginning of the poem and lowered the goblet of wine into the water. While the goblet was floating, the guest sitting downstream had to come up with the next line of the poem. In case of failure, he had to drink the cup. This poetic competition went on for hours, until the drunken guests were able to amuse the emperor.

The Koksugo stream has long dried up, poetic games are a thing of the past, and now in the major cities of South Korea, traditional dishes are gradually giving way to European and American dishes. But you should not fear for the future of Korean cuisine - it is stronger than foreign influences and will not lose its face. This is evidenced by the fact that kimchi has long been a popular snack in Russia and Europe, and the menu of the McDonald's network in Seoul almost does not overlap with the traditional American one.

The originality and originality of Korean cuisine is especially evident in the arrangement of Korean restaurants. Where else do guests have to cook their own meals sitting on the floor? A typical Korean restaurant has a gas burner built into every table, and there are many dishes on the menu that are served raw. The cook only prepares the food: he cleans and cuts it thinly, and guests can cook or fry meat or vegetables to their taste. There are also dishes that a caring chef has almost prepared, and guests can independently control the degree of its readiness. This serving allows not only to show individuality, but also to relax and have fun by putting the wok on a low fire - let the food stay hot while we talk and drink.

Korean alcohol is worth mentioning separately. More than 100 types of alcoholic beverages are produced in Korea, most of which are completely unacceptable for European taste. Take, for example, makgoli - white rice wine so thick that it is drunk with spoons. By the way, this strange drink used to be called pear-colored wine, but only because it was prepared during pear blossom.

Those who are eager to try Korean alcohol should remember that Korean drinks are designed for a very spicy snack. Drinking soju - the so-called Korean vodka - is completely impossible without a traditional Korean snack, but together they make great flavor combinations. Pepper neutralizes the taste and smell of alcohol, and soju softens the fire in the mouth. That is how, in a complex, you need to get acquainted with the culinary features of Korea. Korean cuisine is primarily about balance and subtle nuances of flavor combinations, rather than a simple set of dishes.

Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken (Tak Kampungi) is a delicious medium spicy Korean hot dish. Boneless pieces of chicken meat (using juicy thighs) are marinated, then dipped in batter and deep-fried until crispy golden brown. Then the meat is heated in a sweet and sour sauce with the addition of chili peppers (crushed cochucaru, fresh green and dried red), garlic and onions. A rich range of flavors makes this dish very memorable. Connoisseurs of Korean cuisine and chicken dishes will be delighted.

Sweet pumpkin salad (Danhobak selrody) is a very interesting Korean dish called salad, but our compatriots would consider it a sweet mashed pumpkin-nut dessert. The treat has a pleasant balanced taste with dominant sweet notes. Nuts and raisins go well with pumpkin pulp. Cooking pumpkin in a double boiler will preserve the beneficial substances contained in its pulp. By the way, sweet pumpkin salad corresponds to the canons of vegetarian nutrition. Such a dish will come in handy in the spring and autumn diet, when it is necessary to pay special attention to maintaining immunity.

Danhobak Pub Pumpkin Sweet Rice with Dates and Nuts is an original and delicious Korean dish that is considered a dessert. To prepare it, they take a small ripe winter pumpkin, which is stuffed with rice, sweet fruits, raisins, nuts and chestnuts and cooked in a double boiler. The treat is tender and sweet. You can additionally serve sweet syrups to it and eat Dunhobuck pub as a dessert, or you can use such a pumpkin as a side dish for meat dishes - in this case, it is better to choose salty sauces, for example, based on soy.

Minced meat rice balls (Sogogi jumo bap) are a type of fast food popular in Korea with Japanese roots (Japanese food connoisseurs know such treats called onigiri). Similar dishes (rice ball snacks) are often seen in Korean dramas (such as Birth of a Beauty and others). They are much easier to prepare than Japanese sushi and Korean gimbap. Any chef with no experience can do it. No wonder this snack in Korea is considered fast food.

Omyraisy (Omuris) is a dish that came to Korean cuisine from Japanese. It is fried rice with vegetables and other additives (meat, mushrooms, ham, sausages, shrimp, other seafood, etc.), a portion of which is wrapped in a thin egg omelet pancake. The finished dish is poured with ketchup and served hot to the table. Great option for a quick lunch or dinner.

Eggs marinated in soy sauce (Gangjang keran) is a delicious Korean cold appetizer that will brighten up any dinner table. The marinade gives them a very interesting flavor range - slightly salty, slightly sour, with a hint of sweetness (sugar or rice syrup gives it). Fresh garlic, green onions, ginger and chili enrich the marinade with spicy and savory, slightly spicy flavors. Eggs after pickling acquire a beautiful chocolate color. This appetizer is easy to prepare - you don’t even need to boil the marinade.

Mung bean jelly (Noktu muk) is a Korean cold snack made with mung bean starch. Jelly has a neutral taste and delicate texture, it is well complemented by the sauces with which it is served (usually based on seasoned soy sauce), as well as vegetables, meat. Preparing this appetizer is quite simple, even a cook with no experience can handle it.

Fried Bulgogi meat is one of the most popular dishes among connoisseurs of Korean food. Delicate, sweetish-salty, with a spicy taste, besides, it’s completely. One of the fun ways to enjoy your favorite dish again is to make a pizza using Bulgogi meat as a topping. Bulgogi's homemade pizza turns out to be very tasty and is in no way inferior to similar pizza in Korean restaurants. We definitely recommend trying it.

Fried rice sticks with ramen noodles in spicy sauce (Rabokki) is a dish of modern Korean cuisine. Dishes with rice sticks (rice flour dumplings) are extremely popular among Korean youth - they have a pleasant chewy texture, saturate well, and perfectly absorb the sauces in which they are cooked. The taste of the dish is very hot, in the best Korean traditions.

Egg Tofu Salad with Leafy Vegetables (Sundubu selode) is a simple and delicious Korean appetizer. It's easy to prepare - egg tofu and leafy salad greens (you can use a salad mix) are poured over with a spicy dressing sauce. This appetizer is a wonderful breakfast, light and satisfying.

Pigodi (kor. 배고치) are juicy steamed yeast dough pies stuffed with meat (pork) and vegetables (cabbage, radish, onion, herbs) with spices. These pies are distinguished by a special taste and juiciness - they are steamed. The dough is extremely soft and tender.

Bulgogi Spring Rolls are a light and tasty Korean snack. The shell of the rice paper spring roll has translucent properties - you can see the variegated filling through it. Rice paper spring rolls are rarely fried - most often they simply wrap the filling in it and treat themselves immediately. During the treat, the rolls are dipped in a spicy-sweet Ssamjang sauce.

Marinated beef with quail eggs (Jang jorim) is one of Korea's favorite snacks. A few pieces of meat and eggs are a great addition to the lunch box, which you take with you as a snack on the road, to school or to work. The taste of the dish is sweet and salty. Fans of food "with a twinkle" add chili peppers and garlic to it.

Hoe (or Hye) is a popular type of cold Korean snack, usually made from raw meat, fish, or seafood. Pollock hwe is a variation of the traditional Korean dish of the Soviet Koreans (Koryo-saram). The dish is very simple to prepare, but hearty, fragrant and tasty. Heh from pollock may well decorate a festive feast.

Pork in batter in sweet and sour sauce (Tangsuyuk) is a Korean dish with Chinese roots. This dish is an adapted version of the Chinese dish Dangzu rou from Shandong cuisine, which came to Korea along with Chinese refugees. The meat slices are deep-fried twice and served in a sweet and sour sauce with vegetables and fruits.

Ramen noodles with kimchi and tuna (Kimchi chamchi ramen) is a popular dish of Korean national cuisine. It is very simple and can be prepared quickly. In Korea, noodles with tuna and kimchi sauce are one of the popular types of instant noodles, sold in any store in different packages (sachet, glass or cup).

Rice balls with kimchi and tuna (Chamchi kimchi jumo bap) is a popular fast food in Korea. This dish came to Korean cuisine from Japanese (in Japan, such balls are called onigiri). A great alternative to sushi and requires much less skill to prepare.

Hoe is a popular type of cold Korean snack, usually made from raw meat, fish, or seafood. Chicken hwe is a variation of the traditional Korean dish of the Soviet Koreans (koryo-saram), and this dish is prepared from boiled chicken, which is pre-cut into strips. The dish is very simple to prepare, but hearty, fragrant and tasty. It may well decorate a festive feast.

National Korean cuisine is a serious test even for strong-willed gourmets. It's not about outlandish exotic delicacies that baffle many Europeans. Koreans are not used to saving on spicy food and hot condiments.

What comes out of this, we propose to find out right now.
Sparks in cabbage


Kimchi appetizer is the hallmark of Korean national cuisine. Traditionally, it is prepared from radishes or cucumbers. But the cabbage version is closer to tourists. Cut into 4 parts the head of Chinese cabbage, sprinkle with salt between the leaves and pour water for 4 hours. Using a blender, make a paste of 2 heads of garlic, an onion and a piece of ginger root. Dilute in 500 ml of water 60 g of rice flour, 2 tbsp. l. sugar, cook until thickened. Cut carrots into strips and 6-8 stalks of green onions.
We combine vegetables, garlic dressing and rice “jelly”, season with red pepper flakes and fish sauce to taste. The spices you need can be found in the "Asian" departments of supermarkets. Rub dressing over each cabbage leaf. Do this only with rubber gloves! It remains to put the cabbage in a plastic container and keep in the refrigerator for exactly one day. Kimchi Koreans eat non-stop, just like that and adding to different dishes.
You will be full of grass


Fern salad will be a discovery for lovers of interesting snacks. Koreans use the shoots of a special type of fern - bracken. They are eaten with appetite fresh, fried in batter, dried and marinated.
We chop 150 g of fresh asparagus into slices, and 3 stalks of leek into circles. We wash 300 g of canned fern and cut into strips. Combine all ingredients and add salt to taste.
Warm up in a frying pan 3 tbsp. l. sesame oil, add 25 ml of rice vinegar, a pinch of cumin, coriander and black pepper. Pour dressing over salad and leave in refrigerator overnight. If you want it to be more satisfying, add slices of fried pork or chicken fillet.
All mixed up in a bowl


The colorful dish bibimpal is essentially a set meal in one plate. After all, it includes assorted vegetables, boiled rice, pieces of meat and scrambled eggs.
Soak 7-8 shiitake mushrooms in water for half an hour, dry and cut into strips. Fry them in oil with 2 cloves of garlic and remove from the pan. We spread here 100 g of carrots in Korean with 1 tsp. grated ginger, brown until golden. We cut the zucchini, cucumber and sweet pepper into long strips, sauté over high heat until the zucchini is ready. Season vegetables with gochujang soybean paste with 1 tbsp. l. Sahara.
In addition, we need to cook 200 g of long-grain rice and fry 400 g of veal strips until golden brown. Pour rice into the bottom of the ceramic mold, spread the vegetables and meat in segments in a circle, carefully break the egg and put it in the oven at 200 ° C to bake it. Sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds - a hearty Korean lunch is ready!
Stew with royal panache


Japchae, which means "royal stew", is the national dish of Korean cuisine, which is invariably put on the festive table. In the Middle Ages, it was included in the menu of Korean court cuisine, and today every housewife in the country must be able to cook it.
We put in a deep bowl 500 g of beef in strips, salt and pepper, add 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 3-4 minced garlic cloves and 2-3 shiitake mushrooms in strips. Don't forget to soak the mushrooms in water beforehand. While the meat is marinating, chop carrots, 2 sweet peppers, 200 g of champignons into thin long strips. Fry vegetables in oil until softened.
Cook according to the instructions 150 g of "glass" noodles, fill it with 1 tsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tsp. Sahara. Now it's time to marinate the beef. We spread all the ingredients on a dish with a slide and sprinkle with chopped green onions. This stew is served warm.
Under the sign of the fiery cow


Koreans love beef with all their heart and give it the main roles in many recipes of national Korean dishes. Bulgogi, or "fire meat", is especially popular. In restaurants, it is served in a special brazier and, if desired, the visitor can even participate in the preparation.
The highlight of the recipe is the signature marinade. We combine in a bowl 30 ml of soy sauce and plum juice, 1 tbsp. l. balsamic, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce and honey, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 2 tsp. grated ginger root. For a more intense taste, you can add 1 tbsp. l. sesame.
We cut the half-kilogram beef tenderloin into strips and keep it in the marinade for a couple of hours. Ideally, meat should be fried in a grill pan without oil - this way you get as close to the original as possible. Complement the meat with carrot strips and green onions. And to create the right color, serve bulgogi with brown rice or rice noodles.
handmade soup


The addiction to hot spices in the national cuisine of South Korea is also felt in soups. For example, a mixture of peppers and a spicy bean paste are put in yukkejang.
Pour 3 liters of water with 500 g of beef tenderloin, onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic. Boil for an hour, often removing the foam, take out the meat and strain the broth. Coarsely cut a bunch of salted ferns and 5-6 stalks of green onions. Add 50 g of sprouted beans, 5-6 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. l. red pepper, 2 tbsp. l. sesame oil. We lay this dressing in a boiling broth and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Now coarsely chop the carrots and onions, together with a whole bell pepper, bake in the oven at 180 ° C until softened. We clean the pepper and cut into strips. Cut the beef into strips. Yukkejan is served as follows. The bowl is filled with broth, and two bowls are placed next to it - with meat and vegetables. Each guest "collects" his own soup.
Nautical parade in a bowl


Sundubu chige, a popular dish, resembles a cross between a thick stew and a stew. Its basis is abalone, oysters and mussels adored by Koreans. Tofu cheese gives the dish a special taste - it absorbs aromas and tastes like a sponge.
We mix 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. l. red pepper, a handful of chopped green onions, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil. We cut 2 carcasses of squid into strips and rub with marinade together with 200 g of peeled shrimp. Seafood you can choose at your discretion.
Chop 500 g of tofu into cubes, pour a liter of water and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Cut red and green hot peppers into rings, pour into a saucepan. After 5 minutes, we introduce seafood with marinade, simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes. To make the dish thicker and richer in taste, Koreans put pieces of meat and serve rice.
Easy-to-lift pies


Pyangse patties are one of the most popular Korean fast food creations. Traditionally, the filling for them is made from cabbage and minced meat, and steamed.
Knead the dough from 500 g of flour, 300 ml of water, 1 tsp. dry yeast and a pinch of salt. Leave it warm until it doubles in size. Shred 300 g of white cabbage, squeeze with hands, mix with 3 tbsp. l. soy sauce and 2 cloves minced garlic. While the cabbage is marinating, fry 300 g of ground beef with onions, season with a mixture of peppers to taste. Throw in cabbage and stir.
From the dough we make cakes the size of a palm, lay out the filling and pinch the edges tightly. Ideally, pyanse is cooked in a double boiler or pressure cooker on cabbage leaves for about 45 minutes. Perfectly complement their pickled vegetables in Korean.
Mystery covered in rice


Koreans eat rice in any form, even for dessert. Tteok rice cakes are also a hit with tourists. We knead a plastic dough from 125 g of rice flour, 125 ml of water, 700 g of sugar and a pinch of salt. We heat it in the microwave at full power for a couple of minutes and knead until a smooth consistency. Boil 150 g of red beans in advance, add 100 g of powdered sugar and 3 tbsp. l. cornstarch, puree with a blender. From the dough we make small round cakes, lay out the bean filling in the form of balls, sculpt koloboks and send them to harden in the refrigerator. Often such cakes are made multi-colored, tinting the dough. Do not tell the sweet tooth what an unusual delicacy is made of - let them try to solve this riddle themselves.

Features and secrets of the national cuisine of Korea

Korean cuisine or national cuisine of Korea are, first of all, culinary traditions that have been developed over the centuries. Recipes for cooking many dishes today are almost identical to the recipes for their preparation hundreds of years ago. Even the dishes remain unchanged. So, for example, in the manufacture of soy sauce and soy paste, special clay jugs are used. Moreover, they are used not only at home, but also in the food industry. Thus, tradition has become a pillar of all Korean cooking.

The “tasty secret” to many Korean dishes is fermentation, or in other words fermentation. First of all, it is used in the preparation of traditional Korean soy sauce and soy paste, which in turn are integral components in the preparation of many dishes. In addition, traditional Korean kimchi snacks lend themselves to fermentation (in our understanding, these are various pickled vegetables, most often Chinese cabbage).

The basis of the Korean table is rice. He is always present on the table. Rice is served in a separate bowl, with nothing, without mixing it. Soup is served with it, as well as all kinds of kimchi. Rice in the Korean culinary tradition is akin to bread for the Slavs. That is why do not be surprised if you see how a Korean eats soup with rice.

Chinese cuisine, which laid the foundations of table etiquette, had a considerable influence on the formation of national Korean cuisine. The widespread use of Confucianism in China also affected the culinary tradition of Korea. The food was modest and simple. Even the royal court followed these principles in their diet. Exceptions were made only on major holidays.

A feature of Korean, like Chinese dishes, is use in the preparation of many dishes of red hot pepper. For many centuries, this has allowed food to be preserved longer. And today this tradition has not come to naught. That is why Korean cuisine is quite spicy, and many dishes have a characteristic orange-red tint.

Even Chinese cooking has introduced the use of pork and beef into the recipe of Korean cooking. In addition, Japanese cuisine has had some influence on cooking in Korea. Therefore, Koreans willingly use all kinds of fish, including raw ones. In Korean cuisine, there is even an analogue of Japanese rolls. It's called kimbap.

A special branch of Korean cooking is temple food. It is served in temples to followers of Buddhism. It is also simple, but unlike the royal cuisine, the food should not be too salty or too spicy. It is believed that spicy tastes can interfere with the monastic lifestyle, which is based on strict discipline, meditation, self-knowledge, compassion for others. Temple cuisine is, first of all, a healthy diet. The basis of the monks' diet is vegetables, cereals, and soy.

Another special branch of Korean cooking is Koryo-saram cuisine. Koryo-saram are Koreans who moved to the coastal region of Tsarist Russia and subsequently deported from there to various Soviet republics, mostly to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The peculiarity of their cuisine is that many familiar Korean products had to be replaced with local products. So, for example, carrot-chi or Korean-style carrot is a dish related to the cuisine of Koryo-saram. You won't find it in Korea itself.

All Korean dishes are traditionally served in porcelain bowls. A bowl of rice, with the second and first course is served to each separately, but kimchi and other snacks are served in a common dish. The peculiarity of the table setting is that almost the entire table is lined with bowls with various dishes. Koreans eat with chopsticks and spoons. A spoon is used most often, since soups and stews are often present on the table.

Soups, main dishes and salads

Soups are a fairly popular dish on the Korean table, which is eaten almost daily. It is usually served with boiled rice, which is eaten either as a snack like bread, or added directly to the first course. In addition, the soup is eaten with meat and snacks.

It is conditionally possible to divide soups of Korean cuisine into liquid opaque and transparent (guk and tkhan). In addition, there are very thick soups, more like stewed potatoes with meat with the addition of a small amount of broth. They are called jongol and tige. Also, first courses can be divided into lean and spicy. The latter, of course, predominate. Soups are prepared on the basis of meat (mainly pork and beef), fish, and seafood.

Special attention should be paid to the soup called posinthan. It is prepared from the meat of dogs specially bred for this purpose. Koreans believe that such a dish has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, helping to overcome various ailments. And, in general, posinthan is considered a general tonic. However, under pressure from the Western public, such a dish began to disappear from the diet of Koreans, due to the inhumane treatment of animals.

As for the second courses, they are not as pronounced in Korean cuisine as they are in Slavic or European cuisine. As a rule, all dishes are put on the table in a crowd, and not served one after another. However, fish and seafood dishes combined with rice, as well as meat and rice dishes can claim the role of second courses. Yes, however, rice itself can be considered a second dish. It is deliberately made lean, without even adding salt, so that it balances the taste of spicy dishes. Perhaps that is why many dishes are eaten with boiled rice. Also included in the category of second courses are kimbap- Korean variation of Japanese rolls. In addition, the same category of dishes can be attributed, in honor of which Koreans even organize festivals. This dish is rice with vegetables and meat. The peculiarity of bibimbap is in its unusual colorful design. Meat is placed on a pillow of rice in the center, and multi-colored vegetables are placed around it in sectors. It turns out very beautiful. However, to eat this dish, the beauty will have to be destroyed by mixing all the ingredients. However, the taste of bibimbap is on top and for them it is worth sacrificing its aesthetic side. You can learn more about other second courses of Korean cuisine from the photo recipes given in this section.

Salads in Korean cuisine are an integral part of it. They are present on the Korean table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Basically, these are vegetable salads, while vegetables can be both fresh and fermented. As for the latter option, the kimchi (kimchi) discussed earlier can be a striking example. Such salads as Korean-style carrots, pickled beets and others are more likely to belong to the cuisine of Koryo-saram. Nevertheless, they also deserve attention, because such salads turn out to be quite tasty, and the recipes for their preparation are quite unpretentious and even a novice hostess can do it.

Traditional Korean sauces and preparations for the winter

Sauces are mandatory on the tables of Koreans at every meal. Soy sauce takes center stage, of course. It is served solo or prepared with other sauces, such as kajin-yangnemjang, which also includes garlic, green onions, ground black pepper, salted sesame seeds and vegetable oil. In addition, many Korean sauces are made with soybean paste, such as chogochujang and samtwejang. Red hot peppers are traditionally added to them, so the peculiarity of many Korean sauces is that they are quite spicy. In addition, fish sauces and seafood-based sauces such as shrimp and oyster sauces are popular in Korea. All of them have a characteristic taste. The thing is that many dishes are bland, and it is the sauces that give them that unique taste.

As for Korean preparations for the winter, this is already the subject of creativity of our people, and possibly Koryo-saram. Our traditions of food preparation are alien to Koreans. Of course, there are dishes that can be fermented and pickled, for example, the same kimchi, but they are not rolled into jars. However, the cuisine of Koryo-saram has the right to exist.

Names of common Korean dishes

If you are interested in Korean cuisine and would like to get to know its dishes better, then we suggest that you study the plate below.

Of course, this list of dishes is far from complete and certainly not exhaustive. You can get closer to Korean cuisine in those step-by-step photo recipes that are given in this section.

Enjoy Korean cuisine, because they are not only delicious, but also very healthy for the most part!

Korean sauerkraut "Kimchi"

1. Kimchi (kimchi) is a national main dish, without which no meal can do. The first mention of Kimchi dates back to the 1st millennium BC. e. Chinese cabbage leaves are separated and treated with a sauce of onion, garlic, pepper and other spices. Then the leaves are left in the refrigerator for two to three days for the fermentation process, after which the cabbage acquires a rich sour taste. In Korea, kimchi is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Cowfoot Soup Sollonthan

2. Sollonthan is a popular Korean soup that is boiled for about 10 hours until it turns milky white. In Korea, it is so popular that there are entire restaurants that specialize only in cooking Seollongtang. This soup is boiled from the leg or tail of an ox and served in a bowl with pieces of meat and onions, seasoned with salt, pepper and green onions.
There is a version that the name of the soup comes from the Mongolian soup "sulru".

Rice porridge with chicken "Dakchuk"

3. All you need to make this popular Korean dish is boil the chicken in a pot with onion and garlic, then add the rice and cook until done. The result is a thick soup that tastes like chicken and garlic. Chicken meat is cut and served in pieces.

fried noodles "Chapche"

4. Chapche is very popular both in Korea and abroad.
Japchae is made using potato starch, which gives the dish a special look. Vegetables for the dish are only lightly fried to retain their flavor.

fried Korean chicken

5. Perhaps the most famous Korean dish in the world. Chicken pieces are rolled in starch, eggs and rice flour and deep fried. Then the chicken is covered with a tomato sauce with spices.

Korean stew "Sundubu chjige"

6. To prepare this dish, only one single dish is used - a clay pot. The dish is based on fish broth and a little beef, to which fresh shellfish, chili peppers, soy cheese (tofu) and eggs are added. If you want, then with the help of pepper, the dish can be made very spicy - everything is optional. The meat in this dish is rather used to add flavor, the main highlight of the dish is tofu, which absorbs all the taste of the stew. Served with rice and other side dishes.

rice cakes "Dukbokki"

7. Dukbokki- Widespread street food. There are a great many recipes for this dish, each merchant has his own. Of particular note is the rich taste of the spicy-sweet sauce with which these pies are eaten.

Grilled marinated beef "Bulgogi"

8. Bulkogi“fire meat” (Kor.) is a type of barbecue, a popular Korean dish among foreigners. The beef meat is thinly sliced ​​and marinated with plum juice, soy sauce, garlic, and a host of other ingredients. The undoubted advantage of the dish is that it is not greasy.

Bibimbap

9. One of the most popular dishes in Korea, which is a mixture of boiled rice, gochujang hot pepper paste, chopped pieces of meat and scrambled eggs. All components of the dish are mixed in a bowl before eating.

Pancakes with syrup "Hoteok"

10. These pancakes take a little longer to cook than Western pancakes. Cinnamon, brown sugar and walnuts are added to the yeast dough. Then, after frying in a pan with a little oil, they are turned over and pressed to flatten them. Korean kids love these pancakes.