Common Food in Korea
It's Raffa, here to talk about Korean food basics! Enjoy!
Kimbap (김밥)Kimbap is easily the most common (and cheapest!) food to find in Korea. Reminiscent of some American-style sushi, Kimbap is a seaweed roll usually found with rice, pickled radish, carrots, cucumber, spinach, egg, and imitation crab. Other variations contain beef, tuna, kimchi, spam, and much more! Triangular versions known as Samgakkimbap are found in every convenience store and can be purchased for around $1.
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Bibimbap (비빔밥) & Boribap (보리밥)Bibimbap is another well know Korean dish. Bibimbap is a bowl of hot rice and vegetables and meat - usually carrots, spinach, mushrooms and beef - and red pepper paste that you mix together. It's cheap and easy to customize, making it incredibly popular.
Boribap is a similar dish, except it is served with barley instead of rice. It can also be eaten with fermented soybean paste instead of red pepper paste. In my experience, it also comes with more greens in the form of side dishes that are then added to the bowl of barley and mixed. |
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살)Samgyeopsal is a popular cut of pork belly used in Korean BBQ. You grill it yourself, cut it into pieces and eat with a variety of sauces, veggies (such as kimchi and bean sprouts), and wrapped in a lettuce leaf! It is a popular group meal and is often accompanied by soju (소주), a Korean alcohol.
Jjigae (찌개)Jjigaes are popular stews eaten in Korea. There are many different kinds, but the most common are kimchi jjigae (김치찌)개, doenjang jjigae (된장찌개), and sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개). Kimchi jjigae is just that, a kimchi stew. It comes at varying levels of spice from place to place and can come with tofu and pork or seafood. Doenjang jjigae is a fermented soy bean paste stew accompanied by vegetables (usually potatoes, zucchini, onion and mushrooms) and tofu and pork. Sundubu jjigae is a soft tofu stew. It often comes with vegetables (mushrooms are very popular), an egg freshly cracked into the boiling stew when it arrives, and seafood. Jjigaes are served in special black bowls that keep the soup piping hot long after it arrives. Koreans love to slurp up the stews when it's at its hottest, but be careful! They are HOT!
Bonus jjigae tip: These stews often come with a side of rice. If you are sharing the stew, DO NOT spoon the rice and dip it into the stew bowl (as I love to do..). Spoon some of the stew into your rice, then eat it. It is considered inconsiderate to those you are sharing the meal with to get bits of rice in the stew. If you are eating it alone, feel free to dip the rice in the stew! Saengseongui (생선구이)Saengseongui is grilled/roasted fish, and it is DIVINE. South Korea is a small peninsula, which means fish is almost always fresh. It can be a little intimidating for some foreigners (particularly people from the United States) because the fish comes with its head and tail still attached, and its bones intact. It's a bit of a trial learning to eat it with chopsticks, but it is worth it for the melt-in-your-mouth chunks of fish.
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Ddeokbokki (떡볶이)Ddeokbokki can be found in restaurants and on the streets! A popular street food, ddeokbokki is a mixture of rice cakes and fish cakes cooked in a spicy red sauce. Cheap and delicious! No two ddeokbokki recipes are the same, so be sure to try all the ddeokbokki!
Naengmyeon (냉면)Naengmyeon is a dish composed of cold buckwheat noodles, served in two different fashions. The first, is Mulnaengmyeon (물냉면), or "water" naengmyeon. This style serves the noodles in a cold vinegar based broth, packed with ice, with thin slices of cucumber and radish, and an egg. You can add more vinegar and mustard to taste. Some versions come with a small amount of red paper paste, and some don't. The other variety is bibimnaengmyeon (비빔냉면).This naengmyeon is not served in a broth, and comes with a good amount of red paper paste to be stirred in. This variation is obviously spicier. Naengmyeon is a common summer dish, as it is cool and refreshing.
Fun fact: there are all sorts of naengmyeon that branch off these two types all across Korea! One fun variation I've seen is naengmyeon served in a hollowed out watermelon! Kalguksu (칼국수)I consider kalguksu to be my savior during my time in Korea. I love Korean food, as many others do, but sometimes I long for something closer to food from home. Kalguksu is that food. It is knife-cut noodles served in a warm, often chicken-based broth served with thin slices of zucchini, onion, and seaweed. It can often be served with chicken or seafood as well. It's essentially the chicken noodle soup of Korea, and it got me through many a bout of homesickness!
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Dessert in Korea
Hi, it's Mandeep and I'm here to talk all about desserts in Korea!
Pongdang Waffle
Pongdang Waffle is an ice-cream waffle shop located in Gwangju! It is a 10-15 minute walk away from the school but is worth every minute. Pongdang Waffle has a variety of ice-cream waffles you can eat!
As you can see based off the picture on the right, you can get a nutella ice-cream waffle, a nutella ice-cream waffle topped with sprinkles, or just the original ice-cream waffle. Pongdang Waffle is a hot spot in Gwangju and is always filled with high school students all bonding over one thing that we all have in common: a love for nutella and ice cream.
It is a must!
As you can see based off the picture on the right, you can get a nutella ice-cream waffle, a nutella ice-cream waffle topped with sprinkles, or just the original ice-cream waffle. Pongdang Waffle is a hot spot in Gwangju and is always filled with high school students all bonding over one thing that we all have in common: a love for nutella and ice cream.
It is a must!
Sulbing
Sulbing is a cute and cozy place that serves Bingsu, which is a very popular dessert in Korea, especially during the summer season. Bingsu is composed of ice shavings and various ingredients such as sweetened condensed milk, fruit syrups, various fruits, and is often topped with either ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Baskin Robbins is a very big deal in Korea. You can spot a Baskin Robbins anywhere with its vibrant colors and welcoming appearance. Baskin Robbins has a more diverse range of ice cream flavors than here in America, with flavors like Shooting Star which is exclusive to Korea.
Cafe Culture
Hey guys, it's Raffa here! I'm here to talk to you about one of my favorite things in Korea: cafes. Cafe's are an important part of Korean life. If you need a spot to study, a place to meet a friend or go on a date, or you just need some cheap wifi and a bathroom, there is sure to be a Korean cafe to suit your needs.
There are large chain cafes on every street, every corner, every subway station... pretty much every where you could ever hope to find one! The most popular chains are TwoSome Place, Tom&Toms, Holly's, Ediya, and Paris Baguette (though these are not all of the chains!). You can also find Starbucks, but it's more expensive than most of Korea's own chains.
There are large chain cafes on every street, every corner, every subway station... pretty much every where you could ever hope to find one! The most popular chains are TwoSome Place, Tom&Toms, Holly's, Ediya, and Paris Baguette (though these are not all of the chains!). You can also find Starbucks, but it's more expensive than most of Korea's own chains.
Independently owned cafes are also abundant in the back alleys of Seoul, and are incredibly diverse. These coffee shops tend to be tinier and a bit pricier, but they are infinitely more cozy and each on has its own unique personality! They are great places to study in too. Below are pictures from two of my favorites!.
Lastly, there is a unique category of cafes that can be found in Korea. They are called "Theme Cafes" and they are some of the most fun you can have while drinking a coffee. Examples of such cafes are the many cat and dog cafes, where you can go pet some fluffly animals while sipping on your favorite beverage. I have also had the pleasure to discover and enjoy a sheep cafe, a raccoon cafe (yes you read that right), a Totoro themed cafe and a Hello Kitty cafe, though there are surely more. These are a great way to experience something new and different if you have a spare afternoon to fill.
Convenience Stores
Convenience Stores are also a key component in daily Korean life. The biggest companies are CU, Gs25, and 7/11, and they can be found as frequently as cafes (a.k.a. everywhere). They are also the definition of convenient. At these convenience stores you can find many cheap snacks, such as cup ramen, kimbap, eggs, cheese, fruit, yogurt, ice cream (highly recommended), juice, coffee, chips, etc.. They even provide hot water so that you can make your cup ramen in the store and eat it, and provide warm beverages in refrigerator-like heaters. You can also purchase basic toiletries, tights, underwear, basic cold medication and pain relievers, first aid kits, T-Money cards, condoms, chargers (some even have converters in case you forget yours), trash bags, and more! Convenience stores are sure to come in handy~
- Raffaella Prevot