F E AT U R E It is those winters which have made hearty soups so popular in
counterpart of “torshi� or pickles, with cabbage and radishes
Korea where, unlike other parts of the world, soups are served as part
being the main ingredients. Due to their long and severe winters,
of the main course and not as an appetizer. Soups are also offered as a
Koreans are used to preserving foods. Every traditional household
breakfast. Some well known varieties contain seafood, others tofu and
has large earthenware pots filled with kimchi, soybean pastes, and
vegetables. Gomtang is one such peasant soup made from boiling
chile pastes. Even today, apartment buildings in any city will have
beef bones or cartilage. It is a very rich soup, where all parts of the cattle
row upon row of preserving pots set out on apartment balconies.
are boiled in water to extract fat, marrow, and gelatin. The potency of
Unlike kimchi, namul consists of fresh vegetables which have been
this soup is legendary especially during cold winter months. In general
either steamed or stir-fried and then served laced with a sauce
Koreans do utilize all parts of the animals while cooking, with offal and
containing garlic, chili, sesame oil and soy sauce.
feet offered as snacks accompanying alcoholic beverages. Rice, rice pancakes or noodles are also served at every meal. Rice Perhaps the most internationally well known Korean food
is used to make a number of items, outside of the traditional bowl of
is Gogigui, or Korean barbeque with Bulgogi or fire-meat as its
plain white rice. It is commonly ground into a flour and used to make
most noted example. Bulgogi is made from thin slices of sirloin or
rice cakes called tteok in over two hundred varieties. It is also cooked
other prime cuts of beef. Before cooking, the meat is marinated to
down into a congee (creamy rice porridge) or mieum (gruel, rice flour
enhance its flavor and tenderness with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar,
boiled in water or milk) and mixed with other grains. Noodles in Korea
sesame oil, garlic, pepper and other ingredients such as scallions,
are made not only of rice but also buckwheat, millet and sweet potato.
white button or shiitake mushrooms. Bulgogi is then grilled by the
They are mostly cooked in beef or vegetable broth and enhanced
customers themselves on a built-in grill, placed at the center of the
with vegetables and condiments. Tteok also makes the base for many
table. Once cooked, the succulent pieces of meat are wolfed down
traditional Korean desserts. It is served either filled or covered with
wrapped in slices of lettuce and accompanied with spicy samjang
sweetened mung bean paste, raisins, a sweetened filling made of
(chile-based paste) and an assortment of banchan (side dishes). The
sesame seeds, sweet pumpkin and honey.
higher the amount of banchan offered, the more luxurious the meal. In conclusion, Koreans certainly do not need to be taught to use Two of the most common banchan are kimchi and namul. Kimchi is a traditional dish made of pickled and fermented
more local seasonal foods as eating what their direct environment provides is already an integral, traditional part of their lifestyle.
vegetables and is usually served at every meal! It is the Korean
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