Joanna Marie O. Santos
December 18, 2021

Korean cuisine is almost impossible not to fall in love with, from grilled meat on the table to spicy stews and pickles. These are just a few of the many Korean delights that will leave your stomach grumbling. One of the favorite aspects of living in South Korea is eating delicious and healthy meals. Koreans are health conscious. Therefore, they ensure that the food they eat, even snacks, are packed with nutrients.

Here are seven Korean dishes you may not be familiar with, but you will like.

  7. Kongguksu

Cold noodles? You read that right!

Kongguksu is one of the easiest Korean recipes you can prepare to cool down on a hot day. The dish starts off by cooling freshly boiled noodles, chopping up light but savory toppings like a hard-boiled egg, and immersed in a refreshing, nutty soymilk broth made with pine nuts and sesame seeds. Serve this chilled, and even with ice for a more cooling experience. This is an absolute must-try for anyone who wants to relax and beat the scorching summer heat!

  6. Sagol-gukmul  

One of the most versatile soups in the Korean menu is sagol-gukmul (beef bones) broth. This broth is available in various Korean cuisines, including kimchi-jjigae, doenjang-jjigae, tteokmandu-guk, and janchiguksoo. Furthermore, sullung-tang is a delicacy by combining sagol-guk with satae (beef shank) and somyun (thin Korean noodles). A bag of beef bones costs only a few dollars at Korean supermarkets. They're also available in the freezer section of supermarkets. You might also inquire with a local Korean butcher. Sagol-gukmul is a soup that takes a long time to prepare. Although it takes a long time to make, all you have to do is brew the bones for an extended period, resulting in ‘slow food’.

  5. Dakkochi  

Dakkochi is a tasty Korean meal comprising grilled chicken and scallion skewers. It's the most common sort of kkochi, or Korean skewered cuisine. They chop the chicken into thin pieces and skewer it with scallions before being grilled and coated with a spicy-sweet red chili sauce. If you've had a lot of grilled chicken in your life, and you're being honest, you'll say that grilled dakkochi chicken skewers are right up there with the greatest. These skewers in South Korea are like mishkaki in Tanzania, except they are slathered in an amazingly flavorful red chili sauce that will make you close your eyes and forget about your problems.

  4. Cream-ppang  

At any Korean bakery, cream-ppang is one of the most popular pastries. It's one of the most popular dishes in Korean bakeries, along with danpat-ppang, a delicious, red bean-filled bread. The bread is significantly fluffier, more satisfying, and nutrient-dense. A snack or breakfast is possible with one bun and a glass of milk.

This recipe's custard cream is quick to make and highly creamy and tasty. It could also be a side dish in other dessert recipes. To get a bright golden color, use four egg yolks, but you could instead use two whole eggs.

  3. Yakgwa  

Chilly afternoons are perfect for drinking hot tea and nibbling on these delicate treats! Yakgwa is a wheat-based fried cookie, soaked in honey for 6-8 hours before serving for that deep sweetness and chewy texture. They traditionally served this pastry at rituals like weddings and Korean weddings, but are now also more commonly served as an afternoon snack with tea.

  2. Beoseot-tangsu  

Beoseot-tangsu is similar to tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), except instead of meat, it uses shiitake mushrooms. You can use any mushrooms. However, dried shiitake mushrooms are commonly used in this dish for a chewier and meatier texture to mimmick real meat. They're alsohealthy and nutritious, making this dish available at several Korean vegetarian buffets and temple food restaurants.

  1. Bibimguksu  

Bibimguksu (cold noodle salad) is a light and refreshing dish. Cooks season it with a Korean chili sauce that's hot, sweet, and acidic. If you're searching for a quick and easy meal with a kick, this is the dish for you! It’s packed with vegetables, so there' are plenty of textures to go around. Bibimguksu also does not need sophisticated preparation or cooking, which is a massive plus on hot summer days.

Years of social and political turmoil have shaped Korean cuisine. Unlike Western course meals, Korean food includes both main and side dishes. Green, red, yellow, white, and black are the five primary colors used in traditional Korean cuisine. South Korea has gained a reputation for its technology more than its cuisine in recent years. Things are changing, owing to delicacies like kimchi, which have become a global hit. There's a lot more to Korean food than kimchi, so take advantage of the country's diverse culinary tradition!

  Sources: wandergeneration.com, migrationology.com, willflyforfood.net, gangnamkitchen.com, maangchi.com, mykoreankitchen.com, traveltriangle.com   image sources: Pedro Szekely from Wikimedia Commons, Paul Barker Hemings from Wikimedia Commons, Mariamichelle from Wikimedia Commons, Fulvio Spada from Flickr, Frank Kovalchek from Wikimedia Commons