8 must-try Korean dishes
Korean cuisine is finding more and more fans in our latitudes. Until now it has been an insider tip, but Korean cuisine inspires with varied and extremely tasty dishes, which often have a certain spiciness. Thanks to short cooking times and the diverse use of numerous types of vegetables, Korean cuisine is considered to be rich in vitamins and minerals. It is remarkable that Korean cuisine offers a fantastic variety of tastes, even though Korean cuisine consists mainly of small, light dishes. For fans of Asian cuisine and for everyone who is still looking for healthy and tasty dishes, it is worth trying Korean cuisine. We would like to recommend a few dishes that we believe everyone should try at least once.
1. Kimchi
Kimchi is not only the most well-known ingredient in Korean cuisine, but also one of the healthiest foods in the world. So it is not surprising that it is often referred to as South Korea’s power food. These are fermented and pickled vegetables that can and are served with almost any dish. The special thing about kimchi is that it can be eaten raw, cooked or fried. But the delicious vegetables are also often used as an ingredient for other dishes.
2. Deonjang Jjigae
Deonjang Jjigae is one of the traditional dishes of Korean cuisine. It is a strong soybean soup with tofu. The soup is based on soybean paste. The soup is enriched with tofu, mushrooms, meat and various types of vegetables. Deonjang Jjigae originally came from South Korea and is often referred to as the original. The strong, spicy soy soup is always delicious.
3. Japchae
Japachea is one of the delicious noodle dishes in Korean cuisine. The tasty, fiery fried glass noodles with vegetables are considered the “real” fried noodles. The basic ingredient of the dish is the glass noodles. Depending on the vegetables used and the sauce used, the taste of the dish can vary and can be adapted to personal preferences.
4. Dakgangjeong
This dish is fried chicken with spicy sauce. The flavorful Korean take on fried chicken is unlike anything in the western world. The chicken pieces are marinated and then coated in a breading made from rice flour and water. The Koreans rely on double breading to make the chicken pieces particularly crispy. After the first frying process, the chicken pieces are coated with a slightly thicker breading and fried again. A hearty, spicy sauce is served with it.
5. Kimchi Fried Rice
As the name suggests, Kimchi Fried Rice is a dish consisting of rice and the almost legendary Korean superfood kimchi. This dish is one of the most popular and well-known Korean dishes, because combined with roasted seaweed and a fried egg, kimchi fried rice is a delicious and quick meal.
6. Sundubu Jjigae
The soup dish, or rather stew, is one of the most popular dishes in Korean cuisine. Fresh vegetables paired with soft tofu make for a fantastic taste experience. The dish is delicious both in the vegan version and when prepared with minced meat, egg and tofu.
7. Bibimbap
Bibimbap is a simple yet convincing dish that allows for very individual preparation. It is a bowl of rice served with thin strips of vegetables. The choice of vegetables can be made entirely according to personal preference. The whole thing is refined with a sauce of your choice. The taste experience changes depending on whether sauces containing tofu, salty, sweet or sauces containing meat are used. Bibimbap is often garnished with a fried egg and sesame seeds, which rounds off the taste.
8. Tteokbokki
Tteijbokki is the most popular street food dish in Korea. The spicy dish of pieces of rice cake, vegetables and fish cakes in a spicy marinade is a new but fantastic taste experience for European palates.
Of course, Korean cuisine has a lot more delicious dishes to offer, but the ones mentioned are highly recommended for first contact with Korean cuisine, as this small selection already shows how diverse and varied Korean cuisine is.
