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What Is Kimchi? Types, Flavors, and How to Eat It in Korea

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If you eat at a Korean restaurant, there is a good chance that a small plate of kimchi (김치) will appear on the table before you even ask for it. For many visitors, kimchi means one thing: spicy red cabbage. In Korea, however, kimchi is not a single recipe . It is a broad category of seasoned vegetable dishes, many of which are fermented. Napa cabbage may be the best-known base, but radish, cucumber, and other vegetables are also commonly used. Recipes and flavors vary according to the ingredients, region, season, and household. Some kimchi is fiery and garlicky. Some is refreshing and mild. Some is crunchy and relatively fresh, while well-fermented kimchi can taste distinctly sour. Understanding these differences makes Korean food much easier to enjoy. This guide explains the most common types of Korean kimchi , what kimchi tastes like, how Koreans eat it, what to order in Korea, and what vegetarians, vegans, and travelers with food allergies should know. 1. What Exactly Is Kimchi? At...
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Korean Ssam Guide: How to Eat Korean Lettuce Wraps

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One of the most enjoyable parts of eating Korean food is making your own ssam (쌈) . At a Korean BBQ restaurant, you may see a basket of lettuce and perilla leaves arrive with the meat. Instead of eating them as a separate salad, Koreans often use the leaves to wrap grilled meat, rice, sauce, garlic, kimchi, and other ingredients into one small bite. But ssam is more than simply putting pork inside lettuce. It is a flexible way of eating that lets you combine rich meat, fresh vegetables, fermented sauces, and side dishes in different ways. Korean tourism sources describe ssam as wrapping rice or other foods in leafy vegetables such as lettuce, perilla, cabbage, or napa cabbage, often with sauces and additional ingredients. If you are visiting Korea for the first time, knowing how ssam works will make Korean BBQ—and many other Korean meals—much easier to enjoy. 1. What Is Ssam in Korean Food? Ssam (쌈) refers to food that is wrapped in an edible leaf or another suitable wrapper and eaten...
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Samgyeopsal Guide: How to Eat Korean Pork Belly in Korea

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If you want to try Korean BBQ in Korea, samgyeopsal (삼겹살) is one of the easiest places to start. Samgyeopsal is thick-cut pork belly cooked on a grill at the table. Unlike many barbecue dishes, the meat is often served without a heavy marinade. This lets you enjoy the rich flavor of the pork itself, then change each bite with dipping sauces, garlic, kimchi, vegetables, and lettuce wraps. The meal is also about more than the meat. Korean BBQ is usually a shared experience. Everyone sits around the same grill, cooks together, and eats slowly while side dishes fill the table. Tabletop grilling is a central part of the experience. For first-time visitors, however, a Korean BBQ restaurant can be slightly confusing. How much should you order? Who cooks the meat? What goes inside a lettuce wrap? Is samgyeopsal spicy? Here is what you need to know before ordering Korean pork belly in Korea . 1. What Is Samgyeopsal? Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) is pork belly, usually cut into relatively thick slices and...
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Sundae in Korea: A Guide to Korean Blood Sausage

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If you see the word sundae (순대) on a Korean food menu, do not expect ice cream. Korean sundae—roughly pronounced “soon-deh” —is a type of savory sausage traditionally made by stuffing pig intestines with ingredients such as pork blood, glass noodles, vegetables, and sometimes glutinous rice. The sausage is then steamed or boiled and sliced into bite-sized pieces. It is one of Korea's best-known bunsik (분식) foods, a broad category of inexpensive, casual dishes that also includes tteokbokki, gimbap, fried snacks, and eomuk. You can easily find sundae at traditional markets, street-food stalls, and casual snack restaurants. The dark color and unfamiliar ingredients may make some first-time visitors hesitate. But the flavor is usually much milder than the appearance suggests. Here is what to know before ordering sundae in Korea. 1. What Is Korean Sundae? The most familiar modern version of sundae is made with pig intestine used as a casing . Inside, the filling can include: pork bloo...
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Eomuk in Korea: A Guide to Korean Fish Cake

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If you walk through a Korean traditional market or street-food area on a cold day, you may see long fish cakes folded onto wooden skewers and sitting in a steaming pot of broth. That food is eomuk (어묵) , commonly translated as Korean fish cake . Eomuk is made mainly from ground fish that is seasoned, shaped, and cooked. It comes in many forms, from thin rectangular sheets to thick sticks and round or stuffed varieties. Korea Tourism Organization describes fish cake as seasoned, pounded fish fillet that can be fried and then used in dishes such as soup or braised fish cake. For travelers, the most memorable version is often eomuk on a skewer , served hot from a street-food stall with a cup of warm broth. It is inexpensive, savory, easy to eat, and especially popular during Korea's cold winter months. Here is what you should know before trying it. 1. What Is Eomuk? Eomuk is a processed fish cake made primarily from finely ground fish. Depending on the product or shop, the fish mixtur...
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Gimbap in Korea: A Practical Guide for First-Time Visitors

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Gimbap (김밥), also commonly written as kimbap , is one of the easiest Korean foods to enjoy when you want something quick, filling, and easy to carry. At first glance, it may remind you of a sushi roll. But in Korea, gimbap is very much its own everyday food. A typical roll combines rice, dried seaweed, vegetables, egg, pickled radish, and sometimes meat, fish cake, tuna, or cheese. It is rolled tightly and sliced into small, bite-sized pieces. You can find gimbap at dedicated gimbap shops, casual bunsik (분식) restaurants, markets, and convenience stores. Koreans also commonly associate it with picnics, school outings, road trips, and simple takeaway meals. If you are traveling or living in Korea, learning a little about gimbap will make ordering much easier. 1. What Is Gimbap? The name is simple: Gim (김) = dried seaweed Bap (밥) = cooked rice Rice is spread over a sheet of dried seaweed, several fillings are placed across the middle, and everything is rolled into a cylinder before bei...
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Tteokbokki Guide: Korea’s Sweet and Spicy Street Food

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Tteokbokki is one of the most recognizable Korean street foods. It is usually made by simmering chewy rice cakes in a thick red sauce that tastes spicy, sweet, salty, and savory at the same time. In Korean, the dish is written as 떡볶이 and is commonly pronounced “tteok-bok-ki.” The first sound, “tteok,” can be difficult for English speakers, so saying “tok-boh-kee” will usually be understood. You can find tteokbokki at traditional markets, street-food stalls, casual snack restaurants, food courts, convenience stores, and delivery restaurants throughout Korea. It is especially connected with bunsik , a category of affordable and casual Korean foods that often includes fried snacks, fish cake, noodles, and rice rolls. The best-known version is bright red and made with gochujang, or Korean fermented chili paste. However, not every type of tteokbokki is equally spicy. Soy sauce, cream, cheese, black bean sauce, curry, and oil-based versions are also available. For first-time visitors, the ...
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