This is Korea Blog

Kimbap: convenient, easy-to-pack

The kimbap is an important part of the Korean dosirak (packed lunch). Kimbap is simply rice rolls, perhaps best described as the Korean version of maki. There are fundamental differences between kimbap and the Japanese maki in manners of preparation and tradition. Kimbap is a popular choice for picnics as this log of goodness is…

Udo Island: Mini Jeju

Looking for a nice setting to experience bicycle tours, fishing, hiking, jet skiing, sight-seeing and many more fun activities? Its all in one place! Named after its resemblance to a lying cow, Udo island is situated off the eastern coast of Jeju Island, and it is also renowned as mini Jeju for it speaks of…

The Seaside Park: Songdo Central Park

You don’t have to go all the way to the West for New York City’s Central Park because Songdo International City’s Central Park will give the New York vibe to you. The centerpiece of Songdo IBD’s green space plan, the Songdo Central Park is a public park inspired by New York City’s Central Park and…

Snails for the uninitiated

Snails are small and pretty much a slowpoke – but the amount of time you’ll take in eating golbaengi-muchim is anything but slow. This spicy moon snail dish is actually a salad in the Korean food language, with somen noodles served separately in nice, neat rows. It’s also an anju, or a food that you…

The Bamboo Garden of Juknokwon

When we hear the word garden, we probably foresee a beautiful landscape that is filled with varied kinds of flowering plants and pretty fountains. Damyang’s Juknokwon is a garden that you should see: minus the pretty and fascinating flowers. Juknokwon’s bamboo forest and garden is beautiful just the way it is! Perfect for well lit…

A humble fisherman’s food

The mulhoe or the raw seafood soup is another summer favorite where the ocean’s bounty is best served in its freshest form. In Korean cuisine, hoe (회) is food-speak for raw food dishes and under this category is the cold noodle soup that perfectly complements the hot weather where the mul (물) for the first…

I see red – it’s jjamppong!

Jjamppong has a reputation for being extra-spicy and its deep and striking red color helps you gauge the level of spice that you must prepare yourself for. Translated to spicy seafood noodle soup, jjamppong is another Korean dish derived from a Chinese-style meal. Where the Chinese version is white, the addition of hot pepper flakes…

Samgyetang, a quintessential summer dish

Summer in Korea is never complete without a steaming bowl of samgyetang – ironically most popular during the three hottest days of summer. It is believed that samgyetang helps re-energize a person on account of losing stamina over the course of the summer.   Samgyetang is translated as ginseng chicken soup, drawing from three Korean…

Starting the day with kimchi-bokkeumbap

The kimchi-bokkeumbap (김치볶음밥) or the kimchi fried rice is arguably the easiest to make from the roster of Korean dishes. On a more cultural note, this dish puts together the staples of a Korean diet: rice and kimchi, easily a favorite across the country.   The simplest version can be just putting together kimchi and…