This is Korea Blog

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…

Dakgangjeong: a sweet treat

When parties are convened, a basket of dakgangjeong sounds like a perfect choice – after all, one can never go wrong with these sweet crispy chicken bites. In the old times, dakgangjeong was made with an entire chicken cut up to smaller pieces but today the best of Korean friend chicken bits are either the…

Cook your own galbi

In an era where experience plays an important role in consumption, the Korean beef short ribs or galbi seems a perfect response to the seekers of this currency. You, as the diner, get to cook this dish at your own pace and via your own grilling techniques. You may opt for that, it’s more fun,…

Jokbal: hate it or love it

Jokbal is closer to bossam than to any Korean pork dishes, but not everyone falls in love with it at first sight just as you would with, say, bibimbap. To explain its charm is also to embrace the potential reaction that people might have with it. It is boiled pig leg and feet, and the…

Naengmyeon for hot days

Slurping the thin glass noodles of naengmyeon is a delight in itself – the broth is ice-cold and the noodles are easy to the mouth. This is an especially good dish for hot days as it is light, quite unobtrusive and flows easily from the mouth, through the throat and down to your stomach. The…

The Illuminating Bridge of Dolsandaegyo

Nowadays, aside from providing travel convenience and connecting places to places; bridges, being powered with high-technology, have become a favorite subject for aesthetic photos and are now becoming popular as attractions. At 450m long and 11.7m wide, Dolsandaegyo Bridge is the largest cable-stayed bridge in Korea. Since its construction in 1984, the bridge, which connects…

Bossam: a feast for all

Bossam, one of Korea’s popular pork dishes, is nothing short of a feast for many. Bossam, or boiled pork, is usually served with slated napa cabbage leaves, radish salad, and salted shrimp. If the mood strikes, oysters are included in this Korean dish and bossam is then called gul-bossam. The process requires attention to detail,…

Tteokgalbi is burger patty, Korean-style

The tteokgalbi is a compound word and its direct translation means ‘rib rice cake’ which is more of a luxurious beef patty than a regular, commoner food. Rib cuts are pretty expensive and tteok dishes are often served during important Korean holidays. But then again, when you look at the history of tteokgalbi as a…