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Korean cuisine is not limited to just kimchi and barbecue. Between it’s banchan, soups, stews, street food, and sweets, there is truly something for every palate.
Banchan (반찬): Korean side dishes
Banchan is the name for the free small side dishes that accompany your main course at Korean restaurants. They are served in small dishes and are placed in the centre of the table to be shared by everyone. There is a large variety of banchan.
The number of banchan served depends on the restaurant and the type of meal. In general, you’ll get at least three, but it can be much more than that. Whatever the selection, you can be sure that kimchi will always be served.
Here are a few commonly served banchan:
This is without a doubt the most iconic food of Korea. It is usually prepared with cabbage (but other vegetables can be used to). Kimchi is marinated with chili powder and garlic, and then left to ferment. It is eaten with virtually every meal.
Its flavour profile varies with time of fermentation, and it’s often said that there are as many kimchi recipes are there are Korean families.
Kimjang (김장), the Korean tradition of preparing and sharing kimchi in large batches, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list: by South Korea in 2013 and by North Korea in 2015.
These are mung bean sprouts. White with a small yellow head, they are generally seasoned with garlic, salt, and sesame oil.
There are many types of namul (나물). Among the best known are gosari-namul (고사리나물), made with young fern shoots, and sigeumchi-namul (시금치나물), prepared with spinach.
Danmuji is white radish pickled in a sweet, salty, and tangy brine. It is most often found in yellow, though pink versions also exist.
Fish paste that has been blended, seasoned, and reshaped is cut into small strips, then stir-fried with various ingredients such as soy sauce and vegetables. Eomuk-bokkeum (어묵볶음) typically have a slightly sweet and savoury taste.
Jeon belong to the banchan category, but they can also be served as main dishes in restaurants. They are savory pancakes, made with various ingredients (vegetables, seafood, meat, kimchi, etc.) bound together with a flour and egg batter, then pan-fried.
Here are a few types of jeon:
- 김치전 (kimchi-jeon) → kimchi pancake
- 생선전 (saengseon-jeon) → fish and seafood pancake
- 파전 (pa-jeon) → green onion pancake
Chili and fermented chili paste (gochujang) are very common in Korean cuisine. Many dishes are spicy, and some can be extremely spicy.
In certain restaurants in tourist areas, the level of spiciness is sometimes indicated on the menu. Keep in mind even “mild” can be spicy for you.
Main dishes in Korean cuisine
Rice (밥 – bap) and noodles (면 – myeon)
As in many other Asian cuisines, rice and noodles play a central role in Korea. They can be served as a side dish or the main dish.
White rice is the most common. In restaurants, it is served in a small stainless steel bowl with a lid. Alongside the standard white rice, there is also japgokbap (잡곡밥), a mix of rice and whole grains, which gives it a color ranging from purple to black.
Among the most popular noodles are the famous ramyeon (라면): inexpensive instant noodles that are rehydrated with hot water.
There are also dishes made with stir-fried or pan-fried noodles, as well as naengmyeon (냉면), cold noodles served in an icy broth.
Popular rice and noodle dishes
Bibimbap, which literally means “mixed rice,” is arguably, along with kimchi, one of the most well-known foods from Korea. It consists of white rice, seasoned vegetables, sometimes meat, and is topped with a fried egg. The concept is simple: add a spicy sauce (often gochujang) and mix everything together! It is sometimes served in a hot stone bowl (dolsot), which makes the rice crispy. The ingredients in bibimbap can vary by region.
Gimbap is a rice roll wrapped in a sheet of seaweed and filled with various ingredients such as vegetables, fish, or meat. It is then sliced into small rounds. It is a convenient dish to take on the go.
Japchae is a dish of stir-fried sweet potato noodles mixed with various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, and mushrooms, all seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil.
Jajangmyeon are noodles served with a thick sauce made from fermented black bean paste (chunjang), mixed with vegetables and sometimes meat or seafood. Jajangmyeon are an adaptation of a Chinese dish called zhajiangmian.
Soups (guk/tang -국/탕) and strews (jjigae-찌개)
- Jjigae (찌개) means stew.
- Tang (탕) means soup, generally filling and hearty.
- Guk (국) also means soup, but it is lighter than tang.
In general, Korean dishes are named after the main ingredient + the nature or preparation of the dish.
Examples:
- Kimchi-jjigae (김치찌개) = kimchi stew.
- Naengmyeon (냉면) = cold noodles (냉 = cold, 면 = noodles).
Knowing how to recognize these common words in hangeul will help you to more easily order your favourite dishes at restaurants!
Korean cuisine has many soups and stews, and they are almost always accompanied by a bowl of rice.
Here are a few specific ones:
- Kimchi-jjigae (김치찌개): a kimchi stew that can include a protein such as pork, tuna, seafood, etc.
- Sundubu-jjigae (순두부찌개): a tofu stew, to which various other ingredients can also be added.
- Seolleongtang (설렁탕): a soup made by beef meat and bones for a long time. The broth is milky and silky. It comes unsalted, so you are invited to salt it yourself once its served.
- Miyeok-guk (미역국) : a seaweed soup.
Stewed and sautéed dishes
In addition to rice and noodle dishes, Korea cuisine also has many stewed and sautéed dishes, prepared with meat, vegetables, and seafood. Each region has its own specialty or version of an iconic dish.
Here are some examples:
Bulgogi is a dish made with meat (usually beef, but sometimes pork) marinated in a sweet-and-savory sauce made from soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and onion. The meat is then stir-fried with vegetables.
Bulgogi can be enjoyed on its own with rice, added to a soup, or grilled at a Korean barbecue.
Dakgalbi consists of marinated pieces of chicken, cooked on a large griddle with cabbage, tteok (rice cakes), sweet potatoes, a spicy sauce, and often cheese.
Everything is allowed to simmer and melt together before eating. It’s a very communal dish: everyone serves themselves directly from the large central pan.
A dish made with beef short ribs braised and simmered for several hours with other ingredients such as vegetables, soy sauce, and sesame oil. It’s a dish with a sweet and salty flavor.
Korean barbecue (K-BBQ)
Another Korean specialty well known abroad is barbecue. The country is full of specialized restaurants, some open 24/7.
The concept is simple: a grill is placed at the center of the table. You order the meat you want, it arrives raw, and you grill it to your liking. Sometimes the staff may cook it for you.
The meat is served with the traditional banchan, as well as raw vegetables that you can grill at the same time (onions, garlic, mushrooms…). You can also order rice or soups and stews as sides.
The most popular and cheapest meat is pork, called samgyeopsal (삼겹살). It’s a favorite meal for students on weekends, either before going out partying or after a big night out.
To eat like a true Korean, grill a piece of meat, dip it in sauce, then wrap it in a fresh lettuce leaf along with some other banchan.
As you’ve probably noticed, meat is omnipresent in Korean cuisine. Vegetarian restaurants certainly exist if you look for them.
When ordering at a restaurant, don’t hesitate to specify that you don’t eat meat. Sometimes you’ll be told there’s no meat… but they might still serve you ham, so be as clear as possible.
Korean street food: a must-try
Street food is an integral part of Korean culinary culture. In cities across the country, you’ll find small food stalls in the streets, at markets, or even in subway stations.
In Seoul, the most famous area for street food is probably Myeongdong, where dozens of stalls line up one after another. Affordable and typical of the country, Korean street food is an unmissable experience!
Here’s a small, non-exhaustive list of what you can enjoy on the streets of South Korea:
Stick rice cakes in the shape of sticks, cooked in sweet and spicy sauce that is bright red.
A potato cut in a spiral form, then skewered, fried, and dusted with cheese and spices (or even sugar).
Corn dogs weren’t invented in Korea, but they have become so popular there that you might believe they were! It’s a sausage on a skewer, wrapped in a flour batter and deep fried. There’s often cheese inside as well.
Skewered fish cakes served in a hot broth. Very popular in winter.
A little brioche bread topped with an egg. It has a sweet and salty flavour profile (like many other foods in Korea), and should be eaten while still hot.
A thick pancake filled with a cinnamon and peanut mixture. Very sweet and served piping hot, it’s mostly found in winter. It can be made with other ingredients too, such as vegetables and meat.
A waffle shaped like a fish, filled with red bean paste, chocolate, or cream. It’s closely related to the Japanese taiyaki, with a slightly different taste.
This sweet treat is originally from China but can be found everywhere in Korea street food stands. Essentially, it consists of candied fruits on a skewer.
Hodu-gwaja is a tiny walnut-shaped cake, traditionally filled with red bean paste and walnut pieces. Variations with chocolate or cream also exist. Soft and tender (a bit like a yogurt cake), it can be eaten in a single bite.
There are also ttangkong-gwaja (땅콩과자): a peanut-shaped version, sometimes filled, sometimes plain.
They are very common in the streets and especially in subway stations during the winter. Their smell is very inviting.
A twisted donut, rolled in sugar. Very commonly found in markets.
Korean desserts and sweets
Koreans and sugar
In Korea, sweet foods don’t play as big a role as they do in some western countries. Breakfast is usually savory, and meals almost never end with dessert. Koreans tend to enjoy “desserts” when going out for coffee with friends or as a couple, but it’s not something that’s part of their daily eating habits.
Interestingly, many savory dishes contain a significant amount of sugar, creating that signature sweet and salty balance.
If you’re craving cakes or pastries, you can find them in bakeries and cafés. The selection is large, so you won’t get bored.
Traditional Korean desserts
Korea has a few sweet specialties in its repertoire. In the street food section we already introduced the hotteok, but there are some others as well:
Hangwa refers to a variety of traditional Korean confections. These small treats are made with ingredients such as honey, seeds, dried fruits, and syrup. They are most often enjoyed during traditional holidays, family gatherings, or important celebrations.
Among them, you can find:
- Yakgwa (약과): small cookies shaped like flowers, made with honey, sesame oil, and flour.
- Dasik (다식): small bites made with different types of cereals and grains, ground and then compressed with honey.
- Gangjeong (강정): a confection made from puffed rice or other dried fruits, coated in syrup.
Tteok are rice cakes. They exist in both salty and sweet forms.
- Injeolmi (인절미): peanut buttery tteok rolled in soy bean powder.
- Sirutteok (시루떡): steam rice cakes made with rice flour and red beans.
- Songpyeon (송편): rice cake shaped like mandoo dumplings, generally filled with various pastes.
Bingsu is a shaved-ice dessert made from very finely crushed ice (almost like snow), topped with a variety of toppings such as chocolate, fruit, or red bean paste.
The traditional version is made with red bean paste and tteok, but today you can find countless variations featuring chocolate, fruit, cookies, and more.
You might have lunch in a traditional restaurant, enjoy dessert in a bakery, and then head to a coffee shop for a drink. Interestingly, many Korean restaurants specialize in just one dish.
Drinks in Korea
Non alcoholic drinks
In Korea, you’ll find a wide variety of sodas, along with many energy and refreshing drinks that aren’t common elsewhere. Many are rice-based, giving them a milky texture and a sometimes unusual appearance. Their taste can be surprising at first.
You’ll also come across many cold tea cocktails. Be careful though, these are nothing like iced tea; they are usually unsweetened and have a strong flavor, closer to that of actual tea served cold.
Koreans are huge coffee drinkers. Cafés are everywhere, offering all sorts of dairy-based and caffeinated drinks.
The most popular choice is probably the iced americano, enjoyed year-round, even in winter!
However, if you’re a fan of strong Italian-style espresso, you might be a little disappointed, as this type of coffee is relatively rare in Korea.
Alcoholic beverages
The most famous Korean alcohol is without a doubt soju (소주). It’s a distilled spirit traditionally made from rice (sometimes also from sweet potatoes or wheat), usually drunk straight during meals, mixed with beer (somaek, a blend of soju and maekju, beer), or with sodas.
Fruit-flavored soju also exists, though it’s not the type most Koreans drink.
Soju is very inexpensive: a bottle generally costs between 1,500 and 3,000 KRW. It’s commonly enjoyed at barbecue restaurants, traditional eateries, or in pocha… and often in large quantities.
Koreans often measure their alcohol tolerance by the number of soju bottles they can drink. Always drink in moderation.
Another typically Korean alcohol is makgeolli (막걸리). Also rice-based but milder than soju, it’s slightly fizzy with a milky texture. Traditionally, it’s enjoyed alongside pajeon (파전, scallion pancake), especially on rainy days.
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