Korean Food and Recipes
Avocado is not a traditional Korean ingredient. However, recently more and more Koreans are enjoying avocado in their daily meals since it is supposed to be healthy and good for their diet. So, I want to introduce one of the many yummy ways to enjoy avocado in Korean meals as a side dish. The nutty flavor from the avocado is mixed with tasty soy sauce, onion, and hot pepper to make a great combination. It is very hard to not make it because it is very delicious.😉
Yield: 2 Cups
I shared so many Korean pancake (Jeon) recipes over the years. Today, I want to add another delicious Jeon recipe using Korean radish. It is called “무전 (MuJeon) in Korean. I tried to make this jeon as simple as possible to fully enjoy the natural flavor of the Korean radish. You do not need any dipping sauce! 🙂 Please try it someday.
Yield: 1 Dozen
A salad is a great way to enjoy leafy green vegetables. Because of that, different cuisines have many varieties of salad dishes. Today I want to share how we Koreans enjoy our leafy green vegetables. This is a little bit spicy, salty, sweet, and sour. It is called “상추 겉절이 (SangChu GeotJeolI)” in Korean.
Yield: 1½ Cups
Garlic chives also called “BuChu” (부추) are one of the easiest plants to grow. It is not difficult to plant, requires little care, and provides a bountiful harvest. It is perennial herb belonging to the Liliaceae family, and unlike other vegetables, if the seed is sown only once, buds will sprout from the root and continue to grow from the next year. It usually sprouts leaves 3-4 times from spring to autumn, and in summer, a green stem emerges from between the leaves, and small white flowers bloom at the end, and the fruit ripens and bursts by itself.
Perilla leaves also called “KkaenNip” (깻잎) are broadly referred to all the leaves of sesame, but among them, the leaves of perilla are used as food. Perilla is a crop grown to extract oil, and perilla leaves are harvested during growth and eaten for food. The place of origin is estimated to be Southeast Asia, and it is cultivated in Korea and China and is rarely cultivated in other countries. Perilla leaves are so nutritious that they are called “the best medicine on the table,” and their fragrant and soft texture enhances the taste buds in summer. It is used as a variety of side dishes, such as Ssam (쌈) vegetables, steamed perilla leaves, and pickled perilla leaves, and is an indispensable ingredient in Korean cuisine.
Hi everyone! Today, I will make a quick and simple yet super delicious stir-fried noodle dish using udon noodles, shaved beef, and veggies. It is called 차돌박이 우동볶음 in Korean. I love the soft and chewy texture of the noodles, along with the crunchy feeling of the vegetables. It also has a combination of the savory flavor with a little bit of spice to it. The nutrition, color, flavor, and texture of this dish are all well balanced.
Yield: 1-2 Servings
When you go to a Korean B.B.Q place, you will often get this tasty soybean paste soup along with your ordered meat. Even if the soup is like a side dish for the main meal, some people might want to go there just for the soup because it is that delicious. 🙂 So, today I want to share my tasty restaurant version of this soybean paste soup with some special secret ingredients. Please cook this delicious soup at home with what you normally would have in your kitchen.
Yield: 2 Servings
Red leafy Lettuce also called “JeokSangChu (적상추), along with perilla, is the most used raw vegetable in Korean cuisine. Contrary to the fact that Perilla is preferred because of its unique flavor, lettuce has no particular taste, so it is popular as a leafy vegetable wrapped in meat. Korean lettuce wraps are eaten wrapped in raw vegetables and cooked meat, which are rarely found in food cultures of other countries.
Lettuce wraps, which Koreans enjoy, are now a supporting role attached to the side of the meat, but originally, it was a custom of wrapping a fortune and eating it. Fresh lettuce grown by ourselves and barley rice with ssamjang served with ssamjang was the basis of a healthy diet for our ancestors. Lettuce supplements vitamin C, beta-carotene, and fiber, which are lacking in meat, prevent cholesterol from accumulating in the body and purify the blood.
Green leafy Lettuce also called “CheongSangChu (청상추), along with perilla, is the most used raw vegetable in Korean cuisine. Contrary to the fact that Perilla is preferred because of its unique flavor, lettuce has no particular taste, so it is popular as a leafy vegetable wrapped in meat. Korean lettuce wraps are eaten wrapped in raw vegetables and cooked meat, which are rarely found in food cultures of other countries.
Lettuce wraps, which Koreans enjoy, are now a supporting role attached to the side of the meat, but originally, it was a custom of wrapping a fortune and eating it. Fresh lettuce grown by ourselves and barley rice with ssamjang served with ssamjang was the basis of a healthy diet for our ancestors. Lettuce supplements vitamin C, beta-carotene, and fiber, which are lacking in meat, prevent cholesterol from accumulating in the body and purify the blood.
Spinach also called “SiGeumChi (시금치) is a green-yellow leafy vegetable that contains a large number of various nutrients such as vitamins, iron, and dietary fiber. Spinach has strong cold resistance, so it grows well in cool spring, autumn, and winter. Spinach harvested at this time contains more vitamin C. Spinach is divided into Eastern and Western varieties. Eastern varieties are resistant to cold, so they are cultivated in autumn and winter and are called winter spinach, while Western varieties are cultivated in spring and summer and are called summer spinach. Winter spinach leaves are sharp, but summer spinach leaves are thick and round. In the West, young spinach leaves are mainly used for salads. In Korea, spinach is boiled in soybean paste soup and eaten, but in general, it is often eaten as a side dish for vegetables by blanching it and mixing it with sesame oil and minced seasoning.
