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Feature
The
Food & Drink of Korea
Korean
cuisine provides unique tastes for the visitor. It is nutritious,
well-balanced and low in calories. They say that you can eat as much
Korean food as you like and never gain weight!! |
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Korean food is
chiefly made of a wide variety of vegetables. Seasonings include
garlic, red peppers, spring onions, soy sauce, fermented bean paste,
ginger and sesame oil.
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Kimch'i is
the most famous Korean food. A fermented vegetable dish highly
seasoned with red pepper and garlic. Served at virtually all meals,
it has become the best known of Korea's dishes abroad.
Pulgogi
is the one of the most popular dishes in Korea and one which
Westerners find very pleasing. Pulgogi literally means "fire
beef," but it is generally translated as "Korean
barbecue." Thin, tender slices of beef are marinated in a sauce
made with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and other seasonings, and
then cooked over a hot charcoal grill at your table. |
Kimch'i |
Hanjongshik
literally means "full course Korean meal," and it is just
that. When you order hanjongshik, you are usually served pulgogi,
steamed short ribs, grilled fish, and a host of side dishes. These
side dishes may vary from restaurant to restaurant, but the servings
are always ample.
Naengmyon
means "cold noodles" and this summer favourite is truly
refreshing. Very thin, chewy buckwheat noodles are served in a cold
beef broth with chopped scallions, shredded radishes and cucumbers,
sesame seeds, and slices of lean beef, Appropriate condiments are hot
mustard and vinegar. There are many restaurants that specialize only
in naengmyon. Be sure to try the mild mul-naengmyon before sampling
the spicier pibim-naengmyon.
Desserts:
The Koreans don't go in for desserts. A chilled sweetened drink is
served at the end of a meal. Patpingsu is popular during the
summer months. It is a fruit salad on ice with red beans and ice
cream. Dok, or rice cakes are a sticky traditional sweet.
RESTAURANTS
There are two
main reasons why Korean cuisine is not as prominent in UK as it might
be. Firstly there is no mass tourism from UK to Korea to give people
a clear insight into the food and culture and, secondly, there are
relatively few Korean restaurants in UK. What restaurants there are
tend to be mainly in London and the suburbs and the greatest
concentration is in the Surrey town of New Malden. Don't let this put
you off. Dining Korean is certainly a culinary experience not to be
missed and worth the journey whether to restaurant or country.
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