Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish (banchan) consisting of salted and fermented vegetables,most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings is used,including gochugaru,spring onions,garlic,ginger,and jeotgal. Kimchi is also used in a variety of soups and stews. Kimchi is a staple food in Korean cuisine and is eaten as a side dish with almost every Korean meal.
Korean royal court cuisine was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty,which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery style in the 21st century. It is said that twelve dishes should be served along with rice and soup,with most dishes served in bangjja (bronzeware).
Kimchi fried rice or kimchi-bokkeum-bap (김치볶음밥) is a variety of bokkeum-bap,a popular dish in South Korea. Kimchi fried rice is made primarily with kimchi and rice,along with other available ingredients,such as diced vegetables or meats like Spam.
Takuan,or takuan-zuke,known as danmuji (단무지) in the context of Korean cuisine,is a pickled preparation of daikon radish. As a popular part of traditional Japanese cuisine,takuan is often served uncooked alongside other types of tsukemono. It is also enjoyed at the end of meals to aid digestion.
Banchan are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. Banchan are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course,such as galbi or bulgogi,and a shared pot of jjigae. Bowls of cooked rice and guk (soup) are set individually. Banchan are served in small portions,meant to be finished at each meal and replenished during the meal if not enough. Usually,the more formal the meals are,the more banchan there will be. Jeolla province is particularly famous for serving many different varieties of banchan in a single meal.
Namul refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called san-namul,and spring vegetables are called bom-namul. On the day of Daeboreum,the first full moon of the year,Koreans eat boreum-namul with five-grain rice. It is believed that boreum namuls eaten in winter help one to withstand the heat of the summer to come.
Yeot (Korean: 엿) is a variety of hangwa,or Korean traditional confectionery. It can be made in either liquid or solid form,as a syrup,taffy,or candy. Yeot is made from steamed rice,glutinous rice,glutinous sorghum,corn,sweet potatoes,or mixed grains. It is presumed to have been used before the Goryeo period. The steamed ingredients are lightly fermented and boiled in a large pot called a sot for a long time.
Nabak-kimchi (나박김치) is a watery kimchi,similar to dongchimi,in Korean cuisine. It is made of Korean radish and napa cabbage as main ingredients,thinly sliced into rectangular shapes,salted and mixed with vegetables and spices such as cucumber,scallion,Java water dropwort,garlic,ginger,red chilies,chili pepper powder,sugar,salt,and water.
Kkakdugi (Korean: 깍두기) or diced radish kimchi is a variety of kimchi in Korean cuisine. Usually,Korean radish is used,but other vegetables or fruits can also be used. Kkakduk-kkakduk is an ideophone related to dicing/cubing. Kimchi made with radish that are not diced into cubes are not called kkakdugi. Kkakdugi is a popular banchan enjoyed by Koreans and others.
Jijimi (지짐이) is a type of Korean stew made by boiling meat,fish or vegetables. It is thicker than guk,but thinner than jjigae. Joseon mussang sinsik yori jebeop,the first color-printed Korean cookbook published in 1924,states that "Jijimi tastes better than guk,and jjigae tastes better than jijimi,being smaller in quantity and savorier."
Bossam (Korean: 보쌈) is a pork dish in Korean cuisine. It usually consists of pork shoulder that is boiled in spices and thinly sliced. The meat is served with side dishes such as spicy radish salad,sliced raw garlic,ssamjang,saeu-jeot,kimchi,and ssam (wrap) vegetables such as lettuce,kkaennip,and inner leaves of a napa cabbage.
Jeonggwa is a crispy,chewy hangwa with vivid colors and a translucent look. It can be made by boiling sliced fruits,roots,or seeds in honey,mullyeot,or sugar water,then drying the slices,and optionally shaping them into flowers or other decorative forms. The candied fruits,roots,or seeds may have the similar texture to jam,marmalade,or jelly.
Jangajji (장아찌) or pickled vegetables is a type of banchan made by pickling vegetables. Unlike kimchi,jangajji is non-fermented vegetables,usually pickled in soy sauce,soybean paste,or chili paste. Jangajji dishes are usually preserved for a long period of time,and served with a drizzle of sesame oil. Preserved foods like jangajji were developed to attain a certain level of vegetable consumption during the long,harsh winters on the Korean peninsula.
Korean regional cuisines are characterized by local specialties and distinctive styles within Korean cuisine. The divisions reflected historical boundaries of the provinces where these food and culinary traditions were preserved until modern times.
Suunjapbang is a cookbook written by Kim-yu in about 1540,during the early period of the Joseon period of Korea.
Mu or Korean radish is a variety of white radish with a firm crunchy texture.
Chonggakmu or Chonggak radish,also called ponytail radish,is a variety of white radish. It is a small radish with many fine roots;of which the entire plant,including the leaves and stems,is used in Korean cuisine.
Siraegi (Korean: 시래기) is a Korean ingredient prepared by drying the leaves and stems of a radish or,less commonly,of a napa cabbage. Siraegi refers to radish stems and leaves or the outer leaves of cabbage dried in the sun and wind.
