Food Culture in South Korea

One of the best aspects of Korea is its rich and fascinating food culture. Many people visiting Korea get surprised to see the food is everywhere they go at all times of the day even late at night. There are a wide variety of restaurants with different cuisines as well as street food in most of the places. Let's find out the most popular local dishes and things to know about food culture.

Which food is popular in Korea?

Koreans love to eat and drink with colleagues, friends, and family outside. There are always hot places to hang out around the corner.
  
Here are some popular dishes Korean people enjoy eating outside.

Koreans love meats such as Korean-style barbeque, samgaetang(chicken stew with ginseng), jokbal(baked trotters), bulgogi, etc. These foods are very popular on all occasions. Also, there are lots of food with various vegetables such as bibimbap, kimchi, jeon(pancake), etc.

Street food is also popular for all generations, especially younger ones because it's tasty and cheap. The most popular street foods are tteiokbokgi(spicy rice cake), odeng(fish cake in a soup), gimbap(sushi), mandu(dumplings), fried chicken, bungeoppang(fish-shaped pastries), hotteok(sweet pancake), etc. Koreans usually order more than 2 different types of food to share.

What is the everyday food for Koreans?

It's definitely rice, guk(soup) or jjigae(stew), main dishes such as meats or seafood and some side dishes. There is a large variety of main dishes, side dishes, guk, and jjigae to choose from depending on the seasons and occasions.

Common side dishes include Kimchi, Kim(dried seaweed), kkongjang(beans cooked in soy sauce), kkongnamul muchim(seasoned bean sprout), etc. Most side dishes are provided without limitation free of charge at the restaurants.

One interesting thing is that Koreans love to use various vegetables and seasonings for everyday food. The most common spices are chili, garlic, ginger, and onion that make food hot and spicy.

What is the popular traditional food of South Korea?

The popular traditional foods are bibimbap, bulgogi, barbecue, kimchi, mandu(dumpling), jeon(pancake), etc. Bibimbap is a bowl of rice mixed with meat and assorted vegetables. It is known to be a very healthy food with many different types of ingredients.

Kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish that accompanies everyday meals in Korea. It is globally getting recognized as healthy and nutritious food. There are more than 300 variations in recipes and forms with different vegetables. It can be served as a side dish or used in the main dishes.

There are many restaurants serving royal cuisine with more than 30 dishes. You will be surprised to see all types of ingredients and table settings.

What types of dessert do Korean enjoy?

It's quite common that people love to go to another place for coffee and dessert after meals. There are lots of cafes or restaurants with appealing dessert, tea, and coffee varieties.

Lots of restaurants serve free tea and small treats or fruits after meals that go well with the food served in the restaurants.

What is the special food culture of South Korea?

Korean food is mainly served with main dishes and some side dishes that can be shared with everyone at the same table. Many times, each one order one main dish so that everyone get to share the main dishes and side dishes all together. Because sharing food is very common in Korea, some main dishes are large enough for 2~3 people.

Some Korean dishes such as barbecues or jjigae are served uncooked and they are cooked on the spot. In some restaurants, you need to cook the meats as you prefer. It's quite fun to cook and eat when it's hot and perfect to eat.

When dining in Korea, chopsticks and spoons are generally provided. You can always ask for forks though. And, it's recommended to place the rice bowl on the table while eating it. It has been known to be impolite to take the rice bowl in the hand.

What do Koreans say before eating?

It is quite common to say 'jalmeokessumneda'(잘먹겠습니다) before the meal to show the great appreciation about the food very politely.

You can say 'jalmeokusupneda'(잘먹었습니다) to acknowledge your thanks to someone who hosted in his or her house after the meal.