2010 Series. Traditional. Food. A Taste of Korean Life. Hangeul. Traditional Painting. The DMZ. Traditional Food. A Taste of Korean Life

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1 KOREA ESSENTIALS No. 4 Traditional Food Hangeul Korea s Unique Alphabet Traditional Painting Window on the Korean Mind The DMZ Dividing the Two Koreas Traditional Food N owadays, with healthy living and the slow food movement receiving spotlight worldwide, Korean cuisine is drawing much interest as a healthy cuisine with nutritional harmony and balance. In fact, Koreans have traditionally viewed food as medicine, a means to keep oneself healthy and strong. [ ] Korea s four seasons and geography have produced a good many seasonal dishes and foods that reflect the nation s geographic characteristics, such as seafood from the ocean that surrounds the peninsula. This book will attempt to explore Korea s 5,000-yearold culinary culture and introduce to readers the historical, cultural, nutritional and philosophical background to this rich cuisine. A Taste of Korean Life 2010 Series Traditional Food A Taste of Korean Life About the series The Korea Essentials series is a cooperative project between the Korea Foundation and Seoul Selection aimed at furnishing an international reader with insight and basic understanding into the arts and culture of Korea. The content of this series is based on the material published in Koreana, the Korea Foundation s full-color quarterly featuring in-depth coverage of various aspects of Korea s cultural themes. A Taste of Korean Life ISBN ISBN (set) KOREA ESSENTIALS 9,000 won / US$ COVER PHOTO Sinseollo, an elaborate form of stew that features in Korean palace cuisine by Ryu Seunghoo COVER DESIGN Jung Hyun-young

2 korea essentials No. 4 Traditional Food: A Taste of Korean Life Copyright 2010 by The Korea Foundation All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. First Published in 2010 by Seoul Selection B1 Korean Publishers Association Bldg., Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul , Korea Phone: (82-2) Fax: (82-2) publisher@seoulselection.com Website: ISBN: ISBN: (set) Printed in the Republic of Korea

3 Contents Introduction 6 Chapter 1 WHY KOREAN FOOD? 10 The Balanced Meal / Land of Fermented Foods / Vegetable-Centric / Healthy Cooking Methods Chapter 2 BASICS OF KOREAN FOOD 24 Harmony of Bap and Banchan / Main Dishes / Side Dishes / Rice Cakes / Confectioneries / Beverages / The Table Setting Chapter 3 KIMCHI, KOREA S STAPLE FOOD 48 Nutritional Benefits / Origin of Kimchi / Sharing Kimchi around the World Chapter 4 SPECIAL & LOCAL VARIETIES 62 Special Cuisines / Local Cuisines: South Korea / Local Cuisines: North Korea Chapter 5 HOLIDAYS, CEREMONIES & FOOD 78 Holiday Food / Functions of Holiday Dishes / Ceremonial Food Chapter 6 HISTORY OF KOREAN FOOD 96 Paleolithic Beginnings / Three Kingdoms Period / Goryeo Period / Joseon Period

4 Chapter 7 THE KITCHEN 110 The Fireplace / The Kitchen God / Kitchen Utensils / Other Functions of the Kitchen Appendix More about Korean Food 124 Recommended Restaurants 126 Cooking Classes 132 Delving Deeper Secret of Korean Taste 16 Dae Jang Geum 67 Surasang Setting 68 Nutritive Value of Holiday Food 80 Korean Holiday Food 82 Charyesang: Table Setting for Ancestral Rites 86

5 8 Traditional Food: A Taste of Korean Life

6 Why Korean Food? 9 The noted Chicago eatery Blackbird has kimchi on the menu, and California Pizza Kitchen is developing Korean barbecue beef pizza. In Los Angeles, crowds are lining up for street food from a pair of Korean taco trucks called Kogi. The slightly sour-tasting Korean frozen yogurt served at the Pinkberry and Red Mango chains has inspired many imitators... Redolent with garlic, sesame oil and red chili peppers, Korean food is suddenly everywhere. The New Hot Cuisine: Korean, Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2009

7 Chapter One WHY KOREAN FOOD? OD? Korea s culinary tradition stretches back as long as Korea itself: some 5,000 years. With a history like that, it should come as no surprise that Korean cuisine has developed an incredibly rich and varied menu reflecting the country s unique geographic, climatic, and cultural conditions. First and foremost, Korean cuisine is balanced and healthy: centered on Korea s staple of rice, the Korean dinner table features an assortment of vegetable and meat dishes prepared in only the most nutritious ways. Indeed, Koreans of old very much regarded food as medicine to keep mind and soul healthy. In these health-conscious days, much attention has focused on the nutritional excellence of Korean food, with no lesser an authority than the World Health Organization praising Korean cuisine as a model of healthy eating. The nourishing quality of Korean cuisine is further enhanced by its use of medicinal herbs to produce a harmony of health and taste.

8 Why Korean Food? 11 Korean cuisine is also characterized by its liberal use of fermented foods. Few nations match Korea s variety of fermented dishes and the skill with which dishes are prepared. Korea s internationally best known dish, kimchi, is also its most representative fermented dish. Many of Korea s other better known foods, such as doenjang (soybean paste) and jeotgal (salted seafood), are also fermented. Korean food is also vegetable-heavy. While Koreans do eat meat, Korean cooks have taken advantage of the countless vegetables and herbs produced in the country s fertile fields and verdant mountainsides. These vegetables, in turn, are prepared through lowfat slow food cooking processes that accentuate taste while preserving nutritional integrity. Boribap (barley rice), a favorite of Korea s common folk, with mostly vegetarian side dishes. Barley has 16 times the dietary fiber of rice and five times that of flour, and is rich in vitamins and minerals.