The best 10 Korean foods that you should eat while visiting South Korea

The best 10 Korean foods that you should eat while visiting South Korea

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South Korea is famous for their raucous night clubs, K-pop artists, and the Korean War. But what about their food? Like many other East Asian countries, modern South Korean cuisine has been heavily influenced by Japanese food. But the South Koreans have taken it one step further making some of their dishes completely unique to the region. Let’s take a look at the Top 10 dishes you need to know about if you plan on visiting South Korea.

Korea is one of the most developed East Asian countries in the world. It also happens to be one of my favorite countries ever! Whether you have visited South Korea or haven’t been there yet, here are the top 10 dishes you must try when visiting this beautiful country.

Kimchi

Korean Kimchi is not just a national dish. It's not just a daily food. It’s an art itself. In Korea, kimchi (김치) is considered as an escape to remember the days of yore - and to cherish the words “goodbye”.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean food with many different varieties. The origin of this dish is unknown, but it is thought to have originated in Korea between the 14th and the 18th centuries. Kimchi was brought to Japan by Koreans who were taken there as slaves.

Kimchi (김치) is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made with vegetables, seasoning, and chili powder. There are hundreds of kinds of Kimchi made from different ingredients depending on the region where it's made. From radish to cucumber to cabbage, Kimchi can be pickled in a wide variety of flavors and seasonings.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap (pronounced bibimbap) has become one of the most popular Korean dishes not only in Korea itself but around the world as well. Originating from a region of North Korea, Pyongyang, Bibimbap has slowly found its way around the world and into many kitchens as a great source for nutrients and healthy food. There are many varieties of this dish, which is why it has become one of the most popular foods in all of South Korea with tons of interesting restaurants featuring this dish. Despite being extremely healthy and nutritious, Bibimbap is also delicious!

Bibimbap is probably one of the meals I make very often. It's super versatile, there are so many ways to prepare it and you can add anything you like e.g. any type of vegetable, kimchi, tofu, seafood etc.. This makes it easy to please everyone as there is so much space for including additional ingredients :-)

Hotteok

Hotteok-sweet syrup pancake- is a traditional Korean confectionery made of wheat flour, malt sugar, honey or molasses, and yeast. Hoeddeok is an iconic symbol of the agriculture, culture and tradition of the Joseon Dynasty. The origin of hoeddeok is closely related to kaesu (traditional banquet), which is held on special occasions such as birthdays and New Year’s Day in Korea.

Hoedeok is a variation of tongdak (which comes from the word 통닭, “3-layer-pancake”) . Both hoeddeok and tongdak are made with wheat flour, sugar, eggs, and ggul guk (꿀숙, honey). But unlike the original yellowish tongdak which is plain, white hoedeok has a sweet caramel-like sauce.

Bulgogi

Bulgogi is a dish that is most well-known from Korean cuisine. This marinated beef barbecue recipe is always a crowd pleaser, which makes it perfect for entertaining. It’s also great all year round when having guests, as no matter what time of the year it is you want to show your guests you care and make something tasty for them to enjoy.

Bulgogi (불고기) or marinated beef barbecue is a quick and easy to cook yet flavorful dish. This is a great dish to make when you're out of fresh meat since it uses dried meat as its main ingredient. This recipe uses thin sliced beef brisket; however, you can also use bulgogi meat and thinly sliced ribeye, skirt or sirloin steak.

Ddukbokki or Tteokbokki

Ddukbokki, or spicy rice cakes, are one of the most popular Korean street foods. These bite-sized pieces of rice cake are served with a delicious sweet and spicy sauce and require no cooking. It’s one of the fastest food in Korea to prepare and eat. The texture of it is similar to a chewy rice cake consistency that’s been shredded very finely, while dduk (rice cakes) can be compared to Japanese mochi or Chinese zongzi but chewier and less sticky.

Chapssaltteok is commonly known as tteokbokki (떡볶이) in Korean. Ddukbokki is one of the most popular street food items and popular snack menu in restaurants. It is spicy rice cakes served with a variety of colorful side dishes such as yellow pickled radish, julienned cucumbers, boiled cabbage, fish cake slices, and others.

Korean stew (jjigae)

Korean Stews (jjigae) are hot pot style dishes cooked in a large claypot called dolsot or earthenware pot of Korean traditional stoneware. The feature of cooking foods in jjigae is bringing out the maximum amount of flavor from each individual ingredient, mixing them with thick, robust, and savory broth.

If you've ever wondered what makes jjigae, or Korean stew, extra unique, this newly-added stop on our list of the best Korean food for beginners (as well as seasoned eaters) is well worth it. Soothing flavors and delicious texture that'll keep coming back for more, this dish is hearty enough to serve as a meal in itself thanks to kimchi and other great fillers, yet light enough to pair with any number of Korean side dishes and/or rice.

Samgyeopsal

Samgyeopsal is a popular, fatty meat in South Korea. The word samgyeopsal is made up of two Korean words: Sam means three and gyep means lean meat, therefore samgyeopsal means three-lean meat. You can also add the verb sal (which means to grill) to make it a little easier to pronounce and recognize.

There are many varieties of BBQ meats that come from South Korea.  Probably one of the most famous, or at least well known, is Samgyeopsal (삼겹살). Samgyeopsal is made from pork belly. Many people find this cut to be very fatty, but it is also very flavorful with a deep, rich, and smoky taste. It is also relatively inexpensive to buy. You can usually find it at a restaurant for $10-$12 per order. Because of its cheap price and taste, samgyeopsal has become a popular street food in Korea.

Spicy cold noodle OR bibim naengmyeon

Bibim naengmyeon (비빔냉면) is a popular winter dish in Korea. It’s made with chewy buckwheat noodles, bean sprouts, glass noodles, carrots, cucumbers, and beef slices. They are mixed together with a sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, and gochujang red pepper paste. This recipe helps make a delicious and spicier version of nengmyun that your family and friends will love!

Named after the famed cold noodle dish in South Korea, Bibim naengmyeon is one of the most addicting Korean dishes around!

Ginseng chicken soup (samgyetang)

Ginseng chicken soup (also known as samgyetang) is a Korean herbal medicine soup which combines the health benefits of chicken, garlic, onion, ginseng and jujubes. The herbal ingredients are believed to enhance metabolism and blood flow, while the jujubes provide a nice element of sweetness to the taste.

Ginseng chicken soup (Samgyetang) is a signature Korean dish. Healthy and delicious, it's great for all ages!

Hobakjuk (pumpkin porridge)

When I think Korean food, the first thing that comes to mind is kimchi. I know it's not the most traditional Korean food in their cuisine but heck, if you're from Korea, chances are you've been eating it your entire life. However, while I was exploring my neighborhood a couple of days ago, I discovered a street food kiosk that would serve me the most traditional Korean dish ever. Yes, you guessed it right; I'm talking about Hobakjuk (호박죽), or pumpkin porridge – a Korean comfort food for those autumn nights when we just want to wrap up under a blanket with a big serving of piping hot porridge and sip on green tea.

Hobakjuk (호박죽) is a popular Korean side dish for both dinner and breakfast. Its name literally means pumpkin porridge. Hobakjuk can be eaten as a meal on its own, or served alongside rice, soup, japchae (sweet potato noodles), etc.