Tteok

Tteok is a Korean sweet cake made with glutinous rice flour(also known as sweet rice or chapssal), by steaming. Normal rice flour can be used for some kinds of tteok. There are hundreds of different kinds of tteok eaten year round. Some common ingredients for many kinds of tteok are mug bean, red bean, and sweet red bean paste, Korean mugwort, jujube and other dried fruits, sesame seeds and oil, sugar, and pine nuts. Tteok are largely divided into four categories, such as "steamed tteok", "pounded tteok", "boiled tteok" and "pan-fried tteok". The steamed tteok is made by steaming rice or glutinous rice flour in "siru", or a large earthenware steamer, so it is often called "sirutteok". It is regarded as the basic and oldest form of tteok. The pounded tteok is made by using a pounding board or mortar after steamed first. In making pan-fried tteok, the rice dough is flattened like a pancake and pan-fried with vegetable oil. The shaped tteok are made by kneading a dough with hot water which is usually shaped into balls.


Steamed tteok
The main ingredients for steamed tteok or "sirutteok" are rice or glutinous rice and sometimes they are mixed together. In some cases, other grains, beans, sesame seeds, wheat flour , or starch can be mixed with the rice. Various fruits and nuts are used as subsidiary ingredients. In additon, vegetables with flavors or herbs can be used to flavor the tteok and honey and sugar are used as sweeteners.
Baekseolgi (백설기) - a variety of siru tteok. It literally means white snow tteok which is made of white rice.
Mujigae tteok (무지개떡)- literally "rainbow tteok"; this variety of tteok has colorful stripes. The tteok is used especially for Korean banquet, party, or feast like dol (celebrating a baby's first birthday), Hwangap(celebrating 60 years old people's birthday), or wedding party.


Pounded tteok
In the traditional preparation, pounded tteok is made by pounding rice or glutinous rice with utensils called jeolgu and jeolgutgongi or tteokme and anban. Injeolim (tteok coated with bean powder), garaetteok (가래떡 cylinder-shaped white tteok), jeolpyeon (절편 patterned tteok) and danja (단자 glutinous tteok ball coated with bean paste)” are commonly eaten pounded tteok.


Shaped tteok

• Ggul tteok (꿀떡) - literally means "honey" but the tteok is stuffed with Korean syrup. Ggul tteok is similar to songpyeon in shape, but smaller in size
• Songpyeon - eaten during Chuseok holiday, Korean thanksgiving day
• Gochitteok (고치떡)
• Ssamtteok (쌈떡) - tteok used for ssam (쌈, food wrapped in a leaf)
• Gyeongdan' - Inside these rice balls are usually red bean or sesame paste. The balls are usually dipped and cover in black sesame or other powders.

Tteokguk
Tteokguk is a traditional Korean dish eaten during the celebration of the Korean New Year. The dish is comprised of the broth/soup within which is placed several thinly sliced rice cakes(tteok). It is a tradition to eat tteokguk on New Years because it is believed to grant the consumer luck for the forthcoming year and for him or her to supposedly gain an additional year of life. Additional ingredients are usually added to the dish; these include thinly sliced cooked eggs, marinated meat, mandu(dumpling), and/or dried seaweed for seasoning.

Jeon

Jeon refer to many pancake-like dishes in Korean Cuisine. Jeon is made of various ingredients such as meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables depending on the style and mixed with flour batter or coated with egg batter and then pan-fried with oil. Jeon is commonly eaten as an appetizer, as banchan(side dishes), or as (food to eat while drinking). Jeon is also served as an important food for jesasang(ceremonial table setting for jesa, ancestor worship).

Kimchijeon(김치전)
Kimchijeon is a variety of jeon, primarily made with sliced kimchi, flour batter and sometimes other vegetables. Kimchi, spicy pickled vegetables seasoned with chili pepper and jeotgal, is a staple in Korean cuisine. The dish is good for using up ripened kimchi. When preparing it is usual to add salt from kimchi, especially that of baechu kimchi. The brine lends its red color to the batter but is not spicy itself. Along with kimchi, it is served as anju with alcoholic beverages.


Pajeon(파전)
Pajeon is a variety of jeon, a pancake-like Korean dish made mostly of eggs and flour, with green onion similar to a Chinese Green onion pancake. It is sometimes referred to as a Korean version of pizza, since one may add several different ingredients to it. Kimchi and seafood, such as squid, are added along with other vegetables such as carrots, onions, etc. Kimchi pajeon is a variant of the above but with kimchi added. Pajeon is often eaten while drinking.


Bindaetteok
Bindaetteok is a variety of jeon, a Korean style pancake. It is made of ground mung beans, with green onions, kimchi, or peppers cooked in a frying pan. Meat, usually beef, can also be added as an ingredient. In Korean restaurants, this dish is served with a small side serving of dipping sauce made of soy sauce, minced green onions, chili pepper flakes and some vinegar.


Hwajeon(화전)
Hwajeon is a small, sweet jeon or tteok(rice cake) made of any flower edible patel such as azalea or chrysanthemum and rice flour. Its name means "flower cake" in Korean. Hwajeon was commonly eaten at hwajeon nori (화전놀이), a traditional custom held since the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), literally meaning "flower cake play".In spring, women went on a picnic carrying with them glutinous rice flour and beoncheol (a thick frying pan) near a stream on Samjinnal which falls on every March 3 in the lunar calendar.They plucked azaleas or any available edible flowers at hand where they set up their picnic and made hwajeon with the ingredients.

Noodle Dishes

Noodle lovers will feel right at home in Korea. The country has many noodle shops, selling products which are as good as any noodles in the world. Korean noodles are made from either buckwheat or regular wheat flour. The most prized are the thin, brownish ,buckwheat noodles which are served in soups based on beef, poultry, or anchovy stock.

Naengmyeon(냉면)
This noodle dish is perfect for the hottest days of summer. naengmyeon is easy to digest and cooling to eat. A dough made from buckwheat and potato flour is cut into slender noodles and boiled while very fresh. The strained noodles are added to a chilled broth made of chicken stock or water from dong chimi (winter white water kimchi). It is garnished with sliced beef or pork, a boiled half egg, slices of of Asian pear, sliced sour kimchi, and sliced cucumber. Sometimes sauce can be added, which is made of pepper paste, pepper powder, soy sauce, chopped onions, garlic, and vinegar.

Japchae(잡채)
This dish is very common at Korean celebration parties and special occassions. Japchae is a well-loved Korean dish which incorporates virtually any selection of vegetables. Those in season have the best flavor. Vegetables are fried seperately in a minimal amount of oil. Other ingredients can include match stick-sliced beef and vermicelli noodles (made from potatoes and sweet potatoes). When each ingredient has been fried and the noodles cooked and cut into short lengths, all the ingredients are combined, sauteed quickly, and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.

Jjajangmyeon(짜장면)
Jjajangmyeon is a Korean dish, which consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced meat and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. It uses thick noodles made from white wheat flour. Jjajangmyeon is known as an inexpensive noodle dish that can be delivered for free in many places around South Korea. It costs around 4,000 won (approximately US$4.00).

Street Foods

The pojangmacha (street vendor) is one of the best places to grab a quick snack or pass the night away drinking with friends. The types of food they serve can usually be eaten quickly while standing up (although someplaces have cheap chairs or benches) or take with you. They have many types of food on sticks or "finger foods." Other specialize in seafood and are geared more towards people who want to sit and have some drinks as well. Smaller stands can be easily carried or rolled from place. Larger, more elaborate ones have plastic tarps to protect patrons from the rain and cold.



Tteokbokki (떡볶이)
Tteokbokki is a popular Korean snack food which is commonly purchased from street vendors. Tteok jjim an early variant of modern tteokbokki, was once a part ofKorean royal court cuisine. Originally it was called tteok jjim, and was a broiled dish of sliced rice cake, meat, eggs, and seasoning. This type of tteokbokki was made by broiling tteok, meat, vegetables, eggs, and seasonings in water, and then serving it topped with ginko nuts and walnuts. While the older version was a savory dish, this latter type was much more spicy, and quickly became more popular than the older traditional dish. In addition to traditional ingredients, this tteokbokki used gochujang(hot paste made from chilli peppers), along with fish cakes. Other ingredients added to tteokbokki include boiled eggs, pan-fried mandu(Korean Dumplings), ramyeon(Noodle).

Mandu (만두)
Circles of wheat dough are pulled around a stuffing mixture of tofu, minced beef, pork, mixed vegetables, or other ingredients. Alternatively, they may be sealed around the filling from the side, forming a crescent shape. Sheredded kimchi, bean sprouts, and small sliced baby squash can be added, depending on the taste. They can be cooked several ways: steamed, simmered in beef stock, or fried. They are served with kimchi on the side and a small container of soy sauce. Use chopsticks to eat, dipping in the soy sauce for taste. (Some places also have crushed red papper to mix with the soy sauce, for an extra spiciness.) Traditionally, the mandu paste was made at home. Nowadays, however, the paste is readily available in supermarkets and convenience stores.


Eomuk (어묵)
Eomuk is common Korean food that you can find in street vendor. Some people believe it is same as Japanese processed seafood product called, Kamaboko. However, Kamaboko are made by steaming until cooked, but Eomuk is usually boiled on a skewer in broth. The broth is sometimes given to the customer in paper cups for dipping and drinking. Usually vendors serve Eomuk by poking a long stick through it.


Bungeoppang(붕어빵)
Bungeoppang is popular korean food consist of sweer azuki known as pat (팥, red bean paste), which is encased in batter and then toasted in a special appliance that performs like a waffle iron. This appliance is specially molded to create the fish shape of Asian carp. It is then toasted golden-brown and served.

Hotteok(호떡)
Hotteok is a variety of filled Korean pancake, and is a popular street food of Korea. The dough for ho-tteok is made from wheat flour, water, milk, sugar, and yeast. The dough is allowed to rise for several hours. Handful-sized balls of this stiff dough are filled with a sweet mixture, which may contain brown sugar, honey, chopped peanuts, and cinnamon. The filled dough is then placed on a greased griddle, and pressed flat into a large circle with a special tool with a stainless steel circle and wooden handle as it cooks.

Meats and Poultry

Traditionally, meat and poultry were very expensive and eaten only during special occasions. When they were eaten, nothing went to waste. Westerns may be surprised at how everything gets used when cows, pigs, or chickens are used for food. Almost every bit of the animal eventually gets broiled, fried, boiled, stewed, or otherwise used in some sort of recipe.

Bulgogi(불고기)
Pulgogi is one of Korea's most famous grilled dishes. It is made from sirloin or another prime cut of beef (such as top round), cut into thin strips. For an outside barbecue, the meat is marinated for at least four hours to enhance the flavor and to tenderize it in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, sugar, onions, ginger, and wine. The marinated beef is cooked on a metal dish over the burner. Whole cloves of garlic, sliced onions, and chopped green peppers are often grilled at the same time.
To eat, select a pice of cooked beef, and wrap it in lettuce with rice, kimchi, shredded vegetables, or a number of other garnishes on the table. You can also add doenjang (bean paste) for flavor. Dwaeji pulgogi is a pork version of this dish.

Galbi(갈비)
Galbi is one of Korea's most famous grilled dishes. Beef short ribs are marinated overnight in a mixture of green onions, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Rice wine and oriental pear slices can be added for extra flavor. The marinade tenderizes the meat which is grilled over charcoal or gas right at the table. A variation, dwaeji kalbi-gui (broiled pork spareribs), uses pork seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, and boiled ginger juice before grilling.


Samgye-tang(삼계탕)
The body cavity of a small chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice, young ginseng shoots, and jujubes. The chicken is then boiled in a clear stock and served in an individual earthenware pot. It is highly recommended for those new to Korean food.
This dish is famous as summer dish. Koreans try to survive the summer heat with hot stamina food. This wonderful dish is gradually being recognized by the rest of the world. Even if you are skeptical about the properties attributed to ginseng, you will enjoy this dish which is said to give stamina during the steamy Korean summers.
How to eat: Taste the soup first. If it tastes too plain, you can add salt. When you eat chicken meat, use salt and pepper on the table for seasoning.

Korean Rice Dishes

Instead of asking "Have you had a meal?" Koreans usually ask "Have you eaten rice today?" Rice is the staple food for most Koreans and it appears at almost every meal. It can be cooked alone (the most common case), with other grains (such as millet or barley), or with chestnuts and beans. Vegetables may also be mixed with the rice before serving. Rice gruel (often made for sick people or the elderly who have health problems) is also classed as a main dish.

Bibimbap (비빔밥)
A simple but popular dish, bibimbap is a bowl of hot rice served in a bowl topped with a variety of vegetables (cooked and raw) arranged on top. Vegetables can be seasonal, with toraji, bell flower roots, gosari, bracken, bean sprouts, and spinach often served. Other ingredients can include chestnuts, jujubes, ginseng, and a small amount of seafood or meat. An egg may be also served on the top. Most restaurants prepare the dish with a big scoop of gochujang and red pepper paste placed with the vegetables. (Ask for it to be placed on the side if you do not like the taste much.) This dish comes in two ways: a large bowl with rice on the bottom and the other ingredients placed on top, or just the ingredients in the bowl and a separate bowl of rice. Mix all the ingredients together then use your spoon to eat. A bowl of light soup is also served.
Gimbap (김밥)
Gimbap (usually spelled Kimbap) is Korea's most popular and nutritious convenience meal. You can find it sold everywhere: picnics, schoolchildren's lunch boxes, street venders, and convenience stores. A layer of cooked rice is spread over a square piece of gim (dried laver). Various ingredients (including ham, sausage, spinach, cucumber, crab meat, carrots, and radishes) are thinly sliced and placed on top. The laver is rolled into a tube, sliced into sliced pieces, and seasoned with sesame seeds. The idea was borrowed from the Japanese during the colonial period, but Korean Gimbap is slightly different.
How to eat: Each roll is sliced into bite-sized pieces. Eat one at a time with chopsticks. If you eat at a street vender, sometimes you have to use a tooth pick instead of chopsticks.


Dolsot Bibimbap(돌솥비빔밥)
Similar ti Bibimbap, Dolsot Bibimbap's ingerdients include rice and various vegetables (sometimes with meat). While regular Bibimbap is usually served in a cool bowl, Dolsot Bibimbap comes in a hot crock. Also, it usually includes more ingredients.
To eat, mix the ingredients together then eat with a spoon. After eating, poor some hot water into the crock to soften the rice that sticks to the side. Scrape off this rice (called nudungji) and eat it as well.

Jjigae

Jjigae(찌개) is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. A typical jjigae is heavily seasoned with chili peppers and served boiling hot. A Korean meal almost always includes either a jjigae or a guk (soup). Jjigae are divided into various types, depending on either their principal ingredient.

Kimchi Jjigae(김치찌개) Along with doenjang jjigae, this is one of the most common home dishes for common people. Baechu kimchi(cabbage kimchi) makes the best ingredient for this stew. Ripened sour kimchi is sliced and sauteed in salad oil. Then the sauteed kimchi, bean curd, other available vegetables, and noodles are mixed with pork, beef, or sea food (such as oysters) and cooked as a stew. The amount of water and hot pepper paste determine the level of taste and spiciness. How to eat: Eaten with a bowl of rice. Most Koreans mix rice with spoonfuls of stew.
Doenjang jjigae(된장찌개)
If Koreans were asked to nominate a national dish, they would probably name doenjang jjigae. It is eaten very frequently throughout the country. The key to the flavor lies in the quality of the bean paste. Bean paste is made early each Lunar year by soaking meju (bean paste blocks shaped like bricks) in brine for forty days and then draining off the soy sauce this produces. The residue is mashed into a yellow paste. Other ingredients of doenjang jjigae can be tofu, clam meat, pork or beef, but some recipes are meatless. Seasonal vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, green peppers, and onions can also be added. Seasonings include garlic, anchovies, red pepper powder, and salt. A more exotic recipe, known as kungjung doenjang jjigae (royal soybean paste soup) calls for beef, mushrooms, tofu, and gingko nuts.

Budae jjigae is a thick Korean soup similar to a Western stew. Soon after the Korean War, meat was scarce in Korea. Some people made use of surplus foods from U.S. Army bases such as hot dogs and canned ham (such as Spam) and incorporated it into a traditional spicy soup flavored with red chili paste. Budae jjigae is still popular in Korea and the dish often incorporates more modern ingredients such as instant ramen noodles and even sliced American cheese. Other ingredients may include ground beef, beans, green onions, tofu, kimchi, garlic, and mushroom.