As I live in Korea I can offer knowledge about food from Korea. Why should you love Korean food as much as I do? Take a look at these wonderful reasons and you’ll see exactly where my heart and stomach are coming from.
Chicken and beer (치맥)
Fried chicken first appeared in Korea in the ’60s but didn’t become a major phenomenon until the early ’90s. It has grown into a big problem for older entrepreneurs looking to make the most out of their retirement years, with too many restaurants leading to bankruptcies and foreclosures. I tried to support their ventures thanks to a love for that crunch and must include it here. When not helping out mom and pop, I was also buying chicken to be eaten at baseball games. The fried chicken is often served alongside some pickled daikon radish and shredded cabbage slaw with a creamy dressing, the richness of the meat tempered by the acid of the pickle and the sweetness of the sauce cut by the bitterness of Korean beer. For those who enjoy—and who does not?—that pleasant stupefaction that comes from overwhelming the limbic system with fat and carbs and sugar and salt and liquor, chimaek is among the most potent delivery systems ever devised.
Gamjatang (감자탕)
Gamjatang (감자탕) or sorts of soups are great ways to hang out with friends. It is a type of pork back-bone stew is a spicy Korean soup made from the spine or neck bones of a pig. It often contains potatoes, cellophane noodles, dried radish greens, perilla leaves, green onions, hot peppers and ground sesame seeds.
Samgyetang (chicken soup)
It should get thrown into the chicken category but its mythical heat-beating properties as soup help it live here. In summer, Koreans eat chickens cooked in a special way to treat heat. This dish is called “Samgyetang.” It literally means “Chicken ginseng soup.” Koreans enjoys this dish especially on 3 particular days called Chobok, Jungbok and Malbok. It is collectively called Sambok, known as the hottest days.
Mul naengmyeon (물냉면)
It is one of favorite summer treats and a great way to cool off from the hot weather. It is a delectable recipe of cold, chewy noodles bathed in an Asian spicy sauce, garnished with julienned cucumber, Korean pear slices, pickled radish strips and a boiled egg on top.
Ban Chan
Ban chan (반찬) is one those wonderful side dishes that come out as you wait for your meal. The Korean small plates called banchan (which literally translates to "side dishes,") are served ahead of the main course, but they're not appetizers. They represent a category unto themselves: snacks-within-a-meal that function as complements, contrasts, and condiments all at once. If they want people to keep coming back, then the side dishes have to help guide the experience.
