• Video and Overview

• Rice

• Kimchi -- national fermented cabbage dish

• Bibimbap -- rice mixture

• Pa Jun -- pancake-like omelets

• Shikhye -- rice and barley drink

• Books on Korean Food

• Ginseng

Video and Overview

See the April 2007 article called Warning: Korean food approaching under guise of Western dishes at: http://www.korea.net/korea/G08_board_view.asp?board_no=86 which show the impact of Korean food on the West now!



See the wonderful 5-minute video on Korean food at: http://english.tour2korea.com/07T2KZone/KoreaInImages/culture_gallery.asp?kosm=m7_4&konum=subm1_2

http://www.dynamic-korea.com/culture/view_culture.php?main=&sub=&uid=200600064979&page=6&keyword=


 

4th UN Korean Food Festival – July 16-27, 2007 

3rd UN Korean Food Festival 2006

http://www.koreanculture.org/special/2006un1/un.htm

Rice

Korean rice is different from most other rice in the world. It is known to Koreans, as sticky. Unlike rice from Southeast Asia or North America, Korean rice is moist and sticks together rather than falling apart. It makes it rather easy to eat with chopsticks. Rice along with kimchi, soup and some other vegetable side dishes is the typical meal eaten in most Korean homes. If you enjoy some meat in your diet, not to worry, there's plenty to feast on. Korean people have always made rice cakes when they had tragic or happy moments in their lives. It was usually a considered good or delicious thing, and that is why rice cakes have been so closely related to all walks of life. So, it is hard to understand Korean people's lives without understanding the symbolic meaning of rice cakes.



For more information, see: http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/ricecake/ricecake.cfm?Subject=types

Also see: http://mykoreankitchen.com/2007/03/03/ddeok-korean-rice-cake-cafe-jilsiru/

Kimchi

Kimchi is the Korean national dish based primarily on fermented cabbage and comes in hundreds of varieties -- some spicy and some mild. Kimchi is a dish of fresh vegetables that are hard to find in the cold winter that are put into a ceramic pot, which is then stored underground and eaten later. To retain vitamins and acid in kimchi, the air in the pot is reduced as possible and the pot is stored in an area where the temperature does not exceed 1 degree Celcius. In Korea, there is a special refrigerator just for kimchi ((a "kimchi fridge") which retains the ideal temperature and also minimizes and contains the smell within the fridge. These refrigerators are available for purchase via the internet at the Samsung or LG home sites.

See the introduction to kimchi at: http://www.mct.go.kr/imagesofkorea/eng/kimchi/sec01_1.htm

http://www.koreanculture.org/

For the amazing benefits of kimchi and the science behind them, see:

http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/KimchiHealthy.html
http://www.chongga.com/info_eng/e1101.asp
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200606/200606050015.html

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/kimchi/kimchi.cfm?xURL=making

Kimchi-Making Event (Kimjang)



Kimjang (Kimchi-making) usually started in late October or early November and lasted for 2 or 3 days with help from many people. The number of cabbages prepared depended on the number of household members, usually between 100 and 200 cabbages. Considering the number of cabbages and amount of preparation for Kimjang, it was not a job for just 1 or 2 persons. People considered it as a major annual event, so close relatives, several neighbor housewives, and a few strong men all pitched in and worked together. People who participated in Kimjang helped wash cabbages, prepared materials, and stuffed ingredients inside each cabbage leaf.

The task usually lasted all day for 2-3 days, so the hostess treated each person to a big lunch every day. After the kimchi-making was done, she also gave some of the kimchi to the participants. When one of the other participants was ready to do their own Kimjang, all of members get together again to help her out. In this way, everyone finished their kimchi-making with help from everyone else. Although the event has grown less important in recent years due to changes in life styles and family size, it was great fun to enjoy the warm heart of neighbors and relatives in times past.

http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/kimchi.htm

Kimchi is a uniquely pungent mixture of fermented vegetables and its variations amounted to roughly 80 kinds of dishes during the Choson period.  For spring, summer and fall consumption, kimchi was cured in a small quantity, but for the winter months, large quantities were made so that it could be eaten over three or four months.  The kimchi-curing for the winter season was called, "kimjang" and was usually done in late November.

In ancient times, kimchi was made of greens picked and salt or a salt and alcohol mixture. By the end of Unified Shillan ad the beginning of Koryo, sliced-radish kimchi pickled in brine became popular. Soon thereafter chili was introduced to Korea around 1500 and it was added to make kimchi as well.  During the late Choson era, powdered chili, together with chotkal  (fish or shellfish paste), became the favored ingredients in kimchi. In the southern regions, the chotkal was amde of anchovies, while in the northern regions, croaker and shrimp chotkal were more popular. The climatic differences of each region affected the taste of kimchi as well. In warm places, chotkal andchili poweder were used in abundance so that kimchi could be prevented from going bad.  On the other hand, kimchi made in colder areas was less salty and pungent. Today, many firms are mass-producing kimchi.
 

Kimchi Pots and Fridge

Every winter, Koreans make kimchi to last for the cold season in a tradition known as “kimjang”. In the past, pots filled with kimchi were stored in holes in the ground to preserve its freshness. This practice had been replaced with the kimchi refrigerator. Kimchi stays fresher longer with a “dimchae” -- another name for the specialized refrigerator. Aside from kimchi, fruits and vegetables also stay fresher inside the kimchi fridge.

 

Bibimbap

See a recipe for Bibimbap at: http://www.koreaneats.com/bibimbap.htm

Here's another recipe: http://www.asiafood.org/bibimbap.cfm

  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap

Shikhye

Shikhye (also occasionally termed "dansul" or "gamju") is one of the most cherished traditional Korean beverages. The DSRG provided shikhye for the Korea Club at the wonderful lunch they served at the opening meeting on May 5. Shikhye is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage usually served as a dessert. What makes it an interesting experience is the presence of soft rice grains at the bottom. Shikhye can also contain pine nuts. It was originally made from the rice that stuck to the sides of the cooker after the rest had been scooped out. It is made by pouring barley malt water onto cooked rice. The combination is then fermented for at least a day, and then boiled with ginger and jujube.  Served chilled, shikhye is known to help the digestion of food and blood circulation.  

See a recipe at: http://www.netcooks.com/recipes/Beverages/Shikhye.-.Sweet.Rice.Nectar.html.

See photos and preparation at: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=51168.

Books on Korean Food

The following books about Korean food are available on Amazon.com.

The first book below is a beautifully illustrated volume chock full of photos of delicious foods!
http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Korean-Cuisine-Recipes-Restaurants/dp/0978541804/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3875333-3707330?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178970248&sr=1-1

The book on the left below discusses growing up in Korea and is an interesting story.
http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Korean-Barbecue-Kimchi-Recipes/dp/0764540785/ref=pd_sim_b_2/102-3875333-3707330

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580082815/ref=pd_dp_1c_1_2/102-3875333-3707330

 Ginseng

See 6 pages of information about Korean Ginseng at: http://www.mct.go.kr/imagesofkorea/eng/insam/sec01_1.htm

For more information, see: http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=G0709

This page was last updated on: 09/15/2007.