Korean cuisine is characterised by bright flavours, vivid colours and strong culinary traditions. It includes fresh vegetables, rice, meat products and fermented ingredients to produce healthy food. Korean culinary culture is associated with balance, beautiful plating and communal dining.
The most well-known Korean dish is bibimbap. This meal contains hot rice covered with vegetables, meat, fried egg and spicy gochujang sauce. All these ingredients have to be mixed by consumers while eating.
Kimchi is also one of the major elements of Korean food culture. It is a vegetable dish containing cabbage, radish, garlic, red pepper and other seasonings which are traditionally fermented. It accompanies most meals and is appreciated not only because of its tasty composition but also due to health benefits.
In addition, Korean meals may involve the famous barbecue. Here, thin slices of beef and pork marinated beforehand are roasted at customers’ tables together with rice and vegetables.
Rice is an integral ingredient of most Korean dishes and is served with banchan – numerous small side dishes of vegetables, pickles, tofu and fish.
Noodle meals, such as japchae (sweet potato and vegetable stew), can be considered another Korean culinary specialty. It is often served at festive occasions.
Most Korean foods are combined according to their spiciness, savoury and slightly sweet taste. Moreover, the presence of fermented ingredients gives many dishes special taste.
In conclusion, the variety of tasty foods, health benefits and rich tradition of Korean cuisine are the reasons why it has become so popular in the modern world.
