If you're anything like me, you're probably a self-proclaimed foodie. Dictionary.com (yes, you read that right) defines a foodie as "a person keenly interested in food, especially in eating or cooking."
Like most foodies, you probably like to try new things. Yet sometimes, you just want to trace your roots back to where your sense of food adventure started. For me, it all began with my mother's delicious cooking. Being Korean, you can bet that my taste buds were "woke" early thanks to the rainbow palette of flavors often seen in Korean food.
Having been #blessed early on, it would be selfish of me to keep this glorious world of food found in my culture a secret. Let me introduce you to five of my favorite Korean soul foods and links to recipes in case you wanted to try making these at home.
1. Bibimbap
It's spicy enough to light your tongue on fire. It's popular enough for veteran YouTuber Ryan Higa to feature it in his "ChildrensBOP!" video back in 2009. So popular that the dish made it into CNN's reader poll. It's the one, the only, bibimbap.
Translated, the dish's name is literally "mixed rice" and that's exactly what it is.
At the bottom of the dish is the steaming, hot rice. Layered on top is a colorful array of vegetables and your choice of marinated meat. At the top is an egg fried sunny-side up. Bringing all of these ingredients all together to create that spicy dish is gochujang. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!
2. Chimek
"Chimek" is a portmanteau of the words "chicken" and mekju (translated: beer). It's literally a plate of chicken wings with a can of beer to wash it all down. So what makes this so special?
The concept of "chimek" has less to do with the food and drinks (though it does play a part) and more to do with the drinking culture in Korea. As with any culture, drinking is seen as a significant part of Korea's rigid social structure.
For the sake of length, I'm obviously oversimplifying, but drinking is tied with showing respect for your elders (i.e. never let their cups go dry by pouring those drinks using both hands) and bonding and letting loose with your boss and coworkers. It's gotten to the point where refusing a drink is often seen as rude, so keep that in mind the next time you find yourself in Korea.
Recipe (While there are plenty of recipes that you can try, this one happens to be one of my personal favorites).
3. Hodduk
This one is a personal favorite of mine, so forgive me for my oozing bias.
Hodduk is just like your everyday pancake, except it's more of a street food than a breakfast food (but who's stopping you, really). The dough typically consists of wheat flour among other ingredients, but plenty of food have some type of flour. The real treat is the syrupy filling inside.
While Americans usually like to drizzle their pancakes with sticky maple syrup, Koreans (at least, yours truly) prefer to take it one step further and use brown sugar/honey, chopped nuts and cinnamon to create an extra sweet and savory flavor to coat your throat.
4. Patbingsu
With summer coming up in a few months, you're probably already thinking about desserts that'll help you to cool down. Luckily, Korea's got you covered.
This succulent treat perfectly combines the coolness of the shaved ice, the savory flavor of sweet red beans, the chewiness of mochi bits, the sweetness of condensed milk and the tanginess of your choice of fruits.
The final product is an Instagram-able dessert that's guaranteed to make your followers jealous.
5. K-BBQ
Of course, no Korean food list is truly complete without Korean BBQ. What's more, you can never go wrong with K-BBQ because the choices are endless. K-BBQ is more than a simple meal. Like any BBQ, it's a fun event. The variety of food that goes into creating this unique experience plays with your taste buds.
This requires patience. The cooking of the meat is an art in itself. Plus, it's a great first date idea (trust me, it is). It's fine to do this on your own, but your experience is guaranteed to be much more enhanced if you involve family and/or friends.
Your typical K-BBQ consists of whatever meat your hungry stomach desires. Personally, I like the pork belly or samgyeopsal just because it reminds me of all those times throughout my childhood when my family would gather around the table on a Sunday evening to enjoy this delicious meal.
For those wanting more flavors, marinated meat like bulgogi or galbi is a fantastic option. Like any Korean meal, you will also have side dishes and your choice of dipping sauce like ssamjang or gochujang.
Now, be free. Go explore this wonderfully delicious world of Korean food. Your taste buds will thank you later.
