The origins of Korean cuisine go back more than 2000 years and during this time it has evolved along with the cultural and social development of the country.

This cuisine, although not yet as widespread as Japanese or Chinese cuisine, is growing in popularity thanks to its wealth of flavors and healthy ingredients that make it unique.

Generally, Korean meals consist of 3 main dishes: Steamed rice (bap), soup (guk), and various side dishes (bancian) which are served at the same time.

Rice is undoubtedly one of the most used ingredients. Rice (usually steamed) can also be cooked together with other cereals such as barley, sorghum but also with beans, corn and seeds.

The soup has two main variations: the first is guk which is a watery soup and sometimes, it can be called ttang. Jjigae is similar to a stew: less watery and with a stronger taste. Usually jjigae is served in a large pot placed in the center of the table from which all diners can help themselves at will.

Korean outlines

In Korean cuisine there is a huge variety of side dishes. The ubiquitous dish is undoubtedly Kimchi - 김치 (chimci in Italian pronunciation). Kimchi consists of fermented vegetables (Chinese cabbage the most popular, but also horseradish, cucumber, eggplant, courgette, spring onions, and so on) prepared with red chilli powder, fermented fish sauce, rice and pears. There are also many types of non-spicy kimchi, called mul-kimchi, and vinegar is used in preparing them.

Just like Italian cuisine, Korean cuisine is characterized by a great regional variety , making it one of the most complete cuisines in the world.

The most commonly used ingredients for the dressing are hot pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce, soybean paste and chilli. In particular, the last two toppings, soybean paste and soy sauce, are fermented foods and are considered a cure-all for health.

In Korean cuisine, chili pepper is used in many preparations but it is not a traditional ingredient as it was introduced in Korea only 500 years ago.

There are some herbs that Koreans often use in their dishes. One of the most common are perrilla leaves (same family as sesame and mint) which have a truly unique scent.

As for cooking methods, the main ones are boiling, steaming or grilling. Frying is only used for a few dishes, but nowadays this cooking method is used more and more due to the influence of Western and Chinese cuisine.