Korean cooking for total noobs.
Okay, okay, calm down folks, you made it to the star ingredient. GOCHUJANG is a paste made from GOCHUGARU (Korean red pepper powder), rice, fermented soybean powder, and salt. You can use it for marinade recipes, add a spoonful to soups and stews or enjoy it with Korean BBQ as a dip. You can make … Read more
Ah, Korea’s olive oil. The finishing touch that adds a special glimmer to any dish. Love it or hate it: It’s got a strong scent that won’t be denied. What can I tell you? You can cook Korean food without it, but it just won’t be the same. I would either put minimal amounts until … Read more
This is THE quintessential Korean ingredient that gives Korean food its signature colour and heat. Oh yes, talk to anyone about Korean food and they think of RED, HOT, SPICY dishes like Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes), Kimchi Jjigae (Stew) or Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodles). But here’s the deal. GOCHUGARU is actually not that spicy (insert … Read more
What is salted shrimp? Salted or fermented shrimp is a heavily salted product that has fermented to a stinky, flavourful ingredient. Believe it or not, this is a subtler alternative to fish sauce. This is ideal when you want to enhance the flavour of a dish with salt that include faint notes of seafood. People … Read more
WHAT ARE KOREAN tteokbokki RICE CAKEs Korean Tteokbokki rice cakes are made GARAE-TTEOK. Rice flour (with some salt) and water and mixed, then steamed, then pounded until the dough becomes elastic. It is rolled into cylinders and at this point they’re called GARAETTEOK. GARAE refers to its similarity in shape to a traditional Korean farming … Read more
Korean rice is white, short grain rice. It can go by the name Calrose rice. It is also the same type as Japanese rice which is also sushi rice. It has a sticky texture so it is also sometimes referred to as “sticky rice” as well. Isn’t it fun how confusing rice can be? Note: … Read more
WHAT IS SSAMJANG? SSAMJANG is the savoury dip and ready-to-eat condiment sold to enjoy with Korean grilled foods. “JANG” refers to a salty (fermented) seasoning. “SSAM” refers to the bundle of food you make by wrapping rice/meat in a flexible leaf like lettuce. It translates to a seasoning paste for food wraps. It is most … Read more
What is Gim? What is Korean roasted sea laver? Gim is made from harvested edible seaweed that is washed and pressed into thin layers and dried until crisp. Although it used to be collected from the rocks it grew on, due to immense global demand, most seaweed is now farmed on floating rope racks that … Read more