Korean cooking for total noobs.
Cheong Guk Jang is a health food full of nutrients, most notably Vitamin K2. Fermented foods are rich in this rare but powerful vitamin that activates calcium-building proteins (healthy bones and teeth!). This pungent bean paste is also full of beneficial bacteria for digestive health which has shown to affect all aspects of a person’s … Read more
WHY IS KOREAN FOOD SO POPULAR? Koreans have been emigrating since 1905 (to work in Hawaiian pineapple plantations) but Korean food has taken over a century to finally take off to mainstream popularity. It’s taken Korean movies, (Oldboy -2003), cars (Hyundai-2004), electronics (TV’s and smartphones-2006), beauty products(face sheet masks-2016), and most notably music (BTS-2017) for … Read more
Korean food can be part of a healthy diet if cooked with care to avoid the overuse of salt and sugars. Swap out fattier cuts of meat for leaner ones and even more dishes can be made healthy. There is no hiding the fact that modern Korean foods are saltier and sweeter than ever. If … Read more
What is a typical Korean meal? The components in a typical Korean meal include: Rice, Soup or Stew, BANCHAN (side dishes) and a feature main course (usually a meat dish). There may be greens and dip to assemble and eat together (SSAM). How Do You Eat Korean Food? There aren’t many rules other than the … Read more
What is Korean food? Korean food is unique in its characteristics of being able to offer all the flavours we are able to perceive on our taste buds in one meal. Exciting the taste buds differently with foods that taste bitter, sweet, salty, sour and umami makes eating a truly memorable experience. Fats and spiciness … Read more
How spicy is Korean food? Korean foods are surprisingly not as spicy as people think. The Korean chili pepper used to make GOCHUJANG and GOCHUGARU actually comes in at a mild rating of under 2,500 Scoville units. Foods like TTEOKBOKKI (rice cakes in hot pepper sauce) and FIRE INSTANT NOODLES have been made extra hot … Read more
Why is Korean food so popular? Layers of savoury flavours, sweetness and (gentle or deadly!) heat add up to an addicting combination for most people. It’s said that Korean cuisine can offer spicy, bitter, sour, sweet and salty flavours to delight the taste buds. Variations in texture can be quite pleasing as well. Although these … Read more
The SEMPIO brand in Korea makes two types of YANGJO (naturally brewed) soy sauce. Sempio 501 and Sempio 701 are both naturally brewed soy sauces that most households use on a daily basis. SEMPIO 501 is the best-selling soy sauce in Korea because it is naturally brewed and economical. SEMPIO 701 has 0.2% more Total … Read more
What is the difference between JIN GANJANG and YANGJO GANJANG? The following takes specific examples from Korea’s best-selling soy sauce company- and the most widely available brand in grocers’ outside of Korea: SEMPIO. Sempio’s JIN GANJANG is considered a cheap blended cooking soy sauce that you can buy at their lowest price point. Keep in … Read more
This is the preferred soy sauce of most Korean households today. With most leading busy, modern lives, you’ll be hard pressed to find many families spending much time cooking let alone fermenting soybeans for months or years. Commercially made GUK GANJANG are generally regarded as cheap and low quality products (not to be confused with … Read more