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Foodie and amateur chef embracing Korean cuisine.
Story behind this food blog
My fellow waygookins (non-Korean people), I’m going to come out and say it: Koreans win at food. Sure, America may be the melting pot of cuisines from across the globe. But the Korean cuisine wave is coming, and we should be excited and embrace it. Despite being a rather small peninsula about the size of Indiana, no other culture brings such a vast and varied array of food to the table. They’ve got land, they’ve got mountains, they’ve got sea, they’ve had thousands of years of cross-cultural exchange with Asia, and they’ve got remnants of an American military complex. Taken together, Korean cuisine is at a crossroads, with a proud national identity that separates Koreans (naegookin) with foreigners (waygookin).
In big cities like the capital Seoul, restaurants generally focus on one type of food, and they do it well. BBQ. Kimchi Jigae. Bibimbap. Dak Galbi. That’s not quite like the American diner, where it’s the “I’ll have an omelet and cheeseburger and stir fry and steak and pizza” way. Our menus scream identity crisis. That’s not to say that Korean doesn’t have their larger-variety menu restaurant, it’s called a Sikgdang, which roughly translates to “dining room,” but is more akin to an upscale diner. Koreans pick their menu, and execute, and what’s not to admire about that?
Not all Korean food is spicy. Don’t get me wrong, they can do spice. The Korean green (unripe) chili pepper (gochu) packs 1,500 Scovilles. In its red form, it’s dried to make a red chili powder (gochugaru) clocking in at up to 10,000 Scovilles. That’s the basis of spiciness in Korean cuisine, with a wide margin of heat. So that characteristic red color of jigaes (a type of soup), kimchi (preserved napa cabbage), and gochujang (red pepper paste) come from gochu, and it is a welcome addition to the international spice palate.
What I find truly commendable about Korean cuisine is the rice selection. Yes, there’s the typical medium-grained jasmine (white) rice that we so often associate Asian cultures with. But they also make heavy use of brown, black, and purple rice. These higher-fiber options all have a lower glycemic index than white rice, and are viable options for those who have sensitivity to carbohydrate quantities.
For those with dietary constraints, Korean lends itself pretty nicely. Pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan preparations are possible and encouraged, with a nice showcasing of sea life and tofu for protein sources. Even the hallmark dish kimchi can be made “vegan,” by dropping the anchovy paste. But also with the right brands of tamari (a type of soy sauce), gochujang (red pepper paste), and duanjang (soybean paste), gluten-free preparations are definitely available. Potato or acorn noodles are naturally GF. Also, glutinous rice (used in rice cakes) does not actually contain gluten, it’s a weird misnomer in translation.
As more and more Korean restaurants pop up in the US, I am encouraged. Sure, they mostly cater to the lowest common denominator, which is barbeque. But explore the menu a bit more. Try some appetizers, some soups, some rice dishes, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The Korean wave (hallyu) is here, and from a distinctly non-Korean vantage point, let’s explore the diverse culinary options and learn recipes to cook at home in an adaptable way to fit your lifestyle! I’ll also review Korean restaurants in around the US, hopefully there’s one near your home town!
napa cabbage
