If you’ve been to Korea, or simply eaten Korean food, then you definitely know kimchi. You might also recognize some other Korean side dishes, but why are they always there? Side dishes, known as banchan (반찬) in Korean, have a long history in Korea and remain a staple of local cuisine. With so many regional variations and contemporary recipes, you’ll never run out of new banchan to try. To help you get started on your banchan journey, we’ve comprised a list of the top 15 banchan along with a short recipe for you to try at home.  What Are Banchan? Banchan (반찬) is the Korean word for small ..read more

Do you know one of the best sweet-spicy chicken dishes in South Korea? No, it is not fried chicken – although that is definitely delicious. It is Andong Jjimdak, a sweet, savoury and spicy dish made of chicken braised with vegetables and sticky (or glass) noodles. Andong Jjimdak originates from Andong, a city in the south of South Korea, and is well-known for being reasonably cheap compared with the quality or value for culinary aspects. The portions are huge and filling because there are so many vegetables in the dish. Andong Jjimdak is inspired from the traditional Dakjjim and developed as S ..read more

It is often said that Koreans cannot go one day without eating rice, and once you come to Korea, you find out it is true! Rice is the most important ingredient in Korean cuisine. Typically, Korean rice can be eaten during all three meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – people will never get sick of eating it. Rice can be simply served as a side dish to soups, stews, and barbecue. It can be mixed with vegetables and meat. It can be fried with sausage and egg. It can be ground and made into rice cakes, or even bread. It suffices to say that there are plenty of ways to cook with rice, and Korean ..read more

It is no secret that Koreans love probiotics. Kimchi is eaten daily – often twice or three times per day – and contains a wealth of probiotics to help keep your gut healthy and happy. Besides kimchi, yogurt also naturally contains a lot of probiotic microorganisms. However, Koreans also like adding probiotics to food, and even to skincare! There are many probiotic cleansers and creams on the market, as they are said to help balance and restore your microbiome. But even more popular than that, are probiotic drinks. You have probably received a probiotic drink at a Korean restaurant, something l ..read more

You are on a trip to Seoul, what is on your to-do list? Of course, you need to see the palaces, maybe Gyeongbokgung traditional palace or Changdeokgung. You definitely go to Gangnam to go shopping, and to Itaewon to go clubbing. You visit Namsan Tower to get the best views of the city and to have a little hike. But where do you go to experience some traditional Korean street food and eating culture? To traditional markets of course! And luckily, Seoul has many wonderful traditional markets for you to roam, where you can not just try the most delicious street food but where you can also buy clo ..read more

Although seaweed on the beach might not look and smell the most appetizing, in South Korea seaweed is transformed into a delicious ingredient that is used in many different dishes, or eaten as a snack on its own. There are many different kinds of seaweed, and countless delicious seaweed dishes, soups, garnishes, and savory snacks. Seaweed really is an indispensable ingredient in Korean cuisine, so today let’s have a look at the most commonly enjoyed types of seaweed. What Is Korean Seaweed Colloquially, Korean seaweed is called Gim (also spelled Kim, 김 in Korean). Gim refers to all kinds of s ..read more

Although other East Asian cuisines – such as Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese – had long been popular in the United States, Korean food has recently risen in popularity. And astronomically so. Where 20 to 30 years ago Korean restaurants in the US mainly catered to Korean-Americans, nowadays you can find Korean food even on menus of popular US fast food chains. KBBQ, bulgogi, and fried chicken restaurants are popping up everywhere, whilst fusion dishes – such as kimchi fries or Korean tacos – are becoming mainstream. Let’s have a look at the most popular Korean food in America! Korean Food in ..read more

It is no secret that Koreans love eating noodles. There is such a huge variety of noodle dishes: cold noodles, hot noodles, spicy noodles, black noodles, ramyeon, chewy noodles, and so on. Noodles are often eaten on special occasions, such as weddings and birthdays, but many people also order them to eat at home when they do not feel like cooking. And of course, ramyeon (the Korean word for ramen) is enjoyed any time of the day! Let’s have a look at some of most famous Korean noodles and ramen dishes. Korean Noodle And Ramen Culture Korean Noodle dishes are some of the most commonly eaten dis ..read more

Korean culture has been taking over the world. What started with K-pop and famous artists like Super Junior, Blackpink, and later BTS, has now led to a full-blown K-wave. Korean skincare is seen as some of the best skincare available, Korean movies like Parasite are becoming more popular every year, and Korean dramas like Squid Game are taking over Netflix. That Korean culture is becoming more popular globally is also evident from our language more and more people know what Kimchi is, or what you will eat and drink when you go out for Chimaek. This rapid increase in popularity is evidenced by ..read more

South Korean dalgona took the world by storm in 2020 and 2021. What started with the Dalgona Coffee trend on TikTok culminated with the appearance of this simple, sweet candy on the popular Netflix show Squid Game. Dalgona became famous all over the world, with many people recreating dalgona recipes and playing the dalgona game. But, dalgona has been around much, much longer in South Korea. How did this cheap street food, which is literally made with just sugar and baking soda, become so popular? Let’s find out! What Is Dalgona? Dalgona is a Korean street food that is made with just 2 ingredi ..read more