Korean Food 101: A Glimpse into Everyday Dining

75 Representative Food Recipes: Staple for Learning How to Cook Korean Food Giving Tips on Shopping for Ingredients Easily in Other Countries To enjoy Korean food culture with other citizens of the world, the Korean Food Foundation and Hollym Corp., Publishers published the Korean cookbook: The Korean Kitchen: 75 Healthy, Delicious and Easy Recipes. The book was released to introduce representative Korean traditional dishes. The book provides not only 75 Korean food recipes, but also basic ingredients of Korean cuisine, techniques to make Korean dishes, and the traditional Korean table setting. Because purchasing ingredients is an important part of cooking Korean food, the book especially gives tips on shopping for ingredients easily in other countries. The book also refers to some alternative food materials as a tip on the recipes. Its Korean edition is also published. The book contains representative Korean recipes such as rice mixed with vegetables and beef (bibimbap), spicy soft dubu stew (sundubu-jjigae), dumplings (mandu), grilled marinated beef (bulgogi), and braised short ribs in soy sauce (galbi-jjim), etc. The recipes are divided into (1) Rice, Porridge and Noodles, (2) Soups and Stews, (3) Special Dishes, (4) Side Dishes, (5) Kimchi, and (6) Desserts. There were many photos to illustrate steps and clearer explanation in the recipes of the book. Through this book, readers will be able to cook from everyday dishes to fancy feasts to beverages and desserts. Korean cuisine has gained world-wide attention as healthful foods because of the increased number of grains and vegetables compared to Western foods, as well as the scientifically proven benefits of fermented foods. Additionally, “Korean kimchi and kimchi culture” was listed as a UNESCO world intangible cultural heritage in December, 2013; thus, Korean food culture is not only a Korean resource but also a world wide cultural asset that should be preserved and passed on. In this time, The Korean Kitchen will be good choice for people interested in Korean home cooking and for Korean-Americans who want to learn how to cook Korean. This book might be a good friend to the global kitchen. CONTENTSKorea Cuisine CultureIngredients and Basic Techniques of Korean CuisineTop 12 Korean FoodRice, Porridge and NoodlesSoups and StewsSpecial DishesSide DishesKimchiDesserts

“Hansik is not just food-it is a living culture shaped by nature, philosophy, and the Korean way of life.”Food as Culture, Not Merely CuisineRooted in centuries of history and shaped by Korea’s natural environment, philosophy, and way of life, hansik-Korean cuisine-is far more than a collection of dishes. It is a living cultural system that reflects how Koreans understand nature, community, and the human body. Four Seasons of Hansik invites readers to encounter Korean culture through food, revealing how everyday meals embody emotional sensibilities, aesthetic values, and a deep respect for balance and harmony.A Cuisine Shaped by Land, Sea, and SeasonsKorea’s geography and four distinct seasons have shaped a cuisine deeply attuned to nature. Surrounded by seas and rich in mountains and plains, the Korean Peninsula fostered a food culture centered on rice, seafood, wild greens, and fermented staples. Seasonal foods (sijeolsik)-from spring herbs and summer stamina dishes to autumn harvest foods and winter fermentation-reflect the belief that food and medicine share the same origin. Eating in season is presented not only as a culinary preference, but as a philosophy of living in rhythm with nature.Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, and the Harmony of TasteCentral to hansik is the harmony of yin and yang and the Five Elements, which guide the balance of flavors, colors, and ingredients. Sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty tastes are combined to nourish specific organs and maintain bodily equilibrium. Dishes such as bibimbap exemplify this principle, blending multiple flavors and colors into a single, balanced whole. The book also introduces gamchilmat, the deep umami flavor born from fermentation and time, which has become a defining characteristic of Korean taste.Fermentation and the Depth of FlavorFermented foods such as kimchi, doenjang, gochujang, and jeotgal form the backbone of Korean cuisine. Through carefully managed fermentation, these foods develop complex layers of flavor that deepen over time. The book shows how fermentation is not only a method of preservation, but a cultural practice that connects Korean food to nature, patience, and collective memory-qualities increasingly valued in contemporary global food culture.Elegance, Restraint, and the Korean TableBeyond taste, Four Seasons of Hansik explores the elegance and restraint that define Korean food culture. Values such as moderation, balance, and communal sharing are reflected in table settings, side dishes, and traditional vessels including celadon, white porcelain, onggi, woodenware, and bangjja yugi (brassware). Food is presented without excess, emphasizing harmony between people, nature, and the table.Hansik as Living Cultural HeritageBy weaving together philosophy, regional foodways, seasonal customs, and aesthetic traditions, this book offers an immersive introduction to Korean cuisine as cultural heritage. It invites readers to see hansik not simply as what Koreans eat, but as how they live-how a single bowl of rice can carry history, care, and a way of life, and how Korean cuisine continues to speak to the modern world through timeless principles of balance and harmony.Table of Contents Prologue Elegance Beyond Delicacies in HansikHallyu: Spawning Culture through FoodThe Flavors of Korean CuisineThe Style of Korean CuisineThe Four Seasons of HansikSpringSummerAutumnWinterEpilogue

"A moving exploration of how Koreans understand death not as an end, but as a continuation of life."Death as Continuation, Not an EndingIn many cultures, death marks a definitive end. In Korean tradition, however, death is understood as a continuation-a passage within a much larger cycle of life. INSEPARABLE explores this distinctive worldview through Korea’s rituals, beliefs, and emotional practices surrounding death, revealing how the living and the departed remain deeply connected.Accompanying the DepartedRather than approaching death with finality or fear, Korean culture treats it as a transition that must be carefully prepared for, guided, and accompanied. This book introduces readers to traditional funeral rites such as chohon (summoning the spirit), ssitgimgut (purification rituals), banham (placing rice in the deceased’s mouth), kkotsangyeo (flower-adorned biers), and sasipgujae (the forty-ninth-day memorial rites). Each ritual reflects a profound desire to ensure that the departed do not walk alone on their final journey.Consoling the Spirit, Healing the LivingCentral to the Korean view of death is the belief that the soul does not vanish abruptly. It lingers, hesitates, and requires comfort and guidance. Funeral rituals therefore serve a dual purpose: they lead the spirit safely to the afterlife while also consoling those left behind. The wailing cry (goksori), for example, is not merely an expression of grief but a sound believed to illuminate the path for the deceased, preventing them from losing their way. In this sense, mourning becomes an act of care, and sorrow becomes a form of companionship.Where Life Begins and EndsThe book also examines Korea’s unique understanding of life’s origins through the tradition of taemudeom, the placental chamber. By honoring the placenta-the very beginning of life-with burial rites as significant as those for the body, Korean culture reveals a worldview in which birth and death are inseparably linked. Life does not begin solely at birth, nor does it end at death; both exist along an unbroken continuum connecting ancestors and descendants.Rituals of Beauty and DignityBlending shamanistic, Buddhist, and Confucian influences, Korean funeral culture does not seek to hide death but to face it with beauty, dignity, and communal presence. Food, clothing, song, and ceremony are offered to the departed as acts of generosity-much like preparing a loved one for a long journey. These rituals express respect not only for the dead but also for the relationships that persist beyond separation.An Invitation to UnderstandingWritten with empathy and clarity, INSEPARABLE avoids technical abstraction in favor of human stories, poetic reflections, and visual documentation. It welcomes readers unfamiliar with Korean culture, encouraging understanding and emotional resonance rather than detached explanation. In doing so, the book speaks to a universal longing-to believe that parting does not mean disappearance, and that love continues beyond death.Images Bridging the Dreamlike and the RealEach chapter of the book is accompanied by works by visual artist Park Chanho, who has long explored Korea’s ritual traditions and the profound question of death. His photographs carry a dreamlike atmosphere rich in mythic and shamanistic symbolism, while remaining deeply grounded in tangible reality. Placed alongside the literary text, Park’s images visually expand the emotional landscape and ritual sensibilities surrounding death in Korean culture, guiding readers toward deeper reflection.Forever InseparableUltimately, INSEPARABLE invites readers to reconsider death not as an ending, but as an invitation: an invitation to remember, to accompany, and to accept the inevitable with tenderness. Through the Korean perspective, death becomes something that binds the living and the departed together-forever inseparable. Table of ContentsAUTHORS' NOTE: As with life today, May tomorrow's death be a beautiful blessing - 008PART 1: AN INVITATION TO ETERNAL TIMEChohon (Summoning the Deceased's Spirit): Calling the Spirit of the Departed from This World - 014Jeoseung Saja (Grim Reaper): A Guide Who Leads the Way to the Afterlife - 022Ssitgimgut (Purification Ritual): Washing the Spirit of the Dead and Leading It to a Good Place - 030Suui (Shroud): The Last Clothes in This World - 040Goksori (Wailing Cry): A Lament Expressing Deep Grief - 050Taemudeom (Placental Chamber): The Cord That Connects Me to My Ancestors - 060PART 2: JOURNEY TO A PLACE OF NO RETURNBanham (Placing Rice in the Deceased's Mouth): Seed Money for the Afterlife - 072Kkotsangyeo (Flower-Adorned Bier): Walking the Flower Path to a Place Beyond the Sky - 080Pungsujiri & Myotjari (Feng Shui & Grave Sites): Dreaming of Wealth and Honor for Generations to Come - 092Sasipgujae (49th Day Memorial Service): Seven Seven-Day Rites, Wishing for a Better Rebirth - 104Hwansaeng (Reincarnation): Endless Journey from Karma to Karma - 114PART 3: FESTIVAL FOR THE DEPARTED AND THE LIVINGSamiljang (Three-Day Funeral Service): Parting Together, Doing Your Best - 124Sangyeosori (Funeral Procession Song): Epic of Life and Death - 134Jangryenori (Funeral Play): Crying and Laughing, Leaving and Sending - 146Noje (Road Rites): Greetings on the Way Out - 156PART 4: MEMORIES ENGRAVED IN THE MIND AND HEARTSinju (Ancestral Tablet): House of the Spirit of the Dead - 166Samnyeonsang (Three-Year Mourning Period): Returning Grace and Completing Three Years of Mourning - 178Sabugok (Song of a Widow Missing Her Husband): Tragic Love That Transcends Death - 188Bujangpoom (Tomb Furnishings): Connecting Past and Present - 198Gijesa & Charye (Death Anniversary Customs & Ancestral Rites on Holidays): Gathering Every Year to Remember - 206

Dieses Kochbuch zeigt, wie einfach man leckere koreanische Gerichte auf den Tisch zaubern kann. Die Autorin hat 28 beliebte koreanische Rezepte ausgewählt, die sowohl vegetarische als auch Gerichte mit Fisch, Fleisch oder Geflügel umfassen. Dabei dürfen auch die im Westen besonders beliebten Gerichte bulgogi (herzhaft-süßes Feuerfleisch) und Kimchi (fermentierter Chinakohl) nicht fehlen. Die koreanische Küche ist herzhaft, gesund, vielfältig und einfach zuzubereiten. Wer zum ersten Mal koreanische Gerichte probiert, dem eröffnet sich ein ganz neuer Geschmackskosmos, denn die koreanische Küche besitzt ganz charakteristische Aromen, die sie merkbar von anderen asiatischen Länderküchen abhebt. Dabei benötigt man für eine wirklich authentische Küche nur wenige, wenn auch unentbehrliche koreanische Zutaten. Rote Chilipaste, Sesampaste und Sojasauce gibt es heutzutage in jedem Asienladen zu kaufen gibt. Abgesehen davon zeichnet sich die koreanische Küche eher durch die Vielfalt der verwendeten Gemüsesorten aus, die es aber auch bei uns überall zu kaufen gibt. Das sind einfach beste Voraussetzungen, um sich in das Abenteuer „Lust auf Koreanisch“ zu stürzen! Über die Autorin Jia Choi ist Präsidentin von O’ngo Food Communications in Seoul. In ihrer Arbeit bedient sie sich ihrer eigenen Erfahrungen im Ausland, um Menschen aus aller Welt die koreanische Essenskultur nahe zu bringen.Der Firmenname O’ngo bedeutet: „Belebung der Tradition durch Modernisierung.“ Nach dieser Maxime sieht Choi ihre Aufgabe darin, herauszufinden, wie traditionelle koreanische Gerichte schneller, einfacher und sogar noch köstlicher zubereitet werden können.Choi ist Experte für die koreanische Küche und erhielt ihren Doktortitel in Ernährungswissenschaften an der Ewha Womans University. Sie betreibt eine Kochschule für koreanische Küche und organisiert kulinarische Reisen. InhaltFLEISCH & GEFLÜGEL01 Geschmortes Huhn in Sojasauce (jjimdak)02 Gegrilltes Hühnchen (dak gui)03 Koreanische Barbecue-Ribs (LA galbi)04 Frittiertes Hühnchen in süß-scharfer Sauce (dak gangjeong)05 Mariniertes Rindfleisch aus der Pfanne (bulgogi)06 Herzhafte Hühnchenpfanne (dak galbi)07 Scharfes Schweinefleisch aus der Pfanne (jeyuk bokkeum) GEMÜSE & SALAT08 Gekühlter Rettich-Salat (mu saengchae)09 Frühlingssalat mit Schnittknoblauch (buchu muchim)10 Frischer Chinakohl-Salat (geotjeori)11 Knackige Sojasprossen (kongnamul muchim)12 Mildwürziger Spinat (sigeumchi namul)13 Zucchini Salat (hobak namul)REISGERICHTE14 Gebratener Reis mit Kimchi (kimchi bokkeumbap)15 Bibimbap im Steintopf (dolsot bibimbap)16 Mehrkornreis im Steintopf (yeongyang dolsotbap)NUDEL- UND EIERGERICHTE17 Glasnudelsalat mit gemischten Pilzen (beoseot japchae)18 Nudeln mit scharfem Tintenfisch (ojingeo somyeon)19 Pfannkuchen mit Meeresfrüchten (haemul pajeon)20 Bunter Nudelsalat (jaengban gugksu)BOHNEN & TOFU21 Gebratener Tofu mit scharfer Sauce (dubu jorim)22 Kasserolle mit Seiden-Tofu (sundubi jjigae)23 Heißer Eintopf mit Sojabohnenpaste (doenjang jjigae)KIMCHI24 Kimchi aus Chinakohl (baechu kimchi)25 Gurken-Kimchi (oi kimchi)26 Weißer Rettich-Kimchi (kkagdugi)27 Kimchi-Pfannkuchen (kimchi jeon)28 Tofu mit gebratenem Kimchi (dubu kimchi)  

Ogam - Hören, Riechen, Sehen, Fühlen und Schmecken.Ogam steht für die fünf Sinne: Hören, Riechen, Sehen, Fühlen und natürlich Schmecken. Ob das Brutzeln von Jeon in der Pfanne, der Duft von fermentiertem Kimchi oder die Farbvielfalt in Kimbap – in Korea ist Essen mehr als reine Nahrungsaufnahme. Dieses Buch bietet eine Einführung in die Vielfalt der koreanischen Küche: von Streetfood über Kimchi bis hin zu beliebten Klassikern wie Japchae und Bibimbap. Es zeigt, wie Farben, Aromen und Texturen miteinander kombiniert werden. Eine Einladung, Korea kulinarisch zu entdecken – mit allen Sinnen.Leseprobe Über die Autorin Sung-A ist gebürtige Hamburgerin mit koreanischen Wurzeln und eine leidenschaftliche Hobbyköchin. Seit klein auf ist sie mit der koreanischen Küche aufgewachsen und half ihrer Mutter bei der Zubereitung traditioneller Gerichte, die sie bis heute prägen. Was zunächst als Idee begann, die beliebten Familienrezepte für ihren Sohn aufzuschreiben und weiterzugeben, entwickelte sich schnell zu einer Leidenschaft: anderen Menschen die koreanische Küche näherzubringen Ihr Ziel ist es, viele für die koreanische Küche zu begeistern und mit ihren Tipps und Tricks zu zeigen, dass die Zubereitung koreanischer Gerichte ganz einfach sein kann. InhaltEinleitung 8Einführung in die koreanischen Gewürze 10StreetfoodBunsik – Koreanisches Streetfood 12Jeon – Herzhafte Pfannkuchen 42Gansik – Süße Streetfood-Snacks 62Kimchi 72Reis 94Glossar 98Register 102

Learn how to make traditional Korean dishes at home with easy-to-follow illustrations. The author, who has taught Korean cooking to students from all over the world for 20 years, has selected 40 Korean recipes that are fun and easy to make. Main dish, side dish and dessert recipes are illustrated with step-by-step instructions so even beginners can easily follow them. The book also includes special dishes for hosting parties. After practicing Korean cooking and different cuisine from all over the world and teaching Korean cooking at the Blue House Korean Food Experience Center, Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae,  the author has written a book that anyone can follow and enjoy traditional Korean food in the easiest way. About the Author Recipes and Cooking Mother Yoon Okhee Researcher of Korean Cuisine, Master Craftsman Cook and Doctor of Science Yoon Ok-hee majored in food and nutrition and went on to lecture at the university level. She lived in Japan for 4 years where she became interested in food from different parts of the world. Returning to Korea, she learned Korean traditional cuisine from Professor Kang In-hee, a master of Joseon period cuisine, and grew her knowledge and passion for Korean cuisine after studying, a Korean traditional medical book, <Donguibogam>. In addition to more than 20 years of operating her own cooking academy and lecturing at universities, Yoon has expanded her expertise through the Korean family restaurant Sannae Deulnae, the Korea Food and Culture Institute, and the Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae Korean Food Experience Center. She now hopes to share the true taste and value of Korean cuisine to her daughter and all those who are interested in Korean cuisine.   Illustrations Daughter Chae Jinjoo Illustrator & Doll Artist Instagram @bodlebodle   After studying Visual Design, she began working as an illustrator and doll artist. Ever since she was young, Chae has always been interested in drawing, crafts, and the colorful dishes her mother made for her. But her passion was more focused on eating the food rather than the cooking itself. Her interest in cooking grew as she became a mother who tries to regularly make healthy and delicious meals for her children. She is now ready to learn the taste and value of Korean cuisine from her mother.