Capturing Korean Cuisine

By Jason R. Gronlund, Contributing Editor

Politics and borders arent the only divisions between North and South Korea. Food enters this discussion, as well. Here in the United States, when we refer to Korean cuisine, we are talking about the food of South Koreaa bountiful table and diet rich in vegetables and meats, usually pork, chicken, beef and seafood. North Korean food generally centers on noodles and vegetables, with very little meatlargely due to its political ideology. Beginning around the 1960s, as South Korea began moves toward industrialization and agricultural diversity, the middle class grew, and diets diversified, with a notable increase in per capita meat consumption.

South Korean foods have made significant inroads to the United States of late, and could very well be the next big ethnic cuisine to make an impact here.

Beloved barbecue

The most-popular Korean foodboth in South Korea and the United Statesis barbecue (although we would call it grilling by our definitionfaster cooking over higher heat vs. the slower cooking over lower heat for barbecuing). In Korea, its called gogi gui and is one of the most-prevalent ways of preparing food within the country.

When people in the United States say Korean barbecue, the meat they are usually referring to is galbi (which means rib"), either beef or pork ribs, accented with either ganjang (Korean soy sauce) or gochujang (made with chiles, rice powder, soybeans and salt and fermented) sauce. Another type of barbecue, bulgogi (which means fire meat"), is typically thinly sliced pork or beef, but even squid, generally in a marinade of soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, green onions, sugar and black pepper. These often are prepared at the table, which makes this style of dining interactive and fun.

Many of the barbecue houses I have visited in South Korea did not have a menu. They just brought an assortment of grilled meats and gochujang, the popular fermented pepper paste, along with lettuce to serve as wrappers.

Korean side dishes, called banchan, can, depending on how formal the meal is, range in number from 3 to 9and as many as 12 for Korean royal court cuisine. When served in small portions, many types of food can fit into the category of banchan. Namul is steamed or stir-fried vegetables, such as spinach, daikon radish, zucchini and ferns, typically marinated in chiles, garlic, green onions, salt and/or sesame oil. Bokkeum consists of ingredientseither dried or fresh, including squid, scallops, shrimp, clams, fish and porkstir-fried and combined with a sauce. Jorim centers on foods like fish or beef, or vegetables like daikon or lotus root, simmered in a broth, often consisting of soy sauce and/or gochujang. Jeon includes a diverse group of pan-fried items, such as Korean-style potato pancakes and fish coated with egg. The list goes on, and when dining in a Korean restaurant, these items are replaced when finished. It is proper etiquette while at the table to try each and every one that is brought out.

Whether they know it or not, many people today have eaten a form of Korean barbecue: lettuce wraps. Many mainstream U.S. restaurants serve these, including Chilis Grill & Bar and P.F. Changs. Putting Korean barbecue" on the menu might cause the diner to hesitate, but give it a comfortable name like lettuce wraps," and its a home run.

Fermented wonder

The most-recognizable banchan here in the United States is, of course, kimchi. The common version seen here is made from napa cabbage (baechu) fermented with chile peppers and salt.

Most Koreans would see a meal as incomplete without kimchi. The oldest reference to this dish dates back over 3,000 years. It is traditionally made by fermenting the kimchi ingredients in a clay pot buried in the cool ground. Today, many people in Korea actually have small refrigerators that are designed specifically for storing and fermenting kimchi.

There are hundreds of types of kimchi, some seasonal, some sweeter, some spicy, some white (mild, made without chiles) and some with varieties of vegetables as inclusions. I actually visited the Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul, which shows 187 varieties there alone. Different regions of Korea are generally known for different types of kimchi; for example, coastal areas have more of a tendency to use seafood ingredients as accents. Seasonality also plays into the myriad forms of kimchi.

This is a dish that is shared between North Korea and South Korea, butsince kimchi was traditionally fermented outside, buried in the groundthe cooler climate of the north changes the kimchis style and flavor. Kimchi from North Korea tends toward the milder end of the scale, with less red pepper. People living in warmer regions of Korea traditionally added more red pepper to help prevent the kimchi from spoiling. Kimchi is not only a side dish, but it also goes into other foods, such as kimchi stews and soups, as well as kimchi fried rice.

Going with the grain

When it comes to grains, rice takes center stage. One popular rice dish is called bibimbap (which means mixed rice"), generally a rice bowl topped with namul and a dollop of gochujang. It sometimes includes other ingredients like meat, tofu, poultry, seafood and/or an egg, either raw or fried. Bibimbap is the reason why the Korean table is set with a long-handled spoonused to mix the ingredients before eatingin addition to chopsticks.

The version of this dish that I love, called dolsot bibimbap, is served in a very hot stone bowl where the rice continues to cook against the side as it is brought to the diner. You scrape the crunchy rice off, you can sear the beef more the flavor continues to change as you consume and mix the ingredients against the hot, searing stone. Another variation, yukhoe bibimbap, is made with raw beef, Asian pear and gochujang.

Ogokbap, often comprised of rice, barley, millet and soybeans, was traditionally served during winter when dried grains were prized and other foods were scarce. Today, other ingredients, including red and black beans, sorghum and different varieties of glutinous rice, often go into the mix.

Although not the biggest part of their diet, Korean noodles are collectively referred to as guksu. Naengmyeon (which means cold noodles") is originally from North Korea, but its popularity has spread into South Korea. This winter dish consists of thin, long buckwheat noodles served in a large bowl with a tangy iced broth, raw julienne vegetables and fruit. It is often accompanied by a boiled egg and cold, cooked beef. Kalguksu, often connected with summer, is boiled, flat, wheat noodles in an anchovy broth, generally combined with vegetables like zucchini, scallions and potatoes.

Dipping into soups

Soups and stews are referred to as guk. So-called hangover-curing soups are known as hajangguk. One favorite is made with meaty pork spine, dried outer leaves of the napa cabbage and other vegetables, and coagulated ox blood in a rich beef broth. Tamer versions include manduguk, featuring wheat or buckwheat dumplings, and miyeok guk, a seaweed soup.

Stews are called tang. Galbitang uses the same beef short ribs popular in Korean barbecue and generally adds daikon radish, scallions, garlic and soy sauce. Oritang is made from simmering duck and varied vegetables. Dakdoritang is a stew of spicy chicken and potatoes. Maeuntang is a fish soup made spicy by the addition of a dollop of gochujang.

Tacos and beyond

Korean food has made a huge leap with the fusion of Korean barbecue into the ever-popular taco. Street-food vendors have driven the craze throughout the West Coast, and the demand has spread eastward. The Korean taco often includes sweet and tangy bulgogi beef and crunchy cabbage and/or lettuce in a crispy corn taco shell, with varying sauces depending on the vendor. Expect to see Korean tacos on more mainstream chain menus in the coming months. With the great success this fusion item has seen, one can only wonder whats next for Korean cuisine in America.

While traveling the United States, I have found two favorite places that take me back to Korea every time: Kang Nam on Kedzie Street in Chicago, and Brothers Restaurant in San Francisco. Korean cuisinefrom traditional galbi or bulgogi to fusion-style barbecue tacosis an interactive, flavorful dining experience almost anyone can love.

Executive Chef Jason R. Gronlund is senior director of culinary R&D for Hard Rock Café and a member of the Research Chefs Association.