Food of South Korea

Rice Dishes

Bibimbap

Warm rice topped with sauteed vegetables, beef, a fried egg and gochujang, mixed at the table.

South Korea · Jeonju

Meat & Grills

Samgyeopsal

Grilled pork belly wrapped in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang.

South Korea · Nationwide

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Soups & Stews

Kimchi Jjigae

Bubbling stew of aged kimchi, pork and tofu.

South Korea · Nationwide

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Salads & Sides

Jeonbokjuk

Jeonbokjuk is a creamy Korean rice porridge with abalone and sesame oil, eaten as a nourishing breakfast or light meal.

South Korea · Nationwide

Meat & Grills

Galbi

Marinated beef short ribs grilled at the table.

South Korea · Nationwide

Drinks & Beverages

Hwachae

Chilled Korean summer fruit punch set in a shared bowl - cinnamon-ginger rice-punch syrup with floating fruit, nuts and edible petals.

South Korea · Countrywide (Seoul and Gyeongsang provinces in particular)

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Salads & Sides

Kimchi

Salted napa cabbage fermented with chilli, garlic and fish sauce - the constant of every Korean meal.

South Korea · Nationwide

Rice Dishes

Injeolmi

Injeolmi is a soft, chewy Korean rice cake of pounded glutinous rice rolled in roasted soybean flour, eaten fresh at markets and ancestral rites.

South Korea · Nationwide (Seoul markets and provincial tteok shops)

Soups & Stews

Naengguk

A family of cold Korean summer soups - chilled broth, thin noodles or puréed soybean, and a clean, vinegar-sharp finish designed to refresh in hot weather.

South Korea · Nationwide South Korea, with strong roots in Seoul and the northern provinces

Meat & Grills

Beondegi

A chewy, savory Korean street snack of boiled and seasoned silkworm pupae, sold warm in small paper cups from market carts across the country.

South Korea · Nationwide street snack, with classic concentrations in Seoul (Jongno, Jung-gu, Mapo), Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju