Making Tteokpokki from Scratch

Here are some ingredient recipes if you would like to make tteokpokki from scratch:

The simplest recipe for making tteokbokki tteok from scratch

If you prefer sleek cylinders, you may shape your dough using cannoli 

or other tube molds and cut the dough to your desired length. 

Anchovy-Dashima Stock via cHow Divine

어묵 or Fish Cakes via 뽀미

For flat fish cakes, you may try slightly baking or frying the mixture after rolling it into a flat sheet to get a solid texture before cooking in tteokpokki sauce. 

Here are some additional recipes for making tteokbokki:

Two chefs present Goongjoong (Royal Court) and Spicy Tteokpokki 

with a little background information about tteok and the dishes presented

The Goongjoong Tteokpokki has beef, eggs, and assorted vegetables.

The spicy version has boiled eggs and fish cakes.

Kochujang Tteokpokki with Fish Cakes via KFoodAddict (written recipe)

Adding cheese for a fusion option

어묵꼬치 떡볶이 or Fish Cake Skewer Tteokpokki via theboni

간장 떡볶이 or Soy Sauce Tteokpokki via Akides82

For more tteokpokki recipes and a background on the dish, you may refer to the post Tteokpokki (Revised May 8, 2012).

Posted by tastingkorea

Tteokpokki

Tteokpokki (떡볶이) refers to little rice cakes sauteed in a kochujang (red pepper paste) or soy sauce-based sauce, or other kinds like seafood, jahpchae, beef, or fusion sauces like curry, cheese, jjajang (자장, black bean sauce), etc. The rice cakes, called 떡 ('tteok') in Korean, are shaped in the form of little cylinders the size of one's index finger, tteokpokki tteok, or much bigger in the form of jumbo rolls with the diameter of a quarter, garaetteok (가래떡). They can also take the form of ovalettes a few mm in thickness, tteokguek tteok, but this is not a traditional ingredient for tteokbokki. '볶이' means 'sautee' and thus tteokpokki refers to 'sauteed rice cakes'.

Topokki JJang 
an iPad app that features 

32 tteokpokki recipes

More tteokpokki recipes from Topokki Research Institute

Simple Rice Pasta in Soy Sauce (간장 떡볶이)

An excellent overview of several basic types of tteokpokki

Tteokpokki originated from the Korean royal court where it was referred to as '떡찜' ('Steamed Tteok'), '떡잡채' ('Tteok Jahpchae', sauteed tteok with assorted vegetables and beef), '떡전골' ('Tteok Jeongol', tteok hotpot), etc. (Assorted faculty and students from the Traditional Food Culture Dept. of Sookmyung University and its Korean Food Research Center). The royal version of tteokpokki, which we now know as 'Goongjoong Tteokpokki', was a special treat for royals. According to Sookmyung University, one version was made of white tteok, rib meat (sirloin), sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, etc. according to the late 18th century cookbook 시의전서 (Nate 백과사전). Goongjoong Tteokpokki was the original form of tteokpokki as well as the first version of 간장 떡볶이 ('Gahnjang Tteokpokki', Soy Sauce Tteokpokki). 

The name '떡볶이' ('tteokpokki') was first featured in print in the 1942 cookbook "조선요리제법" ('Joseon Cooking Methods') (Sookmyung). The modern version of tteokpokki was established sometime after 1950 with Kochujang Tteokpokki (고추장 떡볶이) ("길거리 음식의 140억 투입 . . . 한식 세계화의 첨병으로", JoongAng Sunday, Suh Kyung-Ho). The exact timeline for the popular transition from soy sauce to kochujang tteokpokki is not clear, but this was the time when tteokpokki became a mainstream dish from the exclusive treat that it once was for the aristocrats and royalty (Suh). The noble class did not prepare tteokpokki in such a spicy manner, but used soy sauce as a flavor base. The introduction of kochujang was an adaptation made when tteokpokki became a mainstream dish. 

For a more extensive summary of how tteokpokki evolved, you may refer to the sources cited as well as these articles:

Royal or Gungjung Tteokpokki (궁중떡볶이) via Eating and Living

an excellent introduction to the history of tteokpokki 


A Brief Timeline of How Tteokpokki Evolved via Topokki Research Institute

The really cheap version of tteokpokki is made up of just sauce and rice cakes. But more standard variations include vegetables, beef, boiled eggs, fishcakes, and/or seafood. Ramen noodles may also be added as an additional treat, turning it into rappokki (라볶이). The key to making delicious tteokpokki is to use cakes that are freshly made of 100% rice in addition to using a delicious broth to flavor the sauce. Cakes that contain white flour do not taste as fresh or light as pure rice cakes. I prefer using ovalettes when rice cakes are called for in a recipe as they are thinner and lighter than the more commonly used cylinders. If you are marinading or thawing rice cakes, do not soak them too long or they will get too soft. I prefer to get the most most flavor per piece so use thinner versions of tteokpokki tteok. I add a seaweed and anchovy broth made of dashima (thick and flat dried kelp) to my tteokpokki sauce to give it a more savory flavor in addition to the carrots, squash, and beef that I use. Other broths may include seafood, beef, and/or vegetables, depending on the version of tteokpokki one is making. I prefer a slight sweetness to my tteokpokki sauce, so add additional sugar if necessary. 

An introduction to Royal Tteokpokki and a parody via Korean Food Festival
the most traditional version of tteokpokki





Royal or Gungjung Tteokpokki (궁중떡볶이)
via Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine





A modern take on the royal dish via Storycook124

궁중떡볶이 via Naver Kitchen (Korean)

Royal Tteokpokki adapted for the home cook

Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes (Tteokpokki) via Eating and Living

the most popular version of tteokpokki

해물떡볶이 ('Haemool Tteokpokki') or Seafood Tteokpokki via theboni
a popular variation on the spicy standard

해물떡볶이 via Naver Kitchen 

라볶이 or Rappokki via Seoul Taste

Tteokpokki with Ramen Noodles

라볶이 via 황금연못

잡채 떡볶이 or Jahpchae Tteokpokki via Samna




불고기 야채 떡볶이 or Bulgogi Vegetable Tteokpokki via Bravo My Life

카레 떡볶이 or Curry Tteokpokki via 아송
(카레 - curry, pronounced 'karae' in Korean)
Indian, Japanese, and Korean fusion dish



자장 떡볶이 or Jjajang Tteokpokki via Life is Cooking
Chinese Korean fusion dish




치즈 떡볶이 or Cheese Tteokpokki via theboni
American Korean fusion dish

Posted by tastingkorea

Learning More About Korean Ingredients

In order to fully grasp Korean cooking, one needs to understand the ingredients that are used. For produce, one needs to get a sense of where it is grown, when it comes in season, and how it is prepared as well as how to make the best use of it in Korean cooking. One must also consider the texture and flavor of an ingredient as well as its effect on the body to determine how to put it to good use. Some of this knowledge can be acquired over time as one engages with the cooking process. But in order to learn about the background and seasonality of an ingredient, it is important to do further research on one's own through additional study (reading, watching, listening to resources) or consulting with an expert on the subject.

Stuffed Kkaenip Leaves Prior to Battering 

for Kkaenip Jeon or 깻잎전 (One Fork, One Spoon)

Sweet, Sticky Lotus Roots or 연근조림 via Shinshine

Yeongeun Jorim, 'Lotus Roots Reduced in a Sweet Soy Sauce'

Korean Sweet Potatoes or 고구마 ('Goguma') via Rimi

http://www.rimi.kr/?mid=ingridient&page=2&document_srl=450235

Here are some resources that you may find helpful in learning more about Korean ingredients:


English

1. Holly of Beyond Kimchee gives an excellent introduction to the common ingredients used in Korean cooking with a great emphasis on sauces and seasonings as well as meats, vegetables, seafood, grain, tea, batter mix, and other convenience foods.

2. Seoulist magazine is planning a series of articles titled The Local Pantry, "introducing produce indigenous to Korea". Here is the first article in the series, on ssuk (쑥) or mugwort by Sonja Swanson.

3. Shin Kim of Shinshine shares quite a bit of background about some of the key ingredients featured in her recipes like the seasonality, cultural information, and how they are prepared in Korean cooking.

4. Grace of One Fork, One Spoon really goes in-depth about the history and cultural background of Korean dishes and their ingredients on her blog. 


Korean

1. Naver Kitchen provides a collection of ingredient guides for both Korean and other cuisines, each displaying a brief description of an ingredient, its region of origin, and  nutritional/health benefits as well as guidelines for best storage, preparation, and selection. Similar ingredients as well as serving suggestions are also provided. 

2. Rimi's 식재료 가이드 (ingredient guide - www.rimi.kr/ingridient) also features a series of articles on common ingredients used in Korean and other cooking. Each article explains the history of an ingredient in Korea, its health benefits and considerations, as well as information on handling, storage, preparation, and selection.  

3. 식재료류 ('Ingredients') - a professional Naver blog written by Hwang Gyo-Ik, a food consultant, and a Korean medicine doctor, scholars, and other writers from the food world that is centered on the ingredients used in Korean cuisine. Provides a good cultural/historical background of each ingredient covered.

4. Great Books for Learning About the Essentials of Korean Cooking cover the preparation of Korean ingredients in great detail. 

Posted by tastingkorea

Korean Food is Not Peasant Food, But Comfort Food

". . . there is a false perception that Corean cuisine is not “authentic” unless it is very cheap, rustic, very spicy, and served in a hole-in-the-wall somewhere in a Coreatown . . ."

Mickey Lee, "Martial Foodie’s Joy of Fine Dining Guide: WOO LAE OAK, 
the Finest Korean Restaurant in Washington, DC Area" (CultureMob)

I have heard Korean food referred to as a "peasant food" by some, but I would strongly disagree with this characterization. Sure, Korean food does have a lot of simple meals that are filling and made with accessible ingredients. But the term 'peasant food' implies that Korean food is mainly eaten or influenced by peasants and that the ingredients used are cheap and of lower quality. Korean cuisine is very resourceful in how it uses meats as well as the leftover curd from making tofu, etc., but being resourceful in using ingredients does not make something a peasant cuisine. Korean food uses most parts of chicken and beef--the flesh, bones, and innards as well as the blood of beef and pork.  The flesh and bones of pork is used as well. When cooking seafood, both the flesh and shell may be used. As for vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits, they are generally peeled/hulled/shelled prior to cooking if there is a rough/hard skin or shell. Beans are cooked as a whole generally.

Kkori Gomttang (Korean Oxtail Soup) or 꼬리곰탕 via The Delicious Life

Kkori Gomttang or 꼬리곰탕 via 요안나의 행복이 팍팍

Jaengbahn Mahkguksu or 쟁반막국수 via Orihime Kitchen

Rough Buckwheat Noodles Served on a Platter

Of course, peasant dishes exist in the cuisine such as gomtang, which is beef soup made with bones, and makguksu, rough buckwheat noodles served in a sauce, which comes in many varieties (Chuncheon Makguksu Museum). But most Koreans are not farmers or farm laborers working the land and the ingredients used in Korean cooking may be accessible, but are not always cheap. The tenant farming system ended as a government policy in 1950 (Doopedia), which diminished the number of farmers in Korea. Rapid economic development also brought a decrease in the number of farmers with the opening of greater job opportunities. But even before then, the advent of modern farming techniques brought a gradual dwindling of the peasant lifestyle. There were discernible peasant communities during the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), but this gradually became replaced by communities that engaged in modern farming practices. Traditional farmers still exist in Korea, but they are nowhere near as ubiquitous as farmers that rely on modern techniques. Even if one is a traditional farmer, unless one strongly adheres to the peasant lifestyle, retaining its traditional values and customs and practicing traditional ways of farming exclusively, it is very difficult to remain a peasant in today's society. Most traditional farmers today cannot be considered peasants as they engage in the social mores and technology around them outside of farming life. 

I really don't think one should judge the quality of an ingredient by its cost. Korean cooking focuses much more on high quality ingredients than the "lower grade" parts used in peasant food. There are peasant dishes made with "lower grade" cuts of meat such as oxtail and pig's feet as well as normally discarded animal parts such as innards and bones. But just because a cuisine uses components of a food that are normally discarded in other cultures does not make it a peasant cuisine. What each culture decides to consume is subjective and a matter of taste. Every food has its place. Just because a cut of meat is not tender and fatty does not make it of a lesser quality than meat that is. Tender and fatty cuts of meat may be prized in some meat-centric cuisines, but the Korean diet is not really a meat-centered one. There are many meat dishes in Korean cuisine, of course, but most Koreans do not make meat a large part of their diet for health, spiritual, and/or economic reasons. Some cuts of meat are good for roasting while others are good for making broths, etc. The texture and flavor of a cut is what determines its suitability for a certain style of cooking. So the question should be whether a cut of meat is suited for a particular cooking purpose and not whether it is tender or fatty. 


There is also a class connotation to the term 'peasant food' that I find offensive and don't really think applies to any ethnic cuisine as a whole. The term implies that the culture itself is one of peasantry and poverty, which is ridiculous when applied to industrialized countries where only a small portion of the population are farmers. 'Peasant food' is a term that is used too liberally by some to describe comfort food that is not high-end, but eaten mainly by the masses. Some people have a false notion that because a dish does not use complicated cooking techniques, it is not sophisticated. But sophistication lies in the refinement of the presentation and flavor of the final dish. Traditional Korean food is largely influenced by Korean royal court and Buddhist temple cuisine as well as the distinct characteristics of each region. It is based on the principle that food is medicine. Overprocessing food diminishes its nutritional content and is not always necessary to bring out the best flavor of a dish.  Korean food strives for a vibrance and purity in flavor that comes from using fresh ingredients seasoned to entice the palate, balancing the five tastes of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter for a savory flavor. I am aware that some people do not use the term "peasant food" with a dismissive connotation, but regardless, I still think it is a very limited way to characterize Korean cuisine. Most of the Korean restaurants overseas are family style/Korean bbq, so one can see the basis of this misunderstanding, but that does not excuse it.

Korean food is not peasant food, but comfort food. It is soothing to the soul. This quality emerges when Korean food is properly prepared with 정성 or 'jeongseong', a sincere and proper spirit. In Korean culture, food is a way to show hospitality, so great effort and consideration is given in preparing meals for guests. One should consider the health and well being as well as the palate of the eater when preparing his/her food. Korean food is meant to please the five senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. This is known as 오감만족 or  'ohgahm-mahnjoek', the satisfaction of the five senses. There is no formal term to denote 'comfort food' in Korean cuisine, but it is widely understood as a concept. The Korean culture can be a very sentimental one and many people do look fondly on the dishes that they grew up with made by their mother, grandmother, or neighborhood restaurants. When speaking about comfort food, the term is transliterated into Korean as  '컴포트 푸드' or can be translated as "그리운 옛맛 (Naver 영어사전)", 'the taste one yearns for from long ago'.

Posted by tastingkorea

Looking for Korean Language Blogs?

There are a wide variety of blogs on the web focusing on Korean food. Some of them are in English, but the great majority are in Korean. That is why I recommend that you seek out Korean language blogs in addition to the English blogs you may visit. 

Naver's Opencast enables you to get a look at the type of foods presented on various blogs. Each search result is represented as a card with a set of images displayed on that blog. Each card gives you a general feel for the blogger's style and palate regarding food. 

I have already introduced Naver Kitchen, Naver's Recipe SmartFinder (here), Daum Mizcook, and Rimi (http://www.rimi.kr/recipe) on previous posts. You may also search these sites for blogs by entering the name of a specific food/recipe/ingredient in the search box. 

Posted by tastingkorea

Looking for a Recipe by Ingredient?

There is a new feature on Naver, a Korean search engine, that enables you to find recipes by ingredient. It is called the "Recipe SmartFinder" ("레시피 스마트파인더") and allows you to search recipes by clicking on the ingredient. For example, if you want to find a chicken recipe, just click on "닭고기" (chicken) and on the right pane, a gallery of chicken recipes will appear. You can further narrow your search by clicking on other ingredients that you want to include such as potatoes. Just click on "감자" (potatoes) and a gallery of recipes with chicken and potatoes will appear. You can continue this process if you wish, further narrowing down your search, by clicking on additional ingredients. At any time, you may remove an ingredient by clicking on it again or the 'x' next to it. Once you have selected the ingredients you want to include, you may click on any recipe in the search results to view it.

You may also search recipes by ingredient on Daum Mizcook and Rimi's Recipe Finder (http://www.rimi.kr/recipe) by entering ingredients into the search box.

Posted by tastingkorea

Royal Court Cuisine

Gujeolpan (구절판), front, and Shinseonllo (신선로), back

Luxury Magazine

Royal court cuisine (궁중 음식, 'goongjoong eumshik') is the most developed form of traditional Korean cuisine and has had a lot of influence on Korean food today (Korean Cultural Heritage Administration). Royal court cuisine refers to the food eaten by Korean royalty primarily during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). This cuisine certainly existed before, but records of royal cuisine from earlier dynasties were more vague, noting the large number of dishes without being too specific about their names (Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine). Of course, the cuisine evolved significantly throughout this period of more than 500 years (Jeonbuk Food Culture Plaza). Royal court cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty tends to be more subtly seasoned, "less salty and spicy, than food of the previous dynasties and the food we eat today" (Korean Cultural Heritage Administration). It requires more elaborate preparation than the traditional Korean food we normally eat. There were many servants employed in the creation of the royal table ("Who Made Royal Cuisines?", Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine). As the food was prepared for Korean royalty and their guests, there was much greater effort in presenting meals in terms of the styling of individual dishes, table setting, etc. The king had access to all the food available within Korea through his position and resources, so there was an abundance of dishes presented at each meal ( "The King's Table", EBS Channel).

Royal cuisine can be divided into several categories*:

1. Daily meals (일상식, 'eil-sahng-shik')

2. Meals for receiving guests (영접식, 'young-juhp-shik')

3. Food for memorial ceremonies (제례식, 'jeh-ryeh-shik')

4. Food for official ceremonies of the court like weddings, ascensions to the throne, and promotions of its members (가례식, 'gah-rye-shik')

5. Feasts for receiving foreign dignitaries (연향식, 'yuhn-hyang-shik').

*Translation of categories provided by Tasting Korea

(Source: Jeonbuk Food Culture Plaza)

Daily meals were prepared for the king and his family. The king's meal is referred to as the 'sura' (수라) and a table set with sura is known as the 'surasang' (수라상) (Institute of Royal Korean Cuisine). According to the Institute, "Members of royal families did not share a table. Should there be two people dining together, they were served at separate tables and sat side by side. Three tables were prepared for each person: wonban, sowanban and chaeksangban.

At a meal prepared for a king, twelve different side dishes were served. However, the number of dishes actually placed on a table was much more. Additional dishes included two types of cooked rice (plain rice and rice mixed with red beans), two types of soups, three types of kimchi (cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi and water kimchi), two types of stew (bean paste stew and salted fish stew), three types of jang (soy sauce, seasoned soy sauce and seasoned chili paste) and one steamed dish. In principle, the ingredients and cooking methods should not overlap among dishes prepared for surasang.

The twelve side dishes, served on small plates, consisted of nine different dishes (cooked vegetables, fresh vegetables, chilled roasted meat or fish, boiled-down food, pickled vegetables, dried meat or fish, salted fish, pan-fried vegetables, and slices of boiled beef) and three special side dishes (poached eggs, sashimi, and warm roasted meat or fish). The surasang of today has been handed down orally by royal servants and royal descendents of the late Joseon Dynasty; therefore, it may not be representative of the entire Joseon Period. Literature on daily foods enjoyed in the royal court is much more scarce than that on banquet foods. The only literature that elaborates on royal daily foods is Wonhangeulmyojeongriuigwe (a record of protocols) (1795). According to its records, there were meals prepared with only seven or ten side dishes."

According to the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, court ladies or goongnyeo (궁녀) were assigned the task of preparing the surasang (수라상) for regular meals ("Who Made Royal Cuisines?"). There was a "hierarchy of court ladies", ranked on age and experience, from the four year old na-in (나인) to a fifth-level sangung (상궁) (Institute). "For royal banquets, male chefs called daeryeong suksu [대령숙수] prepared the meals at sukseolso [숙설소], a kitchen built in a temporary house (Institute)." Due to the physical demands of the job such as "butchering an ox and boiling it in an enormous pot", men were deemed more suitable for the task and assigned to this job (Institute).

Two na-in, Jang Geum and Geum Young, setting the surasang for a feast

(Dae Jang Geum)

The King's Table (EBS channel history special)

a brief history of the meals eaten by the kings of Joseon Dynasty and their preparation

A Feast for Kings: Korean Royal Cuisine - Part 1 (Arirang)

Introduces Korean royal cuisine and the restaurant Pilkyungjae (필경제), a restaurant housed in a traditional home of the Joseon Dynasty, the home of descendants of King Sejong, the inventor of the Korean language. Lee Byung Mu, a descendant of the king, decided to open this restaurant to share the tradition of Korean royal cuisine with the rest of the world. Features sinseonllo (신선로), a hot pot made of meatballs and a variety of vegetables and gujeolpan (구절판, 'gue-jeol-pahn'), a dish with assorted sliced meats and vegetables served with thin wheat wraps.

A Feast for Kings: Korean Royal Cuisine - Part 2 (Arirang)

Introduces "Goongyeon" (궁연), a restaurant that tries to "modernize royal banquet dishes while adhering to tradition." Features house dishes like saseul juk (kebabs made of bass fillets and ground beef), ginseng fries wrapped in dates (대추말이 수담튀김, 'daechumari suedahm tiigim'), daeha jjim (대하찜, a prawn salad made of pine nuts, chestnuts, cucumbers, and other vegetables with a mustard sauce). Describes the essence of Korean royal cuisine.

The Inheritance of the Joseon Dynasty's Royal Court Cuisine - Part 1

(2011 Presentation - Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine)

Introduces the purveyor of royal court cuisine to modern day Koreans, Han Bok-Ryeoh, and honors her and the work she has done to spread greater awareness of the cuisine to the Korean public. Reveals how the tradition was transmitted through the generations from a veteran court lady of the last king and finally to Han. Illustrates the beauty and majesty of royal court cuisine

The Inheritance of the Joseon Dynasty's Royal Court Cuisine - Part 2

(2011 Presentation - Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine)

Han explains how this cuisine became designated as an important intangible cultural heritage. This video goes into greater detail about how it was passed down from person to person. The food set in front of the guest conveyed his social standing and position. Royal court cuisine is the true heart of Korean cuisine. Highlights the spirit of this tradition, the course of meals presented to the king throughout the day, and the ceremonies held at the palace.

Preparation of the Surasang (Dae Jang Geum)

As president of the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, Han Bok-Ryeoh was instrumental in the development of the royal court cuisine featured in the popular Korean drama series, Dae Jang Geum ("대장금", 'The Great Jang Geum") or "Jewel in the Palace". Han was directly responsible for the food direction of the show, determining which dishes to feature on an episode after reading the script (Han Bok-Ryeoh, fncast interview). She and her staff at the Institute created the dishes that were seen on that show (Han). Due to the popularity of the series in several Asian countries and Iran, there developed a greater interest in Korean food, starting a boon in the demand for Korean cuisine in places like Hong Kong (The Young Reporter, Dawning Leung Hoi-ching) and Japan (allBusiness, Laura Miller, p. 6). Korean restaurants in these areas enjoyed a greater popularity due to this phenomenon.

"Dae Jang Geum - Vol. 1" DVD (Amazon)

Free streaming at IMDB

To learn more about the food featured in this series, you may refer to the following set of instructional dvd's.

"Royal Court Cuisine from the Kitchen of Jewel in the Palace

with Yang Mikyung" (Korean)

DVD Set via Yes24.

This set features "more than 100 recipes" from the series (Yes24). Hosted by Yang Mi Kyung, the actress who played the mentor to the lead character, Seo Jang Geum, the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty, the recipes have been "adapted for the taste and convenience of the modern viewer" (Yes24).

For more information about Korean royal court cuisine, you may refer to the books published by the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine or go to their site and Jeonbuk Food Culture Plaza for additional reading. For more images of royal cuisine, you may refer to "궁중요리" by 요리를 배우는 사람들 and Timespace's image gallery. For recipes, you may refer to Daum 미즈쿡's section on 궁중요리. There is also a popular Korean language blog by Calla called 전통떡으로 대박난엄마 that focuses on traditional Korean cuisine with a few recipes on royal cuisine.

친절판 정과 or Hospitality Platter of Jungwa via 전통떡으로 대박난엄마

정과 or jungwa (pronounced 'jung-gwa',

fruits reduced in honey or sugar water)

친절판 ('chin-jeol-pahn', 'hospitality platter')

궁중 떡볶이 or Sauteed Royal Court Rice Cakes via Rimi

(http://www.rimi.kr/905575)

궁중 - Royal Court ; 떡볶이 - Sauteed Rice Cakes

궁중 떡 갈비찜 or Royal Court Braised Ribs with Rice Cakes

via 사랑언덕

갈비찜 - Braised Beef Ribs

Royal Court Mixed Noodles or 골동면

via 추억은 영원히

골동면- 'goel-doeng-myeon'

Haepari Naengche or 해파리 냉채 via Epicurious Travels

a modern take on the royal dish

Posted by tastingkorea

Traditional Korean Cuisine

Han Style - Chapter on Hansik

In Korea, traditional Korean food is referred to as '한식' or hansik (pronounced 'hahn-shik'). According to Jang Eun-ju, a cuisine researcher at Han Style, "Hansik has developed in parallel with the changes of the Korean history and culture. Hansik is not only nutritious but also provides the joy of eating. And so, it is said that hansik is food that satisfies not only the mouth but the five senses, i.e. the senses of touch, sight, smell, taste and sound. The different color ingredients used to cook Korean foods satisfy the eyes. Korean foods taste delicious and smell good. Foods cooked using many different ingredients make interesting sounds when eating. The spoon and chopsticks allow for a delicate sense of touch. In other words, one can enjoy the beautiful colors and shapes of the dishes with their eyes and various tastes with their nose and mouth. Hansik allows diners to enjoy the pleasant sizzling sound when cooking bulgogi. It also provides diners with pleasant experiences that satisfy their sense of touch with lettuce wrapped rice."

Source: Gateway to Korea

an introduction to traditional Korean dishes, including royal court cuisine

Han Style - Cover

The Essence of Han Style

Cathlyn's Korean Food Challenge
Episode 7: Hansik Stories (Part 1)

An introduction to the heart of Korean cuisine

According to Han Style, the key principles of Korean cooking are/were*:

1. Main and side dishes were developed separately.

2. Spices and seasonings are used with fine detail, but in most cases, used similarly for each dish. (ie. There is a consistency to the way each dish is seasoned. - Tasting Korea)

3. Cut almost all ingredients beforehand as the cooking techniques are complicated.

4. The types of food are developed in a diverse manner according to their table setting.

5. There should be greater emphasis on the taste rather than the form of a dish.

* Translation of principles provided by Tasting Korea

Korean food can be divided into five categories (Han Style):

1. Royal Court Cuisine (궁중 음식)

2. Regional Foods (향토 음식)

3. Seasonal Foods (시절 음식)

4. Food for Special Occasions (의례 음식)

5. Buddhist Temple Cuisine (사찰 음식)

For a greater overview of traditional Korean cuisine, read "About Hansik" at Han Style and the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine's articles on the "Overview of Korean Food" and "Seasonings and Style of Korean Food" as well as "Special Food for Special Occasions" and other articles in its series on "Traditional Korean Food Culture". A more extensive exploration of the history and culture of Korean traditional cuisine can be found in the "Food Culture" section of the Jeonbuk Food Culture Plaza site.

Seasonings Used in Korean Food

Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine

Chef Youngsun Lee explains the seasonal approach in cooking Korean food (Zen Kimchi):

"We are very seasonal. We have four seasons in Korea. So we do follow seasonal food, like, religiously. There are unwritten rules we have to follow as a Korean chefs:

• Spring — bitter (new sprouts, etc): This will bring our appetites back from the long winter. Also eating new sprouts means getting nature’s force — life, new life in spring — from the new life into our body.
• Summer — sour (vinegar base, citrus, etc): As the weather gets hot, we loose our [sense of] taste. So by having sour food, it brings our appetites [back] and also keeps our bod[ies] cool and moist.
• Fall — spicy (hot pepper, etc): Prepare for a long, cold winter. Pepper was introduced to Korea about 300 years ago. Before that, there was not much spicy food. All of our kimchi used be white. [배김치 (bae kimchi) is pickled but not spicy.]
• Winter — salty (kimchi, pickle, etc): Long-lasting food, such as fermented dishes are served to help in surviving winter. And we use “sweet” to balance all these flavors. But, again, sugar was introduced to Korea about 300 years ago, so before that we used to use honey or fruits for sweetener. Still till these days, we like to use honey or fruits for our sweetener instead of sugar."

All that Han! It's Uniquely Korean:

Traditional Korean Food

(Han Style)

This video focuses on Korean food and its spread to other countries like France, Japan, and the United States as well as the health benefits of Korean cuisine with a focus on the art of making kimchi, fermented bean paste, and soft tofu as well as soft tofu stew. Buddhist temple cuisine and its purpose as well as Korean cuisine's spread to New York in restaurants like Bann are also featured.

The Unity of Tradition and Nutrition: The Taste of Korean, Fermented Food

("Tourism" section of Korea.net)

A quick and vibrant introduction to Korean cuisine. Introduces the core influences on Korean cuisine and the main types of dishes as well as more extensive coverage of the science and tradition of kimchi and jang (장, a term that refers to a group of sauces comprised of red pepper and soybean paste as well as soy sauce). Korean table settings, food for special occasions/different seasons, and the value of using one's hands in Korean cooking are also featured. A crash introduction to Korean food.

In the following video, watch how ancient Korean cuisine has influenced and shaped the Korean food we know today.

Korea: Ancient Food, Modern World (Gourmet)

Posted by tastingkorea