>>Please note that this website actually refers to South Korea (Han'guk) when speaking of Korea. Unfortunately it is not easy to get access to North Korean cuisine and recipes, as this part of the peninsula is still quite isolated.
As with all the other nations it is the same with Korea. There is no such thing as THE Korean cuisine. There is the Seoul cuisine, a very metropolitan one that unites not just the different regional specialities in one area, but also food from Europe and other Asian countries, mainly China and Japan. Above that every province has its specialties. However, there is one thing that all Koreans love, and that is Kimchi. Kimchi means something like fermented vegetable. The most common type is the spicy and sour cabbage. But there are actually lots of different types, such as radish kimchi, cucumber kimchi, white kimchi in lots of brine and many more. Korean cuisine, similar to other Asian cookery, is not devided into different courses. There is usually steamed rice, one main meal and many small side dishes that Koreans call "bpan t'chan". Kimchi is never missing in any Korean meal. Even a poor student who is eating instant noodle soups, always has it with rice and kimchi. The most famous Korean dish is probably "bulgogi", the Korean BBQ meat.
I would like to introduce to more Korean dishes and hope you enjoy the cooking!
There are many types of eating establishments, such as street vendors (pojangmachas), hole-in-the-wall shikdangs (small restaurants) and high-priced, formal restaurants will full-course meals. Also you will find many kinds of medium-sized places. The range of food varies from traditional Korean food, fast food, to Western and other non-Korean dishes. Please note that tipping the staff unfortunately isn't common in Korea.
Of course the modern Korean society is well familiarised with Western soft drinks and lemonade. Traditionally Koreans would drink rarely anything but water, green tea (Hyeonmi Nok T'cha) or barley tea (Pori T'cha) with their meals. There are also lots of tea and coffee shops about, as well as bars and pubs, where you can have your beers (imported or domestic). Korea's most popular traditional alcoholic drink is Soju, a rice booze similar to Japanese Sake.
1. At first, taste soup or kimchi juice, and then try rice or other dishes. Use spoon for rice and liquid foods, such as stews or soups; use chopsticks for other foods.
2. Do not make noises with spoon or chopsticks hitting the rice bowl or other food containers.
3. Do not hold the rice bowl or soup bowl in your hand during the meal.
4. Do not poke around the rice or side dishes with the spoon.
5. Do not pick out what you don't like or shake off seasonings.
6. Do not leave any trace of food on the spoon while eating.
7. During the meal, uneatable parts such as bones or fish bones are quietly discarded by wrapping them in a paper so that others won't see them. Do not put them on the table or floor.
8. When coughing or sneezing during a meal, face the other way from table and cover your mouth with your hand or napkin.
9. Eat the rice and side dishes from one side.
10. Do not use your hands to pick the foods.
11. Chew food with your closed mouth and do not make noises while chewing.
12. Do not leave the table while eating.
13. Do not read a book or newspaper or watch TV while eating.
14. Do not reach across the table for distant food- ask a nearby person to pass it to you.
15. Use an individual plate for foods served for a crowd, and also for sauces such as soy & vinegar sauce or sweet & sour hot pepper soybean paste.
16. Try to keep pace with others by eating not too fast or too slow. When having a meal with the elderly, wait for them to put the spoon and chopsticks on the table at the end of the meal.
17. At the end of the meal, pour sungnyung (boiled water in the rice cooker or scorched-rice tea) into the rice bowl and drink.
18. After a meal, put the spoon and chopsticks on the spot where they were placed first and put used napkins on the table after folding it little bit if they are big.
19. When using a toothpick, cover your mouth with one hand and discard it the toothpick afterwards so others won't see it.
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