BBQ Grilled Meat (Samgyeopsal)
Koreans love to eat meat. Grilled pork belly (Samgyeopsal-gui) is the most popular grilled meat dish here, a dish that tourists cannot miss when coming to Korea. The plump slices of meat are delicately marinated and skillfully grilled over charcoal, making the meat more succulent and rich in flavor with the aroma of smoke. The pork belly of Jeju black pig is considered the best pork in the land of Kimchi.
Braised Saba Fish with Radish (Godeungeo-jorim)
The Korean dish of Saba fish braised with radish is a common family dish, as are the Vietnamese braised fish dishes. Soy sauce and dried chili are the two main ingredients that create the flavor of this dish because Koreans do not use fish sauce. Godeungeo-jorim has the sweet and rich taste of fish meat and radish mixed with a moderate salty and spicy taste, so it goes well with rice. This dish of Saba fish braised with radish is especially suitable for meals on cold days.
Spicy Seafood Soup (Haemultang)
Haemultang or spicy seafood soup is one of the traditional Korean dishes that is especially famous for tourists who love "authentic" local cuisine. The soup is both spicy and sweet, combined with the light but rich flavor of many fresh and nutritious seafood such as blue crab, octopus, lobster, scallop, squid, clam, shrimp and especially abalone. The deliciousness of Haemultang depends on the freshness of the ingredients. In addition to seafood, this soup also has many types of vegetables such as mushrooms, bean sprouts, onions, chili, seaweed to add to the rich flavor. Therefore, Haemultang is not only delicious but also very healthy. No matter how cold the weather is, when you finish this bowl of steaming seafood soup, you will definitely be sweating.
Bibimbap
Bibimbap mixed rice is probably a Korean dish that most Vietnamese people in big cities have had the opportunity to taste before setting foot in Korea. Although it is an easy dish to prepare, bibimbap is a very nutritious dish. The ingredients used in bibimbap may vary depending on the region, but the soul of this dish lies in the harmony of those ingredients once mixed well. Bibimbap is a dish that is loved by locals of any age or class.
Shabu-Shabu Hot Pot
Shabu shabu is a dish originating from Japan, using thinly sliced beef dipped in boiling hot pot broth. In Korea, Shabu Shabu is often served with vegetables including cabbage, nori (edible seaweed), shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, carrots, onions, and udon noodles. The broth of Shabu hot pot is made from fish, has a sweet taste without being fishy. Like many other Korean soups and stews, the broth of Shabu hot pot has a little sourness from sesame, a little spiciness from chili powder, making the flavor more fragrant and the color very eye-catching.
Article and photos: Quynh Anh
