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Text: Que Lan. Photos: Provided by the Korea Tourism Organization in Vietnam.
Galbitang (Soup)beef ribs)
With its main ingredient being braised beef ribs, this soup has a delicious aroma and a rich, savory flavor from both the meat and fat of the ribs and the broth. To prepare the dish, the chef cuts the ribs into pieces about 5cm long, soaks them in cold water for a few hours, then boils them, adds ginger and garlic, and simmers for another 2.5 hours before removing them. The broth is then reserved and simmered for 30 minutes with vegetables, onions, and garlic to extract the flavor before adding seasonings, soy sauce, and beef powder for added richness. Finally, jujube dates and ginseng are added, along with a little vermicelli, and the ribs and chopped leeks are simmered together.
The highlight of this dish is the rich, savory broth made from the ribs, the crisp freshness of the vegetables, and the subtle bitterness of the ginseng and the sweet taste of jujube. Combined with the spicy kick of onions and chili peppers, the beef rib soup tastes best when served in a stone bowl to retain heat. Enjoying a delicious and nutritious bowl of Galbitang soup with friends and family in the chilly early spring weather will be a particularly delightful experience.
Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
Ginseng chicken soup is one of Korea's most famous dishes, especially popular in the summer. However, try something different and enjoy a steaming bowl of this chicken soup in the cool spring weather to experience its miraculous energy-boosting effects. The tender chicken, infused with the sweet flavor of the broth made from glutinous rice, ginseng, jujube, and chestnuts, will instantly warm your stomach with its aroma. To enhance the flavor, the chef adds a little scallion, salt, and black pepper to the broth. The piping hot bowl of ginseng chicken soup, with its perfectly cooked glutinous rice and the sweet taste of ginseng and fragrant jujube, will entice you to savor it and feel the renewed energy for the new year.
Sagol Tteokguk (Rice Cake Soup)
If Tteok (rice cakes) are considered the "soul" of traditional Korean New Year's feasts, then rice cake soup is believed to bring good health and luck in the new year. Rice cake soup is made from diagonally sliced rice cakes cooked in beef broth. The broth preparation is also elaborate. The chef cuts beef bones into 5-7cm pieces, soaks them in water for a day, and carefully prepares them. They are then boiled, rinsed, and simmered for about two days. Next, the rice cakes are added along with beef powder, salt, garlic, a little soy sauce, and pepper, seasoned to taste, and simmered for 5 minutes until tender. The light aroma and natural sweetness of the beef broth, combined with the slightly pungent taste of garlic and chili, create a flavor that is both familiar and unique.
The pristine white of the rice cakes, adorned with a touch of minced beef, a few slices of golden egg, and highlighted by scallions and seaweed against the milky white backdrop of the broth, creates a symphony of delicate and pure flavors.
Kimchi Jeongol (Kimchi Stew)
The name "Land of Kimchi" perfectly exemplifies the unique "fermented vegetables" dish, considered a quintessential part of Korean cuisine. With its strong aroma and characteristic spiciness, Kimchi Jeongol deserves to be considered one of the most nutritionally balanced and effective dishes for keeping the body warm.
To make this soup, kimchi is fermented until sour, then stir-fried with pork, seasoned with spices, beef powder, and garlic until tender. For the broth, the chef simmers vegetables, onions, and garlic for 30 minutes, removing the solids, then seasoning with spices and beef powder for added flavor. Ginseng and jujube are added along with pork ribs, followed by vermicelli and chopped leeks. Finally, when all the ingredients are tender, tofu is sliced diagonally and boiled in the broth, then served hot.
Kimchi Jeongol has a spicy, sweet, sour, and intensely aromatic kimchi flavor. The soup's warmth and spiciness from chili peppers, the sourness of pickled vegetables, and the fragrant aroma of onions promise to be a satisfying meal, especially on chilly days.
Doenjang Jeongol (Korean Soy Sauce Soup)
As a flavorful dish with many nutritious ingredients, soybean paste soup is a wise choice when you want to enjoy the delicious taste of simmered soybean paste with various vegetables.
To make the broth, ingredients such as radishes, onions, garlic, leeks, and anchovies are simmered in water for an hour, then the solids are removed. Soy sauce, spices, beef powder, chili powder, fish powder, and garlic are added and simmered in the broth. Next, corn, onions, leeks, green chilies, mushrooms, clams, and tofu are boiled together with soy sauce. To enhance the flavor, chefs often use jjang, a fermented soybean paste made with salt. After enjoying a barbecue and soju, it's the perfect time to enjoy a bowl of hot jjang soup with friends and family, savoring the warmth and comfort of the spring weather.
A little secret to finishing off a meal is to have a cup of fragrant, sweet, and refreshing cinnamon tea to balance the flavors and nutrients in your body.
Reference address:
Biwon Korean Restaurant
- 9th Floor, Keangnam Landmark Tower 72, Hanoi
- Tel: 04. 6282 3300.
Arirang Restaurant
- 3rd Floor, Grand Plaza Hanoi Hotel - 117 Tran Duy Hung, Hanoi
- Tel: 04. 3555 1000 – ext.2030.
