I’ve heard it said that you haven’t truly visited a country until you have sampled the local cuisine and, in my opinion, there is no truer statement. While studying in Seoul, you will have the opportunity to sample a large variety of delicious Korean food. In this post I will cover 4 of my favorite Korean meals and snacks.
1. Jeyuk Deopbab (제육덮밥)- Now this dish loosely translates as “ spicy pork over rice.” This dish is a generous serving of spicy pork usually served alongside a portion of cooked rice either on the same dish or separately. While I was in Seoul, this was hands down my all favorite dish. I was always told that this dish is very spicy but I found it to only have a very mild kick to it, although, that might be because I am used to very spicy Hispanic foods. This makes for a very good meal at any time of the day and it is pretty cheap with most prices I saw being in the five to six thousand won range. However, I must point out that the taste varies from restaurant to restaurant. The best place I can recommend is the Oori Sikdang (우리식당) restaurant by the northern gate of Konkuk University.
2. Korean BBQ- If you leave Korea without going to a Korean BBQ place, you must have done something wrong considering these joints are absolutely everywhere. Korean BBQ is more a style of eating than any actual specific dish. When you go to a Korean BBQ restaurant, you usually sit around a circular table with a grill in the middle. Ordering involves ordering one or more plates of raw meat which are then brought to your table and which you then cook by yourselves. Included in the price of the meat, you are also usually brought a large number of dishes that may include tofu, kimchi and, always, a platter of lettuce leaves. The way to eat at one of these places is to grill the meat, take a lettuce leaf, place a piece of meat, and then add any amount from the side dishes you require. You then roll the lettuce leaf around everything into a ball and then eat it. If you want to do it like the locals, be sure to shove the entire portion into your mouth at once. Eating at one of these places can be somewhat expensive. I usually ended up spending anywhere from 11,000 to 20,000 won.
3. Hotteok (호떡)- Hotteok is usually a sweet filled Korean pancake. This is not an actual meal, but rather a very tasty street food. The recipe may vary, but the ones I usually bought from street vendors consisted of a pancake filled with honey, some seeds, and, I believe, fried sugar. They may not be the healthiest, but trust me these things are addicting and are a very popular street food item. At most stands where I bought these from, they were made while I watched and cost around a 1,000 won. Be sure to try them out when you have a chance.
4. Kimchee- Kimchee is, again not an actual main dish, but rather a traditional Korean side dish made of fermented vegetables. The two most common types of Kimchee I saw were made from fermented cabbages and fermented radishes but there are tons of different types of Kimchee. The best way I can describe this side dish is as an acquired taste. The first time you try it, the somewhat sour taste may be off putting to you- I know it was to me. All I can say is that do not stop eating it. The more you try it the more it grows on you and you learn to love it. By the time it came to leave Korea, I loved the stuff and I miss eating it. Even if you don’t like it, be advised that kimchee is served as a side dish to just about every meal in Korean- well except for western or foreign dishes.
These are only a few of my favorite Korean dishes. If anyone asks, I’ll be more than happy to cover more in the future.
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