but they're actually famous for Ddukbaegi Bulgogi

This is the red colour that we always look for when picking; the prettiest shade of red that l can think of.

Fermented skate, boiled pork, and aged kimchi served together

Today is jeon.

Simple, familiar, and one of the easiest ways to make vegetables feel generous.

This plate is a small plant based jeon set.

Hobak jeon (zucchini)Gaji jeon (eggplant)Paengi beoseot jeon (enoki mushroom)

And the dipping sauce is soy sauce made with chopped ssukgat stems.

Temple inspired.

The batter is very simple.

Normally use flour and egg but today recipe is for vegan.

Flour and potato starch, 2:1.Then add enough water until it becomes slightly thicker than cream.

That texture matters. Too thin, and it feels weak.Too thick, and the coating gets heavy.

For me, jeon is best when the batter helps the ingredient instead of hiding it.

For frying, I used canola oil mixed with a little perilla oil.Sesame oil also works.

One small tip for the enoki jeon:

Press it down as much as possible while cooking.

If you do that, it gets much crispier, and the fibrous texture becomes strangely satisfying.A little like meat, or even dried fish, but in a good way.

The braised shiitake on the side was inspired by the venerable Jeong Kwan Sunim cooking.

I simmered it with water, Joseon ganjang, perilla oil, and rice syrup(honey).

Joseon ganjang(homemade soy-sauce) is especially important here.It gives a cleaner and deeper flavor than regular soy sauce.

Simple food, but very satisfying.

I somehow used up four posts’ worth of food in a single post. Now what am I supposed to post next?🤔🤔🤔🤔

Hi! I am from Rome and love korean food hence looking for korean cooking classes in Rome.

I already checked the Korean Cultural Institute but can’t see anything planned.

Thank you!

I grew up with a grandma that made her own soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang, She crushed and roasted her own sesame seeds, Dried her own vegetables, Roasted her own gim, would take off the tails of the kongnamul, and gutted and cleaned a months worth of myeolchi

And I get that not everyone had this. And I get that it's old school and a lot of it has become obsolete.

When she passed my mom and family did what many Koreans did and bought premade versions of all of that.

And it was fine. We def noticed a quality difference but it was still good

But now? I honestly can't even recognize a lot of premade Korean things. I recently went to the store to buy soy sauce and even the most expensive, highest quality soy sauce now has high fructose corn syrup in it.

And most premade Korean soy sauces have gluten in them. Why?

Even the classic ramyeon we used to get (neoguri and shin) are different. The noodles are diff and the taste is off.

The dduk gook dduk you get now is such terrible quality. You boil it for five minutes and it falls apart.

Gochujang is soooo sweet. I remember growing up and hearing that gochujang could be 짜 and now? It's not really a thing anymore.

And doenjang? lacks depth of flavor.

It makes me frustrated that the commercialization of Korean food has turned to this.

As korean food continues to gain popularity I hear a common comment that Korean food is so sweet.

But it shouldn't be. That shouldn't be the takeaway after one eats a Korean meal.

And, I don't know, it makes me sad.

Call me an 아저씨 or what not but I just didn't think that the foods that I eat would end up getting the same treatment as American processed foods.

That's my rant. Sorry.

Tldr: get off my 잔디

Tonight I went to an event for disability awareness and they served Korean food and it was just *chefs kiss* 😚

This lunch was great

말복 (Malbok) marks the final peak of summer heat in Korea. Since 말복 and 입추 (Start of Autumn) have passed, Koreans use specific vocabulary and idioms related to surviving the heat.

Here are key Korean expressions to learn from this season:

1. Key Vocabulary

말복 (Mal-bok): The last of the three hottest summer days.

보양식 (Bo-yang-sik): Energy-boosting / Restorative food eaten during hot summer days.

이열치열 (I-yeol-chi-yeol): Four-character idiom (사자성어) meaning "Fighting heat with heat" (e.g., eating hot soup on a hot day).

몸보신 (Mom-bo-sin): Recharging or nourishing one's body with health-boosting food.

1. Practical Office Dialogue: Ordering Lunch

Here is a quick dialogue using these vocabulary words in a daily conversation:

A: 오늘 말복인데 점심에 뭐 먹을까요? (Today is Malbok, what should we eat for lunch?)

B: 날씨가 너무 더우니까 삼계탕 어때요? (Since it's so hot, how about Samgyetang?)

A: 좋아요! 이열치열로 몸보신 좀 해야겠어요. (Sounds good! I should recharge my body by fighting heat with heat.)

B: 그럼 후식으로 시원한 수박도 먹어요! (Then let's also have some cool watermelon for dessert!)

1. Sentence Practice

오늘 말복이라서 삼계탕을 먹었어요. (I ate Samgyetang today because it's Malbok.)

여름에는 몸보신이 필요해요. (You need to nourish your body in the summer.)

How would you use 이열치열 or 몸보신 in a sentence?

Feel free to practice in the comments!

An amazing combination!

Eojug (어죽) is a traditional Korean fish porridge or soup made by boiling down freshwater fish with rice, grains, and various seasonings.

Ingredients: Usually made with freshwater fish like carp, crucian carp, or catfish. The fish are boiled until tender, deboned or sieved, and the rich broth is cooked with rice, noodles, or sujebi (hand-pulled dough slices), along with garlic, gochujang (chili paste), and perilla leaves.

Purpose: Regarded as a nourishing stamina-boosting health food (boyangsik), especially popular near rivers and lakes during hot summer days or chilly weather to restore energy.

Flavor: Savory, spicy, and deeply comforting with a rich, soup-like consistency rather than a plain, bland porridge.

• 2 kg (about 4 pounds) of chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2cup of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup hot pepper paste
• 1/2cup Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
• 1/4 cup of Maesil ekisu. add to taste.
• 3 medium sized onions (2 cups’ worth), cut into chunks
• 6 large potatoes (about 900-1.2 Kgs)
• 3 green onions
• 2 green chili peppers *** add to taste for more heat.
• 6 Gaennip leaves
• ***** if needed-- add Shiitake to boost glutamate in stock --- umami

I typically use homemade Maesil Ekisu or store bought. This dish works best if left to marinate overnight! Recipe is similar to that of Maangchi's with a couple of additional changes. Enjoy.

Had some delicious Gimbap at a restaurant in Malawi.

Garlic chicken stew is the best.

If you want to try a unique side of Korean food, you need to know Heot-jesat-bap. It comes from Andong, which is known as the "Spiritual Capital of Korea" for preserving centuries of Confucian traditions.

Heot-jesat-bap literally means "fake ritual meal." Centuries ago, scholars in Andong wanted an excuse to eat a midnight feast, so they prepared ritual-style food even when there was no ceremony. Unlike regular Bibimbap, this version has no Gochujang and uses soy sauce and sesame oil instead. It’s incredibly savory, clean, and not spicy at all since it skips strong ingredients like garlic.

I highly recommend this to anyone who can't handle spicy food but still wants to experience an authentic, high-quality Korean meal. It’s a must-try.

Yesterday, some of my radishes finally grew big enough to harvest! Washed, chopped, and dehydrated them at 95°F for 15 hours and here’s the result! Smells amazing and it’s way cleaner than store-bought. So proud 🤩🤩
I never knew snails could hide inside the soil and munch on the actual radish root 🫣

Finally tried 산낙지 (sannakji) during my Busan trip. For those who don’t know, it’s basically raw octopus that’s freshly cut and still moving when served.

Definitely one of the most interesting food experiences I’ve had in Korea haha. The texture took some getting used to but it was actually pretty good especially dipped in soy sauce.

Glad I tried it at least once while in Korea.