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Chimaek: A Journey Through Korea’s Favorite Combo
Korean fried chicken has made waves in recent years across the internet for various reasons. Some people think it’s crispier than popular American-style fried chicken. Some think the sauces make it more appetizing. Whatever it is, fried chicken in Korea is now a staple on everyone’s must-eat lists in South Korea and there are a lot of Korean fried chicken brands to choose from. While you might look up “what to eat in Korea?” and expect to see things like kimchi, a plethora of rice dishes, and Korean bbq, you might not expect to see Korean fried chicken up there. Why is it so popular? How did Korea become a…
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Best Instant Tteokbokki: Where To Buy It and How To Make It
If you like Korean food, then you’ve probably heard of the spicy goodness of tteokbokki. Not as spicy as Buldak Ramen, but still spicy if you ask me. Tteokbokki is a side dish or street food that is commonly purchased by teenagers for after-school snacks, a spicy pick-me-up, or a late night street food cart favorite. You can easily find tteokbokki at street food carts in districts like Hongdae and Myeongdong as well as prevalent in Korean traditional markets. If you’re not in Korea though, or just want to enjoy this spicy Korean dish at home, keep reading. Here are some of the best instant tteokbokki options and how to…
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The Cold Korean Soups Calling My Name In The Summer
When summer hits Korea, it can be pretty hot, humid and sweaty… well for the foreigners anyway. My Korean husband seems to only sweat when he’s eating hot soup. While traditional Korean belief promotes the idea of iyeol chiyeol (이열치열), or the idea of controlling heat with heat which means that Koreans eat HOT soups on the HOTTEST of days in order to feel cooler, not all Korean summer soups are hot. Some of my favorite summer meals in Korea are when we sit down to lunch on a delightfully cool bowl of Korean soupy goodness that may or may not also have some ice cubes floating around too. Looking…
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Korean Food: What to Know About Oritang
While it looked similar and it had duck as the main ingredient, it wasn't as thick as the oritang that I had become accustomed to eating in the north. My father-in-law explained that this was actually oritang and what I had wanted based on my description was oribaesuk (오리백숙). I had never heard of the latter and was sure that my teacher friends had always ordered the former, but it seems there is quite a difference.
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Korean Food: Dakgaejang Is The Spicy Chicken Soup You Need To Try
Always preferring to stop at an actual restaurant with good food over the nearest highway rest area with so-so fare, while still in Chungcheongnam-do on our way back from the coast in Anmyeondo, Korea, we decided to make a pit-stop in Dangjin for dakgaejang (닭개장) or spicy chicken soup. While you may not have heard of this spicy soup, you’ve probably heard of her big brother yukgaejang (육개장) or spicy beef soup. If you like yukgaejang, I bet you’ll love dakgaejang. This spicy Korean chicken soup is refreshing and if you happen to see it on a menu, order it I tell you! (This post contains affiliate links, which means…
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Korean Eating: Let’s Eat Feet!
Two Korean dishes that I personally enjoy fairly commonly are made up entirely of feet. In Korea, chicken feet is made with a spicy red pepper sauce and if you're lucky they have already been de-boned.
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Korean Cooking: How To Make Fermented Soybean Paste Soup
Fermented soybean paste soup, or deonjang jjigae (된장찌개), is one of those very common soups to see on restaurant tables as well as in the home. It's one of those soups that also might take a little time to get used to with it's salty taste.
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Korean Eating: Wait… I’m eating mud? Korean Loach Soup Actually
There have been a few times in Korea when I was glad that I wasn’t told what I was eating until after I was done eating it and chuotang (추어탕) was one of those times. Usually the issue is just with translations though in my experience. Who wants to hear they’re eating the cow’s third stomach? The translations are just never as appetizing as the dishes that are served. With chueotang however, it isn’t the translation that’s the issue, it’s just the name of the fish. Called mud fish stew or loach fish soup, this Korean soup looks like mud but is so so good and healthy too. If you’re…
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Korean Eating: Pig’s Trotters or Jokbal Is What’s For Dinner
Want to have a picnic on the Han River and do it Korean style? There are a few Korean delicacies that often grace a Korean picnic blanket. You might be surprised to find out that braised pig’s feet, or pig’s trotters, called jokbal (족발) is one of them. This rich and savory meal can be picked up in traditional markets or restaurants easily to go and makes for a delicious lunch or dinner treat. Want to learn more about jokbal? Korean pig’s trotters? You’ve come to the right place. Get ready to eat pigs feet in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of…
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Korean Eating: Don’t Throw Away the Pig Skin!
No part of the pig should be thrown away! The Mapo district of Seoul is known for its pig skin restaurants and now I understand why there are so many here. There’s hardly a night out for pork on the grill that doesn’t end with some chewy, but also crackled at the beginning if done just right, pig skin, or dwaeji ggupdaegi (돼지 껍데기). (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.) Where to eat pig skin in Korea Pig skin is called dwaeji ggupdaegi (돼지껍데기), “dwaeji” being…