10 South Korean Culinary Facts That Might Make Foreigners Intrigued

South Korea has increasingly gained the attention of Westerners not only for its catchy music, dramas that capture the attention of fans, beauty secrets, among others. The country, which like Brazil, has a very rich culture, has won over people for its habits and diverse cuisine. Even those who haven’t been able to travel there yet can try South Korea’s traditional recipes in their own home.

We, from incredible.club, we went after some peculiarities that make South Korean cuisine so special and different from what we are used to. Below you can check it out!

While in some parts of Brazil pepper is usually dosed in the preparation of meals, in the eastern part of the world, Koreans have a true passion for this ingredient, and it is considered a cultural tradition. The secret is that this spice has stress-relieving properties. As the body reacts to the effects of pepper, it releases endorphins, which are natural pain relievers and mood boosters.

One of the most famous peppers among Koreans is gochujang (chili paste), which is usually used in large quantities, can be prepared or even purchased in 3 kg pots.

Something very common for Brazilians is to find someone selling a barbecue in almost every corner. But in South Korea, there is another type of appetizer that is quite unusual for Westerners: beondegi, or better said, the pupa of the silkworm. As the textile industry in the country prospered, people decided to take advantage of the insect’s leftovers, cooking them as a snack, as in the past there were not many sources of animal protein at a very affordable price.

To consume it, it is necessary to marinate it in sweet soy sauce and boil it for hours with a little water. Its scent can be smelled from meters away. The beondegi can have a soft and hard texture at the same time, its taste is bittersweet, due to the touch of soy sauce. This delicacy can be found in traditional street markets or in cans sold in supermarkets. It is worth mentioning that nowadays it is not something so sought after by the younger generation.

If you can’t do without a good plate of hot noodles, you might be surprised by Naengmyeon, Korean cold noodles. This typical dish is served in a stainless steel bowl with a very cold spicy broth, forming a soup, which can contain pepper paste, meat, sesame, cucumber, vinegar and other spices and, in this way, it can combat the heat during the summer months. hottest days of the year. Made with homemade flour, wheat, sweet potato pasta, it is similar to spaghetti, but thinner than what we are used to buying in the markets.

Originally created in North Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, it ended up also conquering the inhabitants of the South, in the 1950s. In addition, it was already consumed in winter, as there were not so many ways to store ice, until the end of the 19th century the ice supply system was created, becoming a typical summer food. Traditionally, long noodles were eaten uncut as they symbolized longevity and good health.

You know that bean that some people put in a tub of ice cream just to keep it frozen until the next time you use it? While it is part of our traditional meal, usually accompanied by rice, in South Korea, our everyday foods can take on other forms, for example: beans. In the country, this ingredient is used to make Patjuk, a porridge; in addition to cookies and sweets created with this grain. Furthermore, there are even bean popsicles.

If you can’t do without a raw vegetable salad and it cannot lack seasonings such as vinegar, oil and salt, in the “Great Nation of Han” (as the country can also be called), a very popular vegetable cannot be missing from the table: the chard. However, it is served in its most popular form, which emerged during the Joseon Dynasty: kimchi — a spicy preserve of Korean chard, containing chilli pepper (or curry), garlic, chives, turnip, ginger, onion, apple, salt, wheat flour and water.

In addition to kimchi, other fermented foods are consumed, such as Doenjang (bean paste); and, in this way, the conservation of these foods is allowed.

One detail that can impress tourists visiting the fish market in South Korea is the variety of seafood. Unlike the fishmongers we have in Brazil, whose focus is usually on selling fish, there you can find everything (or almost): in addition to fish, shrimp, crabs, there are also octopuses, squids, rays, shellfish, oysters, mussels, molluscs, commonly sold popularly.

There’s nothing like eating potato chips or a salty biscuit to satisfy your appetite, right? But at the same time, you can beat that guilt for eating unhealthy “junk food”. How about swapping your snacks for seaweed? You must be almost screaming: “What?”, but this plant that grows in the sea is rich in nutrients and minerals.

Its benefits are: improving the function of the brain, heart, inflammation and pain; regulate metabolism; slimming aid; reduce sagging and premature wrinkles, among many others. The edible kelp is part of several dishes, but its dried and seasoned version is a delicious appetizer for South Koreans.

Generally, how is the dish where you eat? Unlike our typical earthenware dishes, in South Korea a traditional country recipe is served in a very hot soapstone pot, called Dolsot (which literally means “stone pot”), ensuring crispy and toasted rice. The nutritious and tasty Dolsot bibimbap is made with rice, carrots, egg, mushrooms, zucchini and pepper paste.

No knife, scissors are much more efficient. For South Koreans, this instrument is more practical for cutting food, so it can come as a culture shock for first-time tourists when they see natives calmly cutting meat with scissors while it is being grilled, instead of take them out, put them on a plate, cut them with a knife and then return them to the grill to finish cooking.

When you think of traditional sweets from Brazil, you immediately come to mind: paçoca, pé de moleque, cocada, etc., right? In South Korea, there is also a very famous sweet, the dalgona candy or ppopgi, as it was called in the 1970s until the early 2000s.

Its ingredients are absolutely simple: melted sugar and baking soda. Maybe you’ve seen it in the drama Round 6 (or Squid Game), with its round shape and a figure in the center. Also, in Korean tradition, if you eat around the edges until you release the design without breaking it, you get another candy.

Did you already know some of these curiosities of South Korean cuisine? Which one caught your attention the most? Let us know and don’t forget to share with your friend who is a fan of South Korea!