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Korean Food

2. Korean national holiday

Korean Food

Life in korea/Korean Food

1. Type of Korean Food

A diverse array of foods and dishes can be found throughout Korea.
Korea was once primarily an agricultural nation, and Koreans have cultivated rice as their staple food since ancient times. These days Korean cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild greens and vegetables. Various fermented and preserved food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), jeotgal (seafood fermented in salt) and doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are notable for their specific flavor and high nutritional value.

The prominent feature of a Korean table setting is that all dishes are served at the same time. Traditionally, the number of side dishes varied from 3 for the lower classes to 12 for royal families. Table arrangements can vary depending on whether a noodle dish or meat is served. Formal rules have developed for table setting, demonstrating the attention people pay to food and dining. Compared to neighboring China and Japan, a spoon is used more often in Korea, especially when soups are served.

Kinds of Traditional Korean Food

1. Bap (steamed rice) and Juk (porridge)
Boiled rice is the staple of Korean cuisine. Most people use sticky rice, which sometimes has beans, chestnuts, sorghum, red beans, barley or other cereals added for flavor and nutrition. Juk is thought of as highly nutritious and light. Many varieties of juk exist, for example, juk made of rice, red beans, pumpkin, abalone, ginseng, pine nuts, vegetables, chicken, mushrooms and bean sprouts.

2. Guk (soup)
Soup is an essential dish when rice is served. Ingredients of different soups include vegetables, meat, fish, shellfish, seaweed, and beef bones.

3. Jjigae (stew)
Jjigae is similar to guk but is thicker and hardier. The most famous jjigae is made from fermented soy bean paste. Jjigae is usually spicy and served piping hot in a heated stone bowl.

2. Kimchi

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Origin of Kimchi
Since human beings began cultivating, they have enjoyed vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. However, the cold winter, when cultivation was practically unavailable, led naturally to the development of a storage method- pickling. As a kind of pickled vegetables, kimchi was born in Korea around the 7th century.

• Use of Hot Red Pepper Powder
At the earliest stage, kimchi was just salted vegetable, but during the 12th century they saw the appearance of a new type of kimchi with some spices and seasonings, and in the 18th century, hot red pepper finally became one of the major spices for kimchi. In particular, thanks to the introduction of cabbages in the 19th century, they witnessed the same type of kimchi as we know it today.

• The Origin of the Name, Kimchi
It is suspected that the name kimchi originated from shimchae (salting of vegetable) which went through some phonetic changes: shimchae - dimchae - kimchae - kimchi.

• Reasons Why Kimchi Was Developed in Korea
Few fermented vegetable foods are found worldwide. Some possible reasons why kimchi was developed as a fermented food especially in Korea are as follows: (1) vegetables were popular to the ancient people in Korea whose main industry was agriculture; (2) Koreans had a remarkable technology of slating fish which was frequently used as a seasoning; (3) Cabbages (Brassica) appropriate for making kimchi were widely grown.

• Major Historical Periods of Korea
The development of kimchi is reportedly rooted in the agrarian culture that began before the era of the Three Kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula. Due to the cold Korean winter, they had to come up with the storage technology of vegetables as a means of securing food.

- Kimchi in Ancient Times
It is difficult to identify the process of development of kimchi in ancient times, as historical records of the times are barely available. We can only assume that they simply salted vegetables in order to keep them as long as possible.

- Kimchi during the Goryeo Kingdom
Though no direct records as to kimchi are found as in the previous period, cabbages are mentioned in an oriental medicine book titled Hanyakgugeupbang. There were two types of kimchi- jangajji (sliced radish preserved in soy sauce) and sunmu sogeumjeori (salted radish). In this period, kimchi began to receive new attention as a processed food enjoyable regardless of season as well as storage food for winter. It is suspected that the development of seasonings at that time enabled spicy kimchi to appear.

- Kimchi in the Joseon Period
It was after foreign vegetables, in particular, cabbages (Brassica) were introduced and used as the main material that the current type of kimchi was formed. Hot red pepper was imported to Korea from Japan in the early 17th century (after the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592), but it took roughly 200 years until it was actively used as an ingredient of Kimnchi. Therefore, it was only during the late Joseon that kimchi became associated with its red color.

• Royal Court of Joseon

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Kimchi in the Royal Court of Joseon
Normally three types of kimchi- whole-cabbage kimchi(jeotgukji), diced-radish kimchi (Kkakdugi) and water kimchi were served for the kings of Joseon. Jeotgukji for a good deal of pickled fish (e.g. croakers) was added to the kimchi. A cooking book of Joseon, Joseon massangsansik yorijebeop, explains how to make jeotgukji as follows:
First, cut well-washed cabbages and radishes into small chunks and salt them. Second, mix them with chopped hot red pepper, garlic, dropwort (minari), leaf mustards (gat) and some seaweed. Third, boil fermented fish in some water and cool it. Fourth, add it to the above blended stuffs. Fifth, store them in a pot and wait till they are fermented.

Even if the main materials of water kimchi (dongchimi) are radish and water, more garnishes were used to enhance the taste in the royal court of Joseon. The radishes used for water kimchi should be of a wholesome shape. In addition, they should be washed and salted for a day before being stored in a jar buried under ground. There is an anecdote that King Gojong, the second last king of Joseon Kingdom liked cold noodle in the dongchimi juice mixed with some beef juice as a winter-night-meal. Hence, they prepared special water kimchi with pears, which were exclusively used for the cold noodle.

- Modern Kimchi
Kimchi has been scientifically proved to be highly nutritious and recommended as a future food by many nutritionists at home and abroad. So the export of kimchi to foreign countries is rapidly increasing. Korean immigrants to China, Russia, Hawaii and Japan first introduced kimchi abroad, and have continued to eat kimchi as a side dish. It gradually gained popularity even among foreigners. Accordingly, kimchi may be found wherever Koreans live. Especially in America and Japan where relatively many Koreans live, packed kimchi is easily available. In the past, the production and consumption of kimchi was confined to Korean societies, but nowadays it has become a global food.

3. Type of Kimchi

• Baechu Kimchi

It is the most popular winter Kimchi made by packing the 'so', the blended stuffing materials, between the layers of salted leaves of uncut, whole cabbage.
It varies by region.
There are cold northern areas and warm southern areas divided by each climate.

In the former, this Kimchi tastes neither spicy nor hot, rather insipid. On the other hand, in the latter, it is salty, hot, and juicy.
In the middle area, it is properly salty and juicy.
In the northern area, the 'so', the blended stuffing materials, is not used much, but spices and seasoning are added to finely shredded radish and then those are put sparsely between the heart of white cabbage.
Meanwhile, in the middle area, a large amount of the 'so' is made to be sufficiently put between every layer of leaves of the cabbage.
In the southern area, it is common to plaster the 'so' mixed with strong salted seafood juice and glutinous rice paste over the whole cabbage.

• Kkakdugi

Although radishes are available year-round, winter radishes are sweeter and firmer.
That is why many preserved side dishes are made of radishes.
When you add green leaves of radish, leaf mustards, green onions. or outer leaves of Cabbage to Kkadugi, it will be all the more delicious.Fermented shrimp is recommended instead of anchovy

paste, which will give Kkakdugi a darker color and strong scent.
Oysters are great when added to Kkadugi, but be sure to consume it as soon as possible because it will go bad easily.

• Nabak Kimchi

Use Chinese radishes and cabbage and pour a great deal of Kimchi stock.
The less spicy, the better the taste.
It is a year-round Kimchi available at all seasons.
Fermented fish is not recommendable.
Try to sprinkle with salt on the cabbage and radish evenly,

otherwise it will be too salty and too late to fix.
Other seasoning should be shredded in order to prevent thicker and sticky stock.
Do not use the greener part of green onions but use the washed white part since the greener part has sticky resin of its own. The starch from radish, sugar, and seasoning make the stock thicker and stickier.
When preparing stock, use thin cloth as a filter. Do not put hot pepper flakes directly into the stock.
Minari (dropwort) can be mixed together but for better color, put it into the Kimchi one night before serving.
If you want to save time, boil the stock and cool it and then put 2 tablespoons of sugar.

• Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Oi Kimchi)

The most popular Kimchi during the spring and summer time.
The crunchy texture and refreshing juice will make you feel wonderful.Oi Sobagi, fermented cucumber with other vegetables, easily goes sour and cannot be used otherwise.
So prepare it in small quantities. Be careful when you put cucumbers in brine in order to maintain the firm texture of the

cucumber.
It will be more convenient for you to put three knife incisions so that the stuffing will not fall out, but if you are preparing a large quantity of cucumber, just cut off the ends of the cucumber and cut the cucumber into quarters, the long way. For a refreshing taste, do not use fermented fish.If you put some young radish between layers, it will give you a better taste and more quantity.
Chopped Chinese chives is the most popular stuffing, but in the past they used waste pieces of cucumber at the King's Palace.

• Yeolmu Kimchi (Young Summer Radish Kimchi)

Although they are thin and small, young summer radishes are one of the most common vegetables for Kimchi during the spring and summer season.
Prepared either with or without fermented fish.
Mixed rice with Yeolmu Kimchi and cold noodles with Yeolmu Kimchi are unique delicacies on a hot summer day.

• Bo Kimchi (Bossam Kimchi: Stuffed Wrapped Kimchi)
Bo kimchi is not only traditional Kimchi particularly famous in Kesong town, but also popular nationwide. Since it is served as a bundle the leaves of cabbage wrap the blended materials like a bundle. Then it is preserved and matured in the white container, it is convenient to be served and eaten, leaving no leftover, its peculiar feature of convenience.
Since it is made of sufficient seafood and fruit with weak seasoning thereby being fermented and softened quickly and easily, do not make too much of it at a time. Like Jile kimchi, the kimchi made prior to kimjang kimchi, it has to be made at every meal or set aside to be served for 'Lunar New Year Day'.

• Pa Kimchi (Green Onion Kimchi)

The hot spicy pa kimchi, most popular in Jeolla-do, is made of medium-thick young green onions.
The native kind of the young green onion with a large white part is proper for ingredients of this kimchi due to its sweet taste.When it is ripened for a long time like got Kimchi, you can enjoy its best flavor.
Put as much myeolchijeot, the slated anchovies, as possible to make strong hot and salty taste. Ferment it enough.

• Got Kimchi (Indian Mustard Leaves Kimchi)

It is a side dish Kimchi, most famous in Jeolla-do.
Its hot taste is caused by adding a large amount of red pepper powder and the unique bitter taste and aroma, which make you feel refreshed, increases the appetite.
Strong Myeolchijeot and glutinous rice paste reduces its hot and bitter taste.Select got which has strong flavor and aroma and a violet tint.

Adding young green onion is optional.
Around a month after preparing, is it proper to eat. Sprinkle enough salt over it, then it can be preserved until spring and summer.

• Dongchimi (Radish Watery kimchi)

Cool tastes of pear with high saccharinity and of radish combine to make the best taste of dongchimi.
At this point, the pear should be matured for better storage.
Saccharinity accounts for 7-10 percent, fructose most, and glucose the least.
Since it has a less sour taste, it is good for dongchimi

• Chonggakmu kimchi (Ponytail Radish Kimchi)

Even though it is made in every region throughout this country, it varies by regions depending on kinds of salted fish juice used, amount of red pepper powder put, and rice porridge added.
It is a delicacy kimchi people enjoy most, following Tong Baechu kimchi, Dongchimi, and Kkakdugi.
In Chungcheong-do, its taste is adjusted only by salted shrimp

juice tasting plain or dongchimi, the watery radish Kimchi, is made. In Kyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do, salted fish juice Kimchi mixed with rice porridge is common.
It is made with dongchimi prior to gimjang, so it is eaten earlier than normal baechu Kmichi.
If you want to make this Kimchi later than usual, use less myeolchijeot and rice porridge, and adjust its taste with salted shrimp or salted yellow calcite to make a strong taste. Then cover it with the outer leaves of the cabbage.
It is favored by people due to its long-lasting coloration and freshness: it takes a long time to ripen.

4. Festival Food

In the agricultural society of the past, Koreans were very attentive to the change of seasons. For each month, the people developed unique folk customs to celebrate and commemorate the change of time, and enjoyed special dishes made of seasonal foods. Among numerous seasonal occasions, several are still widely observed by the general public.

Seollal-Lunar New Year's Day / February

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Koreans hold a memorial service for their ancestors, and perform "sebae", a formal bow of respect to their elders as a New Year's greeting. The most common food for this day is tteokguk (rice cake soup). In Korea, it is said that you cannot become a year older without eating a bowl of tteokguk on New Year's Day.

Jeongwol Daeboreum-First Full Moon Day / February

The first full moon day of the New Year is the time to perform rites to help avert disasters and bad luck. The most typical dishes for this day are ogokbap (steamed rice with five grains: rice, red bean, kidney bean and two kinds of millet) and mugeun namul (9 to 12 different dried vegetable dishes such as bracken fern, radish leaves, bellflower roots, mushrooms, etc.). At dawn on "jeongwol daeboreum", people crack walnuts, chestnuts or peanuts and sip rice wine, praying for good health for the whole year.

Sambok-Three days to mark the hottest period of summer

The three days of chobok , jungbok, and malbok are called sambok, and they mark respectively the beginning, middle and end of the lunar calendar's traditional hottest period of summer. Since the old days, people would eat hot meat dishes on these days to boost their stamina. A typical food for sambok is samgyetang, which is a stewed whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice, ginseng, jujube and garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Chuseok-Korean Thanksgiving Day / September

Chuseok and Seollal are the two biggest holidays in Korea. On Chuseok, people visit ancestral graves to thank their ancestors for a good harvest and for the well being of their family. Special foods for Chuseok are songpyeon (crescent-shaped rice cakes) and torantang (taro soup). Songpyeon is a rice cake hand-filled with any of various fillings made of bean, chestnut, jujube or sweetened sesame seeds, and steamed with pine needles. Along with newly picked fruits, these foods are presented at the altar for the ancestral memorial service.

Dongji-Winter Solstice / December

Dongji is the shortest day of the year. On the day of dongji, Koreans eat patjuk, red bean porridge, with rice balls in it. Since ancient times it was believed that red beans drive away evil spirits and prevent bad luck.

5.Table Manners

Table Manner

-	When having a meal with the elderly, wait for the elders to hold their spoon first.

-	Do not hold the spoon and chopsticks together in one hand. When using chopsticks, the spoon is rested on the table. Spoon and chopsticks are not rested on any bowl or dish. Do not hold the rice bowl or soup bowl in the hand.

-	At first, taste soup or kimchi juice, and then try rice or other dishes. Use spoon for rice and foods with liquid such as kimchi, stew, or soup; use chopsticks for other foods.

-	Do not make noises while eating and using spoon or chopsticks.

-	Do not rummage rice or side dishes with spoon, and do not pick out what you don't like or shake off seasonings.

-	Do not leave any trace of foods on spoon while eating. Pour sungnyung (boiled water in the rice cooker or scorched-rice tea) into the rice bowl, and drink it at the end.

-	Use individual plate for foods served for a crowd, and also for sauces such as soy & vinegar sauce or sweet & sour hot pepper soybean paste.

-	During a meal, uneatable parts such as bones or fish bones are quietly discarded by wrapping them in a paper. Do not put them on the table or floor.

-	When coughing or sneezing during a meal, cover the mouth with hand or napkin.

-	Try to keep pace with others by eating not too fast or too slow. When having a meal with the elderly, wait for them to put the spoon and chopsticks on the table at the end of the meal.

-	After a meal, put spoon and chopsticks on the spot where they were placed first and put used napkins on the table as it is.

-	When using a toothpick, cover mouth with hand.

When Serving Korean Foods To Foreigner

		Table setting for foreigners is not much different from that for Koreans. First, decide the type of the table. Traditional meal table is either square or round. Depending on the number of people eating, it is divided into a table for one, a table for two, a table for three, a table for four, and dureban or gyojasang (big table) for more than four people.

Food will be served according to the traditional Korean way. However, for foreigners are more accustomed to sitting on chairs than on the floor, serving food on a tall table with chairs will make them feel more comfortable, especially when there are more than four people.

Table cloths, table mats, spoon holders, spoons, forks, knives, napkins, water glasses, liquor glasses, and other utensils such as scissors for cutting foods or dish cloths for wiping tables should be always kept clean. Cleanliness is as important as the taste of the food.

Tablecloths and Tablemats

Traditional Korean table does not need a tablecloth or table-mats. These days, However, tablecloths and table-mats are widely used under the influence of western table-setting. Using tablecloths and table-mats for individual guests are recommended, especially to restaurants, for sanitary and other reasons.

White is the best and most widely used color for tablecloth. In some cases, a colored square cloth is placed on the white tablecloth to enliven the atmosphere and to prevent the cloth from being soiled easily. Tablecloth is usually hung about 30 cm below the table so that it does not touch the knees. It should be shorter when sitting on a cushion on the floor.

If a tablecloth is not used to cover the whole table, it is recommended to use table-mats or at least paper-mats for individual guests. Then, without spoon and chopstick holders, the table looks cleaner and more orderly.

In general, the size of a table-mat should be big enough to hold an individual plate, spoon and chopsticks, knives, and a water glass. Usually, the size of a table-mat is 30x45 cm, with rectangular or oval shape. Some restaurants use table-mats on which their name, menu, or patterns are printed. Plain white paper-mat is also used.

Spoon and Chopstick Holders

Spoon and chopstick holders are made from a variety of materials such as porcelain, wood, or silver. Regardless of the material, inexpensive ones with simple shape will do their function. Spoon and chopstick holders add to the elegance of the table when they are properly set on the tablecloth.

Spoon, Chopstick , and Forks

People from China, Japan, or countries in Southeast Asia are accustomed to using chopsticks. When serving them, spoon and chopsticks are placed as they are for Koreans. For those who do not use chopsticks, it is better to place the knife and fork along with the spoon. The knife is placed on the left side of the spoon. Put the fork on the left side of a plate, so that it can be appropriately used by the left hand.

Napkins

There is a wide variety in the kind and size of napkins. Ones made of the same cloth as the tablecloth, with a diagonal size of 50-60cm, will be the best choice. However, for reasons of convenience, most restaurants use paper napkins. The size of paper napkins should be at least 30cm diagonally. Smaller ones are for tea tables or refreshment tables.

Water Glasses and Liquor Glasses

For water glasses, ones made of porcelain are recommended. In general, cold drinking water is served before the food. When the guests are from China or Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, hot water is served along with cold one for they drink hot water all the year round.

When serving alcoholic beverages, glassware or crystal glassware are placed. When serving rice wine or Korean traditional folk liquor to foreigners, porcelain-ware are prepared.

Food-cutting Scissors and Dish Cloths

Dishcloths for wiping off tables should be white, clean, and neatly trimmed around the edges. If a dishcloth is not clean, appetite will be spoiled no matter how good the food is.

To see sharp-pointed scissors cutting noodles or meats can also scare off the appetite. Among the things foreigners have cited as bad experiences in Korean restaurants are the shape of scissors and the sanitation problems. These need to be corrected. It would be better to use scissors made of stainless steel with blunted tips.

[Quotation from http://english.tour2korea.com ]