Korea could have easily become a nation with no identity when it comes to food. The country was was heavily influenced by China, invaded by the Mongols, and occupied several times by Japanese rulers not known for their cultural sensitivity. Despite all this, their cuisine has come through it all unscathed, remaining distinct from those of its neighbors and historic trading partners.

Korean food is somewhat of a mystery to most foreigners. While Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and and even Thai restaurants abound in the US, eateries from this Asian nation primarily serve immigrants or expatiriates from the homeland. While these restaurants sometimes succeed with the general public in Manhattan or on the West Coast, the majority are located in Korean neighborhoods and filled with local customers. Perhaps this is because many of the staple foods are an acquired taste, or that they're difficult to describe to the uninitiated. Besides, when it comes to advertising, they're not exactly photogenic.

Kimchi

Take kimchi, which is served with virtually every meal. Kimchi is a generic word referring to any spicy pickled vegetable concoction, but the most common type is made from cabbage fermented in a brine that includes red chili paste and loads of garlic. It won't make you sweat, but it has quite a bite. The fiery, blood-red pepper sauce contrasts with the white or transluscent cabbage leaves, forming a mixture that doesn't exactly make your mouth water at first glance.

Other versions are made with green beans, large white radishes, bean sprouts, and a variety of unique local vegetables. In Korea, it's not unusual to find several different bowls of kimchi laid out with a meal, even in the Chinese and Japanese restaurants. While the taste takes a bit of getting used to, most expatriates living in Korea eventually end up enjoying it regularly.

Bulgogi and Kalbi

The dishes that westerners take to most quickly, however, are usually bulgogi and kalbi--both made from beef. The first is thinly-sliced, marinated beef quickly fried and served with rice or vegetables. Kalbi is marinated beef ribs grilled over a fire at the table. Vents carry away the smoke, while customers take care of flipping the small pieces of meat and removing them with their chopsticks. You lay the morsels in romaine lettuce or sesame leaves, throw in some kimchi and pepper sauce, then stuff the roll into your mouth. There are also many pork kalbi restaurants in Korea, which tend to be a little cheaper.

Healthy Cuisine

Korean food is generally quite healthy. Meat is usually eaten in small portions that can be picked up with chopsticks and it is always complemented by a large number of vegetable dishes. With all the pickling and soy sauce, sodium levels are high, but meals are generally well-balanced, high in fiber, and low in fat, calories, and sugar. Vegetarians get plenty of protein, since tofu and other soy products are prominent ingredients.

The harmony of spices and seasonings is very important and many ingredients are also chosen for their health and medicinal benefits.

Family Style

Numerous lunch items are prepared individually since many restaurants serve takeout as well. Dinner meals, however, are eaten family-style. Diners pick at an assortment of dishes with metal chopsticks, or ladle soups or stews into their own individual bowls. Usually each person will have their own rice bowl and perhaps a clear soup, but everyone shares the other items.

As you would expect from such a casual dining style, service is far from formal. Waitresses are generally mothers in an apron. To call one over, the proper term is not "waitress," but "ahjuma"--the respectful term for a middle-aged or married woman.

Food quality is consistently high from restaurant to restaurant and there are few layers of finery: the "haemul tang" (mixed seafood soup) you order from a hole-in-the-wall place in a residential neighborhood will generally taste and look about the same as the version you would get in the fanciest restaurant in town. In either case, the "cook" prepares and combines all the ingredients, but the cooking itself takes place at a burner on your table.

Local Firewaters

Water is served with all meals, but alcohol usually flows abundantly at dinner. Bottles get passed around, with everyone serving each other: except with familiar friends, it is customary that you don't pour for yourself.

Beer is very popular, but the local firewater of choice is soju, a sort of sweet vodka that you drink straight. Considering that a 12-ounce bottle costs around $3.50 in a restaurant or less than a buck in stores, few people sip slowly. This is probably the reason that Jinro Soju outsells all other liquor brands in the world.

Considering that it's a very local commodity (unlike Bacardi rum or Johnnie Walker Scotch), the per capita consumption rate is staggering--in more ways than one. Korean drinking habits go back a long way: while one Shilla dynasty king was in the midst of a drinking game with his soldiers, a rival attacked the palace and quickly defeated the inebriated rulers.

Another popular beverage is makkoli, which is a milky fermented rice beverage that tastes much better than it looks. You will generally find it in more traditional restaurants and bars, with big clay crocks of it served in old-style Korean houses or in log cabins with fireplaces. You can also find a variety of unique folk liquors distilled from local fruits and flowers.

As with many of its geographical neighbors, Korea is not a good place to order dinner by closing your eyes and pointing to something on the menu. What's considered edible here will often churn the stomachs of all but the most hearty foreigners. The locals gobble down bumpy sea urchins, insect larvae, and unidentifiable roots and fungi without a flinch, while smelly dried squid and rubbery octopus are considered drinking snacks here--the Korean equivalent of peanuts or nachos at the bar.

One fear that is unfounded, however, is that Rover will end up on your plate. Yes, some people do eat dog here (as they do in China, Vietnam, and parts of other Asian countries), but only at specialized restaurants--at these places, that's all they serve.

Specialties

In fact most restaurants in Korea are narrowly specialized places. One restaurant will serve only kal guk su (fresh noodle soup), while one next door may only serve fish. For obvious reasons, locals trying to host you in Seoul will want quite specific answers when they ask you what kind of food you'd like to sample.

Restaurants that cater to lunch crowds serve a slighter greater variety, largely because there are a dozen or so set dishes that nearly every place serves during the day. The most common are probably pibimbap (rice and vegetables with a spicy sauce and a fried egg), kimchi chigae (a spicy stew with kimchi and pork), and soondubu (a spicy tofu and clam stew).

The Koreanized Chinese restaurants feature fried rice, chopchae (stir-fried clear noodles, vegetables, and pork), and jajong myon (noodles, vegetables, and meat in a dark brown soy gravy). If you find a few standards that you enjoy, you'll be able to find a place to eat nearly anywhere.

Banquets Korean Style

There is a way, however, to try a wide variety of Korean food at one sitting: by going to a restaurant that serves han jong sheik, a Korean banquet meal. The simpler versions feature one or two main dishes and wide variety of side dishes. The most elaborate try to simulate a traditional royal meal, with thirty or more small bowls of different meats, seafood, soups, and vegetables. Korean restaurant menus in the US, of course, will generally offer more of an overview than you would normally find in a single spot in Seoul.

Vegetarian Fare

Strict vegetarians will have a tough time in Korea unless they're willing to stick to side dishes. About the only Korean vegetarians around are the most pious Buddhist monks and the whole concept is generally a mystery to everyone else. There are a few dishes that can be ordered without meat, but a vegetarian wanting to really sample a variety of Korean food would have to try one of the few Buddhist vegetarian restaurants in Seoul.

Those who eat seafood will have no problem, however, since being on a peninsula has made fish a common element in the diet.

After the Japanese were finally forced out, udon noodle soups and raw fish were the culinary survivors. Udon, pronounced "udong" here, is a popular lunch dish, while sushi and sashimi (known as hwae here) are the most expensive dinner options around. There has also been an interesting metamorphosis of rolled sushi--into a fishless rice and seaweed roll known as "kimbap." This ubiquitious snack food generally features ham, several vegetables or kimchi, pickled radish, and a bit of egg.

Next time you're searching for a different dining experience, pop into a Korean restaurant. Or, if you're in Korea on business, walk past all those American fast food chains, have a seat on the floor, and pull out the metal chopsticks. You'll be discovering a unique cuisine, and you'll be healthier too.

Be sure to also read:

You Like Kimchee?

Kimchee Recipe!

Click here for an easy recipe for making your own kimchee at home.

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For tips on adventurous eating the world over, plus information on unique customs and dining etiquette, be sure to check out Richard Sterling's fabulous book The Fearless Diner. Click for more information or to order through Amazon.com.