It's like a new pair of underwear. At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.
The Korean Food Report
A common factor in conversations with people back home has been the food - "Is it too spicy?", "Have you tried dog yet?", "Can you get proper food like deep fried Mars bars?". The answer to all of these questions so far is "no".
The spiciness is of a level which is very pleasant to me and the hottest of dishes would be akin to a really good Jalfrezi. Dog consumption seems to be low, I have yet to meet any Koreans other than my recruiter who have eaten dog, there are a few days during the summer that are 'dog eating days' I am assured that this entails consuming dog and not just eating from a bowl that's been laid on the floor.
I'll give a brief piece of information regarding the main and best foods served here and allow you to decide from descriptions whether they are worth trying. Something to note here is that every meal is served with a selection of side dishes, these vary from place to place in quality and in number. Generally you get between 3 and 8 different types of side dishes including salad, marinated garlic, kimchi (more on that later), spring beans, onions, cucumber and some others that I don't know what they are but they taste nice.
Kimbap
This is available pretty much everywhere and is similar in style to Japanese sushi, although veg is used instead of fish. This is made as a snack more than a meal and is often served on the side of soups and spicy noodles.
Ramien
This is spicy noodles, served all over the place. The pot noodle type snacks that you can get at convenience stores can be made up and eaten in these places if you wish and are far more edible than their British counterparts, they actually taste like noodles for one.
Kalbi
By far and away the most enjoyable food that I've managed to gorge on since I got here. Kalbi is marinated beef and is served raw at your table. A basin in the centre of the table is filled with glowing coals and barbecue type grill is put over them. It is up to you too cook the meat yourself to the desired tenderness. You are then to put the meat on a leaf (lettuce, cabbage, or one that just tastes like a leaf off a tree) and add a selection of sauces and side dishes onto the leaf depending on your tastes. This is then wrapped and gobbled down quickly.
It's very easy to get carried away with kalbi, but the bonus is that you can heat and eat at your own pace so there is no need to rush things down before they get cold.
Samgyeopsal
Much the same as kalbi, but this is pork and a little more fatty.
Kimchi
Now there are loads of different types of kimchi and I don't know them all. Kimchi is served with EVERYTHING, its a pickled and spiced veg (different veg for different kimchi). Kimchi has been awarded a status of being very good for your health and the fact that SARS did not stretch into Korea is attributed to the fact that everyone eats kimchi.
I prefer the kimchi made of radish and cabbage but they are all pretty good. Some kimchi has been matured for years before reaching your place and this stuff is obvious in its quality and texture, expect to pay a bit more for this but the cost is worth it.
Mandu
Dumplings stuffed with gogi (a vague term for 'meat' that is never actually given a face) or kimchi. Served with a little soy and wasabi this goes down a treat at any time. Mandu is usually steamed but you can get it deep fried, this makes the outside crusty and not as nice. A mandu soup is available in some restaurants and is well worth a try as the mandu tend to be bigger and a lot juicier.
Bibinbap
'Bap' is rice, I assume that bibin is Korean for veg and hot sauce. This is a great short stop meal that is filling and tasty, all topped off with a fried egg. Just mix up and chow down.
Now this is by no means a comprehensive list of all the Korean food available, just some of my favorites, let the tasting commence!
posted by Alanowski @ 2:52 pm
5 Comments:
The leaderboard is hotting up here folks. Mr Porteous clearly out in front with only 3 points separating 2nd to 6th. Who will get todays all important point? Stay tuned for more info.
Scores on the boards:
Name -------------------Points
Porteous------------------ 6
Bomber------------------- 4
Scott---------------------- 3
Chimpy------------------- 3
Stoobs-------------------- 1
Gref----------------------- 1
gref says: party on wayne, party on garth woo ooo woo ooo woo ooo
Is that two in a row?
Not quite 2 in a row but 2 from the last 3. Mr Stoikavich moves up the table with two of the lowest IQ related films brought to you in this quiz. Still, every point counts!!
gref apologises for thinking he got two in a row. The excitement got to him. (ashamed) (but delighted nonetheless)
This blogger thing assures me that posts may take a few minutes to appear on the site. I estimate that my post yesterday took a mere 450 minutes to materialise. If I was told I could eat out in a foreign country for a few pounds, I would not expect to have to pay for my meal with a kidney. And certainly not one of my own.
I distrust any food which does not have the reassuring suffix "and chips", though "and rice" goes some way to putting my fears aside.
This gogi, the faceless meat, seems to be at the heart of my distrust of both foreign food and foreigners. You should be able to point at your dinner in a field before you eat it, not pet it and take it for a walk.
Is it me?
DFP -- experiencing 100 MPH wind.
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