Korean food as a national cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Its roots can be traced back to myths and legends of antiquity. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in southern Manchuria and northern Korean peninsula, Korean cuisine has evolved through a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends.It is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes (banchan) that accompany steam-cooked rice. Kimchi, a fermented, spicy vegetable dish is usually served at every meal. Korean cuisine usually involves rich seasoning with sesame oil, doenjang (fermented soybean paste), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and gochujang (red chili paste).

Dining etiquette

Dining etiquette in Korea goes back to the Confucian philosophies of the Joseon period. Guidebooks such as Sasojeol (士小節, Elementary Etiquette for Scholar Families) written in 1775 by Yi Deokmu (李德懋), comment on the dining etiquette for the period. Suggestions include items such as “when you see a fat cow, goat, pig, or chicken, do not immediately speak of slaughtering, cooking or eating it, when you are having a meal with others, do not speak of smelly or dirty things, such as boils or diarrhea when eating a meal, neither eat so slowly as to appear to be eating against your will nor too fast as if to be taking someone else's food. Do not throw chopsticks on the table. Spoons should not touch plates making a clashing sound”.  

The eldest male at the table was always served first, commonly served to them in the men's quarters by the women of the house. Women usually dined in a separate space of the house after the men were served. The eldest men or women always ate before their younger counterparts. The meal was usually quiet, as conversation was discouraged during meals. In modern times these rules have become lax, as families usually dine together now while conversing among themselves. Of the remaining elements of this decorum, one is that the younger members of the table should not pick up their chopsticks or start eating before the elders of the table.

The manner of drinking alcoholic drinks at dining is particularly important in Korean dining etiquette. Each diner is expected to face away from the eldest male and cover his or her mouth when drinking alcoholic drinks. In more strict situations, when the eldest male offers a diner a drink, the diner should politely refuse it three times. After three refusals, when the eldest male offers one more time, then finally the diner can receive it and start to drink.

The table setup is important as well, and individual place settings, moving from the diner's left should be as follows: rice bowl, spoon, then chopsticks. Hot foods are set to the right side of the table, with the cold ones to the left. Soup must remain on the right side of the diner along with stews. Vegetables remain on the left along with the rice, and kimchi is set to the back while sauces remain in the front.

Foodstuffs

Grains

Dolsotbap, cooked rice in a stone pot (dolsot).

Grains have been one of the most important staples to the Korean diet. Early myths of the foundations of various kingdoms in Korea center on grains. One basic myth relates to Jumong who received barley seeds from two doves sent by his mother after establishing the kingdom of Goguryeo. Yet another myth speaks of the three founding deities of Jeju Island whom were to be wed to the three princesses of Tamna; the deities brought seeds of five grains which were the first seeds planted which in turn became the first instance of farming.

During the pre-modern era, grains such as barley and millet were the main staples supplemented by wheat, sorghum, and buckwheat. Rice is not an indigenous crop to Korea which became the grain of choice during the Three Kingdoms period, particularly in the kingdoms of Silla and Baekje in the southern regions of the peninsula. Rice was such an important commodity in Silla that it was used to pay taxes. The Sino-Korean word for "tax" is a compound character that utilizes the character for the rice plant. The preference for rice escalated into the Joseon period when new methods of cultivation and new varieties emerged that would help increase production.

Legumes

Kongguksu, a cold noodle dish with a broth made from ground soy beans.

Legumes have been significant crops in Korean history and cuisine based on the earliest preserved legumes found in archaeological sites in Korea. The excavation at Okbang site, Jinju, South Gyeongsang province indicates that soybeans were cultivated as a food crop in ca. 1000–900 BCE. They are made into tofu (dubu), while soybean sprouts are sauteed as a vegetable (kongnamul) and whole soybeans are seasoned and served as a side dish. They are also made into soy milk, which is used as the base for the noodle dish called kongguksu.

A by-product of soy milk production is okara (kongbiji), which is used to thicken stews and porridges. Soybeans may also be one of the beans in kongbap, which boil together with several types of beans and other grains. Soybeans are additionally the primary ingredient involved in the production of fermented condiments collectively referred to as jang, such as soy bean pastes, doenjang and cheonggukjang, a soy sauce called ganjang, chili pepper paste or gochujang and among others.

Tangpyeongchae, a dish made with nokdumuk (a mung bean starch jelly) and vegetables

Meat and fish

In antiquity, most meat in Korea was likely obtained through hunting and fishing. Ancient records indicate that rearing of livestock began on a small scale during the Three Kingdoms period. Meat was consumed roasted or in soups or stews during this period. Those who lived closer to the oceans were able to complement their diet with more fish while those who lived in the interior had a diet containing more meat.

Beef

See also: List of Korean dishes, Meat

Beef is the most prized of all meats, with the cattle itself holding an important cultural role in the Korean home. The cattle were regarded as servants and seen as an equal to human servants. Cattle were also given their own holiday during the first 'cow' day of the lunar New Year. The importance of the cattle does not suggest that Koreans ate an abundance of beef, however, as pork and seafood were more likely consumed on a more regular basis as the cattle were valued as beasts of burden. The Buddhist ruling class of the Goryeo period forbade the consumption of beef. The Mongols dispensed with the ban of beef during the 13th century and they promoted the production of beef cattle. This increased production continued into the Joseon period when the government encouraged both increased quantities and quality of beef.

It has only been in the latter part of the 20th century that beef has become regular table fare. Beef is prepared in numerous ways today including roasting or grilling (gui), boiling in soups. Beef can also be dried as with seafood called respectively yukpo and eopo.

Pork

Pork has also been another important land based protein for Korea. Records indicate that pigs have been a part of the Korean diet back to antiquity, similar to cattle rearing.

A number of foods have been avoided while eating pork including Chinese bellflower (doraji, 도라지) and lotus root (yeonn ppuri, 연뿌리) as the combinations have been thought to cause diarrhea. All parts of the pig are used in Korean cuisine in a variety of cooking methods including steaming, stewing, boiling, and smoking.

Dog meat

A dish made with dog meat in South Korea

The consumption of dog meat in Korea dates back to antiquity. The primary dog breed raised for meat, the nureongi (누렁이), differs from those breeds raised for pets which Koreans may keep in their homes. For those who consume dog meat, they usually do so during the summer months in either roasted form or prepared in soups. The most popular of these soups is gaejang-guk (also called bosintang), a spicy stew meant to balance the body's heat during the summer months; followers of the custom claim this is done to ensure good health by balancing one's gi, or vital energy of the body. A 19th century version of gaejang-guk explains that the dish is prepared by boiling dog meat with scallions and chili powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots. While the dishes are still popular in Korea with a segment of the population, dog is not as widely consumed as beef, chicken, and pork.

Fish and seafood

A bowl of gejang, marinated crabs in soy sauce and plates of various banchan (small side dishes).

Fish and shellfish have been a major part of Korean cuisine because of the oceans bordering the peninsula. Evidence from the 12th century illustrates that commoners consumed a diet mostly of fish and shellfish such as shrimp, clams, oysters, abalone, and loach, while sheep and hogs were reserved for the upper class.

Both fresh and saltwater fish are popular and are served raw, grilled, broiled, dried, and served in soups and stews. Common grilled fish include mackerel, hairtail, croaker, and Pacific herring. Smaller fish, shrimps, squid, mollusks and countless other seafood can be salted as Jeotgal. Fish can also be grilled either whole or in fillets as banchan. Fish is often dried naturally in order to prolong storing periods and enable shipping over long distances. Fish commonly dried include yellow corvina, anchovies (myeolchi) and croaker.

Shellfish is widely eaten in all different types of preparation. They can be used to prepare broth, eaten raw with chogochujang which is a mixture of gochujang (chili pepper paste) and vinegar, or used as a popular ingredient in countless dishes. Raw oysters and other seafood can be used in making kimchi to improve and vary the flavor.

Salted baby shrimps are used as a seasoning agent known as saeujeot for the preparation of some types of kimchi. Large shrimp are often grilled as daeha gui (대하구이) or dried, mixed with vegetables and served with rice. Mollusks eaten in Korean cuisine include octopus, cuttlefish, and squid.

Vegetables

Korean cuisine uses a wide variety of vegetables, which are often served uncooked, either in salads or pickles, as well as cooked in various stews, stir-fried dishes, and other hot dishes.  Commonly used vegetables include daikon, Napa cabbage, cucumber, potato, sweet potato, spinach, scallions , garlic, chili peppers, seaweed, zucchini, mushrooms, and lotus root. Several types of wild greens, known collectively as chwinamul (such as Aster scaber), are a popular dish, and other wild vegetables such as bracken fern shoots (gosari) or Korean bellflower root (doraji) are also harvested and eaten in season. Medicinal herbs such as ginseng, reishi, wolfberry, Codonopsis pilosula, and Angelica sinensis are often used as ingredients in cooking, as in samgyetang.

Vegetarian cuisine

Vegetarian cookery in Korea may be linked to the Buddhist traditions that influenced Korean culture from the Goryeo dynasty onwards. There are hundreds of vegetarian restaurants in Korea although historically they have been local restaurants that are unknown to tourists. Most have buffets, with cold food, and vegetarian kimchi and tofu being the main features. Bibimbap is a common vegan dish. Menus change with seasons. De-alcoholized wine, and fine teas are also served. The Korean tea ceremony is suitable for all vegetarians and vegans, and began with Buddhist influences. All food is eaten with a combination of rather slippery stainless steel oval chopsticks and a long-handled shallow spoon called together sujeo.

Korean vegetarian restaurants also exist outside Korea, such as Manhattan's Hangawi and Franchia, and Chicago's Amitabul.

Soups and stews

Tteokguk, soup made with tteok, rice cake

Soups are a common part of any Korean meal. Unlike other cultures, in Korean culture, soup is served as part of the main course rather than at the beginning or the end of the meal as an accompaniment to rice along with other banchan. Soups known as guk are often made with meats, shellfish and vegetables. Soups can be made in to more formal soups known as tang often served as the main dish of the meal. Jjigae are a thicker, heavier seasoned soup or stew.

Kimchi

As is above mentioned, Kimchi refers to pickled vegetables usually made with Napa cabbage, daikon, or sometimes cucumber, commonly fermented in a brine of ginger, garlic, scallions, and chilli pepper. There are endless varieties, and it is served as a side dish or cooked into soups and rice dishes. Koreans traditionally make enough kimchi to last for the entire winter season, although with refrigerators and commercial jarred kimchi this practice has become less common.

Noodles

Noodles or noodle dishes in Korean cuisine are collectively referred to as "guksu" in native Korean or "myeon" in hanja. While noodles were eaten in Korea from ancient times, production of wheat was less than other crops, so noodles did not become a daily food until 1945. Buckwheat (memil guksu) and wheat noodles (milguksu) were specialty foods for birthdays, weddings or auspicious occasions because the long and continued shape were thought to be associated with the blessing for longevity and long-lasting marriage. In Korean traditional noodle dishes are onmyeon or called guksu jangguk (noodles with a hot clear broth), naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), bibim guksu (cold noodle dish mixed with vegetables), kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), kongguksu (noodles with a cold soybean broth) and among others.

Enjoy!

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