#3: South Korea

 

👋Annyeonghaseyo cookers! Today the arts culinaries will go until Asia in the territory Korean. Some year ago, in the app You Tube, Korean people invent two styles of videos that made the food of that country viral. 💥

👄One of them is the Mukbang. What is it? Well, Mukbang can be considered as a video or live broadcast where the person eats a lot of food, and the audience can comment or ask about the person who is eating. Not everyone likes this type of videos since the most times content ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) basically the sound when the person chews and swallows is not to the liking of some people, but fanatics comments that they found a certain satisfaction and curiosity about what type of food is being eaten. 

💲Another style doesn't have a name in specific, so we can say that is when people visit convenience stores, record what the store offer, buy the food, prepare the food in the same store and taste them. These videos are popular since many products looks so delicious and of course, if you are foreign, you don't have the possibility of taste and judge if one dish is good or not, so your point of reference is the description and opinion of the person who made the video. Currently these videos have the seal of Aesthetic. ✨

Since we've already seen, as Korean food has become popular, we can focus on the dishes themselves. One detail that Koreans love is that the dishes combine sweet and savory. They do this to have several nuances of flavor at the same time.

🍢An example of this can be seen in a very popular street product, corndogs. Yes, it's not exactly a 100% Korean dish since its origins may be that Germans brought sausages to the U.S. and the Americans fried it. But the Koreans gave it their own touch since, in addition to the filling, they added cheese, octopus or fish cake. But the Koreans gave it their own touch since, in addition to the filling, they added cheese, octopus or fish cake. As toppings, some are sprinkled with sugar and ketchup and mustard are added. A You Tube video showed a girl combining fried shrimp that she soaked with honey and mayonnaise. The truth is that as a west the combination sounds very strange, but the girl said it tasted delicious, so for tastes the colors, I guess. 👅

🌿Within a Korean diet, vegetables are essential since many dishes need them as accompaniments or within the preparation. According to Emb, (2023), "Fresh ingredients, fermented foods, and healthy oils are prized elements of Korean cuisine. It is also a cuisine that balances flavor and nutrition, offering a delectable taste experience and providing the body with the necessary nutrients." So, if you want to eat healthy or are just curious about how Korean food can come to be considered healthy, try to search recipes. Later on, I will give one of the most common and healthy in the entire Korean territory. 🌾

🔥Another aspect that you should consider if you want to try Korean food is that most dishes are SPICY. Koreans can compete with Mexico to see which of the two has the hottest chili. In the case of Koreans, they have a red chili powder called Gochutgaru, which is used to make many preparations such as broths or sauces that make up different dishes such as Tteokbokki (Spicy rice cakes), Bulgogi (Meat on the fire) or the Kimchi (Spicy cabbage pickle).

Although many people have not yet tried a Korean dish, those of us who have dared to describe this gastronomy with 8 golden spoons, the use of so many vegetables and few repetitive flavors are the most criticized. In addition, of course, the spiciness is sometimes more than we can tolerate.

🍳Recipe of Kimchi

🍴Kimchi is the best accompaniment and in fact, the most popular Korean dish that exists in that country. I'll show you the recipe so you can try it and don't worry, if you don't have any ingredients from the Korean region, we can substitute it.

This recipe is to make half the cabbage, but if you want to make more, double the amount of ingredients.

• 1 Chinese cabbage or better cook like Napa. If you can't find it, a regular cabbage will do.
• 4-5 tablespoons of salt
• 1-2 shallots grated.
• 1 small piece of fresh ginger grated, or you can use 1 tablespoon of ginger powder.
• 1/2 of a peeled ripe pear grated.
• 5-6 garlic cloves grated.
• 5 bunches of chive or scallion cut it in thin pieces. (only the green part).
• 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into thin strips.
• 1/2 Daikon radish cut it in thin pieces, but if you don't find it, you can use 3-4 normal radish cut into thin pieces.

• 1 tablespoon of rice flour.
• 1/2 cup of water.
• 1 tablespoon of sugar.
• 1-2 tablespoon of fish sauce.
• 1-2 or more tablespoons of Gochutgaru, if you don't find it, you can substitute by any spicy chili powder that you get. Paprika powder or dried chili flakes.

1. Half of the cabbage that we are going to use must have the core removed, which is the hardest part of the base of the cabbage. We cut the cabbage leaves into pieces that are not so big or small, these pieces are placed in a large container and the salt is added. Leave the cabbage with salt for at least 2 hours.
2. While the cabbage is waiting, mix the rice flour with half a cup of water in a pot. Stir until there are no lumps and then turn the stove on to medium heat until it thickens. When it is spicy, remove it from the heat and add the sugar until it is incorporated.
3. The next step is to add all the previously grated ingredients (ginger, shallots, garlic cloves, the pear) to a bowl where they will be mixed with the gochutgaru or the type of chili powder that you find with the fish sauce. When they are mixed, add the previously added rice flour mixture and mix.
4. After two hours, the cabbage should be washed very well until it no longer contains salt. In the same large container where the cabbage rested, we can add it again and add it like the chives, carrots and radishes. Stir very well and add the chili paste that we made previously. Try to get all the cabbage leaves wet with the chili paste.
5. Kimchi needs fermentation and this is achieved when you let the product rest for a long time. So, for the kimchi try to get a container to store it in that has a lid. Glass containers are the most recommended, but if you don't have them, use plastic ones.
6. We add the preparation, a little advice, if the kimchi is not moist enough, add water without reaching the top of the container. We should not completely close the lid of the container, so leave the lid propped up, put a plate under the container and leave the kimchi in a cool place away from the sun for 5 days. On day 2 and 4, check the kimchi to crush it a little with a spoon and release bubbles due to fermentation.

In the day 5, Ijeom or enjoy your Korean kimchi! 😋

Thanks to read💖 and see you in the next country, Bye. 👋

References 

Joseph Emb.(2023). Is Korean Food Healthy? 8 Reasons Why Korean Cuisine Proves It to Be the Healthiest Choice.

Is Korean Food Healthy? 8 Reasons Why Korean Cuisine Proves It To Be The Healthiest Choice (stylevitally.com)