Shilgochu literally means “thread” or “string hot pepper.” It’s very very thinly sliced dried chili peppers that are nice as a garnish for vegetable side dishes and pancakes. Look for them near the hot pepper flakes at Korean grocery stores.
Wood ear mushrooms are used for some Chinese dishes which are popular in Korea, so you can usually find them in Chinese as well as Korean markets. Soak them in warm water for an hour before using them. They have a chewy texture and savory flavor when rehydrated. Keep in a cool, dry place. Fresh […]
If you’re going to have a party or get-together with your friends, one dish you can serve that almost everyone loves is Chinese sweet and sour pork. Koreans have their own Chinese-Korean variation of it called tangsuyuk. It’s crunchy pieces of fried pork coated in a jelly-like sweet and sour sauce filled with colorful fruits and […]
Today I’m introducing you to jjamppong, a spicy noodle soup full of seafood, meat, and vegetables. As you see from the video, it’s made with a lot of different ingredients, which makes it a hearty, filling meal, served spicy steaming hot. This is a Korean Chinese dish, developed by Chinese immigrants living in Incheon, Korea […]
You can make all the delicious rice you need in a simple pot on a stovetop, or any source of heat, including a fire. I do it all the time. But an electric rice cooker useful to have and convenient and I use mine all the time. You can turn it on and do other […]
Korean eggplants are long, thin, and light to dark purple. Their skin is thin and their texture softer and less spongy than Western globeshaped eggplants. They also have a sweeter, milder flavor. You can find them at many Asian markets and also at some farmers’ markets and regular supermarkets. Ordinary eggplant can be substituted.
Today’s recipe is for hobakjuk, pumpkin porridge. Sweet, smooth, and comforting, with chewy rice cake balls. Hobakjuk is very popular in Korea in the late fall and winter, and my version is a bit of an upscale version because I stuff some of the rice cake balls with pine nuts and I make a pretty […]
If you love seafood and spicy stews, I’m sure you’ll absolutely love this one, called maeuntang in Korean and spicy fish stew (or soup) in English. It can be made with pretty much any type of fish but most importantly the fish should be fresh! In this recipe and video I use black sea bass, or […]
Minari has crisp stems, leafy tops and an herbal flavor. It tastes a little like parsley. It’s sold in the vegetable section of Korean grocery stores. Choose minari with plump stems and leaves that are fresh looking and green, not brownish at all. Fresh minari is not always available, so when I see it, I […]
This rich, delicious dish is great for special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), or Seollal (New Year’s Day), but you can have it any time you want something amazing. It’s tender, sweet, savory, and irresistible, and the meat is almost falling off the rib bones!
This recipe is a very special one, made for a very special occasion in Korean culture. It’s rice cake called songpyeon, which Koreans make for Chuseok, the Korean harvest moon festival (although you can also make them any time you want). The cakes are a little sweet, chewy, and nutty, with a subtle pine tree flavor. They take some time and effort to make but are totally worth it, and not to mention colorfully beautiful!
