One of the main components of Korean cuisine. This spicy red paste is made of red chili pepper powder, fermented soybeans, white rice flour and salt. It can be used as a cooking ingredient or put on the table as a separate dipping or mixing sauce.
고추장아찌(Pickled Green Chili Peppers)
Young green chili peppers are pickled in salt and water for a week, then mixed with a salty, spicy sauce.
고추전(Pan-fried Stuffed Green Chili Peppers)
Green chili peppers cut lengthwise and stuffed with ground beef. The stuffed peppers are then coated in flour, dipped in egg, and pan-fried.
고추조림(Braised Green Chili Peppers)
Side dish made of young green chili peppers braised in soy sauce with beef, clams, dried squid, or dried anchovies until reduced.
고추찜(Steamed Green Chili Peppers)
Green chili peppers coated in flour, steamed, and seasoned with soy sauce and spices.
고춧가루(Red Chili Pepper Powder)
A powder made of ground Korean red chili pepper. This is a major ingredient used to spice many dishes in Korean cuisine.
고춧잎나물(Chili Pepper Leaf Namul)
Side dish made of chili pepper leaves that are blanched and seasoned.
골뱅이무침(Spicy Freshwater Snails)
Cooked freshwater snail tossed with chopped fresh vegetables and a spicy sauce.
곰국수(Noodles in Thick Beef Soup)
Noodles in a meat broth that has been simmered for a long time. Served in a large bowl.
곰탕/곰국(Thick Beef Soup)
Soup made from a stock of beef bones simmered for eight to twelve hours. The broth has a milky appearance and the meat is very tender. Gomtang is not seasoned during the cooking process and is served with salt and chopped green onions on the side so it can be seasoned to taste at the table. This soup is generally served with kkakdugi (a kimchi made of radishes).
곱창(Beef Tripe)
곱창구이(Grilled Beef Tripe)
Beef tripe seasoned with spices or salt and grilled.
곱창전골(Spicy Beef Tripe Hot Pot)
A spicy, flavorful hot pot of vegetables and seasoned beef tripe cooked in a beef broth.
곶감(Dried Persimmon)
Persimmons that are peeled and fully dried in the open air. This very sweet, flavorful dried fruit is eaten on its own as a dessert or a snack and is also used in rice cakes or dessert drinks like persimmon punch.
과편(Traditional Candied Fruit)
Candied fruit that has been cooked in boiling water and strained, then left to harden in attractive shapes.
광어회(Raw Halibut)
Fresh halibut (preferably alive just before preparation) that is filleted, sliced thinly, and served raw.
구기자차(Gugija Tea)
Tea made from the dried fruit of the Chinese matrimony vine. Usually served as a medicinal tea.
구절판(Platter of Nine Delicacies)
One of the most popular appetizers in Korean cuisine, this dish is served in a special platter that is divided into nine sections. The middle section holds small crepes made of flour and water, and in each of the eight surrounding sections is a different finely chopped ingredient, such as vegetables, beef, and abalone, resulting in a colorful and beautiful presentation. Once served, people place small amounts of each type of ingredient onto a crepe, roll it up, then dip it in a mix of soy sauce and vinegar before eating.
국(Soup)
Soup, along with rice, is one of two essential elements of a Korean meal and is considered a main dish. Soups are made of vegetables, seafood, or meat and are seasoned with either salt, soy sauce or soybean paste (doenjang).
국밥(Soup with Rice)
This main dish is a combination of the traditionally separate bowls of rice and soup with the steamed rice served in the bowl of soup.