So why did we choose Korea? Well, we chose Korea because I am also part Korean and think that Korea is one of the exotic places for food in the world. Food in Korea is very important to the Korean people. There are so many different types of Korean food so we will just find the best recipes for you to try out. Korea is one of the best places for street food. You have got to explore them!
Korean Street
Bimbimbap
Bimbimbap:
Bimbimbap is a good dish for the winter and is very fun to eat.
Ingredients:
3 cups short grain rice
1/2 lb beef, rib eye or sirloin (substitute shiitake mushrooms for a vegetarian dish)
16 oz soybean sprouts (or mung bean sprouts)
2 cucumbers
2 zucchinis
2 carrots
1 bunch spinach
2 cups boiled gosari* (fern brake)
4 eggs
7 garlic cloves
2 or 3 scallions, chopped
(*Boiled gosari is sold in Korean/Asian markets. If using dried gosari, soak several hours until soft and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes until tender.)
soy sauce
sesame oil
roasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper
vegetable or canola oil
Red pepper paste (gochujang) sauce:
4 tablespoons of Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
3 tablespoons of water.
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or following package directions, using a little less water than called for. The rice for bibimbap should be a little drier than usual for best results. Prepare all other ingredients (recipes follow). Assemble: Place a serving of rice in a big bowl. (If using a stone bowl, heat it on medium heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and rice and cook the rice for several minutes until the rice sizzles.) Nicely arrange a small amount of each prepared vegetable and beef over the rice. Drizzle a little sesame oil over. Top with an egg fried sunny-side up and serve with the red pepper paste sauce.
Beef: Cut into thin 2-inch long strips. Mix in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of rice wine (optional), 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion, 2 cloves garlic minced, and a pinch of pepper. Marinate for 20 minutes. Sauté in a skillet for 2 – 3 minutes over high heat.
Gosari (Fern brake): Cut into 3-inch lengths. Season with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and a pinch of pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sauté in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable/canola oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Soy bean sprouts: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil with a teaspoon of salt. Add the bean sprouts and boil for 3 minutes. Drain quickly and shock in cold water to stop cooking. Drain again. Toss with 1 clove garlic minced, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and salt and pepper to taste.
Spinach: Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water only until wilted, 30 – 40 seconds. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Squeeze out water. Cut into 3-inch lengths. Toss with 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds and salt and pepper to taste.
Cucumbers: Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. Generously sprinkle salt over sliced cucumbers and set aside for 10 – 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. Toss with 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds.
Zucchinis: Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. Generously sprinkle salt over sliced zucchinis and set aside for 10 – 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid from salted zucchini by hand. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion and 1 clove garlic minced. Sauté in a lightly oiled skillet for 1 – 2 minutes over medium high heat.
Carrots: Julienne the carrots into match sticks. Sauté in a lightly oiled skillet for 1 – 2 minutes over medium high heat, sprinkling salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Samgyetang:
Samgyetang is a very nice soup dish to eat in the winter because it is filling and warms you up.
Ingredients
1 Cornish hen
½ cup of sweet rice (short glutinous rice)
10 cloves of garlic (or 1 entire bulb)
2 ginseng root (dried or fresh) (in-sahm 인삼)
2 chestnuts (dried or fresh)
6 dried dates (dae-choo 대추)
1 stalk of green onions
Salt, Pepper
Broth
dried Kalopanax bark (Eom-namu 엄나무)
dried Astragalus herb (Hwang-gee 황기)
dried Siberian Ginseng herb (Ogamok 오가목)
Samgyetang
Or,
dried kelp (dah-shi-ma 다시마)
Preparation
Sweet rice – Rinse with cold water and soak under cold water for an hour.
Chestnuts – If you’re using dried chestnut like me, soak them with sweet rice. If using fresh ones, just clean and peel off the skins.
Garlic – I use the whole cloves. Remove skins and cut off the top.
Broth – More traditional and medically beneficial way is to use these dried herbs. Clean, add 4 cups of water, boil in a medium heat for 20+ minutes. If you’re using dried ginseng roots, add here and boil them together.
Most Korean supermarkets (like H-Mart and Lotte) sell these in a package shown in the picture above (this package says “baek-sook” in Korean which is another word for sam-gye-tang but the English translation in the package says “Dried Chinese Herb”).
Kalopanax Bark is beneficial for arthritis and also has anti-inflammatory effects. Astragalus is an immune system booster, and Siberian Ginseng improves vitality.
Alternatively, if you don’t have these herbs, you can use Dashi broth (using dried kelp) or just water.
Cornish Hen Prep
a. First, thaw the frozen chicken and then clean with cold water
b. Remove giblets in a bag inside the chicken’s tummy
c. Chop off the wings (picture with scissors) and tail (picture with scissors pointing). Tail has the most amount of fat.
d. Remove skin
e. Stuff loosely 3 table spoons of sweet rice (after soaked in water for an hour), 3-4 garlic cloves, 2 dates and 2 chestnuts. Do not stuff too much and leave some room
f. Close the tummy entrance with toothpick, and cross and secure the legs with toothpick as well. You can use other means.. like silicon band or thread.
Cooking
1. Transfer the prepared chicken into a thick pot (I use clay pot. Preferably, use a pot that retains heat well like casting iron pot). Add the remaining sweet rice, ginseng, garlic cloves, and dates.
2. Add broth (herb broth, dashi broth or water) to almost cover the whole chicken. The entire chicken does not have to submerge under broth.
3. Boil in a high heat for 15 minutes. Remove fat scum and foams as necessary. Then lower the heat to medium for another 30-40 minutes. Stir the bottom of pot gently to prevent the rice to stick to the bottom. You may need to add water if the broth gets reduced too much.
4. Garnish with green onions and serve with salt and pepper.
Kalbi
Kalbi:
Kalbi is a delicious barbeque dish that we Koreans, love to eat
Marinade
1 1/2 cups soy sauce or .
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, chopped
3 large green onions, cut into small pieces
2 tbl toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
4-6 pounds of Korean short-ribs
1.Place ribs in a large ziplock bag or a dish that can hold them all
2. Combine all the ingredients together and stir for 1 minute.
3.Pour the marinade into the pot, dish, or ziplock over the meat making sure ll the ribs have been coated.
4.Cover and refrigerate over night.
5.The next morning make sure to place the ribs that were on the bottom on top, and vice versa.
6.Continue to refrigerate until its time to grill.
7.Heat grill to medium-high heat and when the grill is nice and hot add meat. Grill each side for 3-4 minutes.
ich will be a huge problem for the village people because they won’t have any food. We also won’t be able to explore or even eat the exotic dishes that these people had. We are trying to help support the Green Peace organisation to stop deforestation. Don’t you think that saving forests will not only save the animals and people but it will also give us a chance to try out these delicious delicacies?
Travelling Chefs 