I wanted to look more into Korean cuisine because I noticed one stark difference between most kitchens in Korea and those in the U.S.—the majority of Korean kitchens don’t have a stove. If they do have a stove, many of the Koreans use it as extra cupboard space and use it to store their pots and pans. This is because Korean cuisine is mainly cooked on the stove-top due since a typical well-balanced Korean meal consists of a protein dish along with side dishes or soups unless you are having a noodle dish. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, vegetables, and meats—at least in the South. Then there’s also a number of side dishes seen in traditional Korean meals such as the most commonly known dish among foreigners, kimchi. Korean cooking is also based on a lot of unique fermented sauces which provides a complex flavor profile. Furthermore, fermentation, brining, and drying of ingredients also produce concentrated flavors and textures which also makes Korean food different. Traditionally baking or frying were not common methods in a Korean kitchen as Koreans tend to use the aforementioned cooking processes—fermenting, boiling, blanching, seasoning, and pickling. Among these methods, the most characteristic method is fermentation since its process enriches food flavors and preserves foods.
Korean food doesn’t always consist of noodles, fried chicken, or pizza. The traditional ingredients of Korean food consist of grains and vegetables, and medicinal herbs such as garlic, green onions, and red pepper were also used to enhance flavor and add to the health benefits of food. Korean fermentation technology has played an important role in preserving the food resources that I previously mentioned including legumes, vegetables, and fish. The main source of carbohydrates was historically known to be grains, including rice and barley. Legumes and fish provided the protein, with vegetable oils—made from sesame or perilla—serving as the main supply of fat. Therefore, there’s limited deep-fat fried cooking involved and since there’s not much baking required such as British cuisine or American cuisine, stoves aren’t practical to have in Korean kitchens. On the other hand, an adorable fact I found is as meals are cooked using natural ingredients rather than processed ingredients, usually by mothers, Korean have believed that food represents a mother’s love.
Cultural Artifacts:
https://kimchimari.com/start-here-for-korean-cooking/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618116300099
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_cuisine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUmFtHqwrnk
Replies
Hi Erica, I really enjoy reading your post! I am not very familiar with Korean cuisine so this was so helpful! I am glad that I have a chance to learn about as well as utilize the links you have attached to educate myself more on the topic. Thank you so much for your information!
Hi Erica! Thank you for the comparison between Korean food culture and American food culture. I did notice that traditionally baking or frying were not common methods in a Korean kitchen. But I have never noticed so much difference between them.