I’d never even heard of the stuff until I came to Korea, and when I was presented with a side dish of it at dinner, well, let’s just say I became hooked. Kimchi is more than just a side dish – it has a history much deeper than most people realize.
Scandinavian food dates back to the 900s, when the island of Denmark was colonized by the Danish. As you may know, Denmark is known for their seafood dishes, which is why you find seafood on almost all of their tables. One of their most well known seafood dishes is cod, and Kimchi is their most famous fish. In Korea, they also have long been known for their fermented fish dishes, known as Kikuna.
So, once again, as an introduction to Korean cuisine, cod is served. It’s deep fried, and served along with rice. Dolsot also comes to mind, and that’s the most common side dish. The one thing that gets taken notice is the complete Korean fermentation of the fish. They usually make sure that the fish is completely dead before cooking, through a process called suffocation. They also make sure that there is no acid in the fish that would prevent it from curing. Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine and it comes in a variety of different varieties. The less of the fish in the dish, the tastier it is.
Korean people space out their meals as well. They like to have a soup, stew, and a rice dish with their meals, that’s their routine. They’ll have a noodle dish, and kinds of meat and vegetables along with it. All of the food is flash fried together and of course served with dear Kimchi. What’s great about this is that right before serving, each and every bite is clean out of the mouth and Except for the ones who are known to be vegetarians, the dish is all non-vegetarian. Word of caution, though. If you are known to be a vegetarian or are allergic to anything in the ingredients, you may not eat the stuff after reading this.
The lovely liquid that is Kikuna is a blend of Japanese and Korean style fermented food. Kikuna is known for its smell, for sure, and has been described as a little like pickled cabbage. Also known as Yudu, it is usually served if you meet Koreans at the table, and is also great when served as a dipping sauce with the aforementioned onion and carrot. It is and interesting food that can be eaten by one or two people. There isn’t any need for plates, and everything is placed on the table. Of course, you can eat it outside, too.
As far as the food goes, Kikuna is a rather simple dish. The meat is done in the most traditional of ways and everyone looks forward to it. The Kikuna dish varies from one restaurant to another and also from region to region. Personally, I love the chicken version. It’s not particularly spicy and doesn’t take much. Just simply washing the chicken and cutting thin slices is enough. I also love the sweet Kikuna desserts. They’re not made with traditional ice cream but with rice cakes, making them even tastier.
The food in Korea is considered to be one of the tastiest food on the planet. The population is mostly non-Korean natives, who love the food from this culture and often eat it when they go out to eat. I bet you never thought you’d get tired of Korean food though? Because these people don’t give up on finding delicious food, no matter how difficult it is to find. Seriously, if you love meat then you will eat this food.
If you are tired of Chinese food then you are going to have to get over on the Philippines. When you eat the food of another country, you tend to add in your own little nuances to it. You might find the use of coconut a little surprising if you are used to the Chinese use of it. The Filipinos also love their mushrooms and other weird foods. Examples of this would be the Dim Sum and Larb dish. Dim Sum being a light dish of meat, noodle, and vegetables, Larb is a beef dish and would be a contrast to the heavy soup.
Koreans tend to eat their meals a lot at once, and throughout the day. This is one of the many things they do that separates them from the Japanese and Malaysians. Korean food is usually set up to be served one time, and a meal that is eaten in that one time should be tinned, and preservative. These kinds of processes are perfect for holding foods for a long time.
The largest meal of the day in a Korean would consist of the #1 dish.
