Let’s talk Korean food: 10 facts we bet you didn’t know: Part 2
In the first of this two part series, we explored certain peculiarities about Korean cuisine. We found out that rice and milk were considered symbols of power. We admired the Korean obsession with fermenting everything. We gained first hand knowledge of the 12 side dishes in Korean Royal Cuisine. We also became familiar with the custom of Koreans ritualistically consuming seaweed soup for breakfast on their birthday. We were so intrigued that we couldn’t help ourselves and we had to know more, here is what we found.
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Korean Ramen by Samyang once helped avert a famine.
In the wake of the Korean War in the 1950s and a recession and crop failure in the country following it; there was a marked food shortage. Quite similar to the one in Japan post World War 2. In this instance too, the iconic Ramen or noodles, helped save the day. Just like Nissin in Japan, the company responsible for Korean ramen, Samyang priced its noodles at around 10 won (or a few cents), which was a price point accessible to the masses. It helped avert a potential famine. It also elevated ramen as a delicacy in the Korean consciousness.
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Korean banchan has a cult following of its very own
Korean meals are incomplete without an assortment of colourful side dishes called Banchan. These side dishes have a crazy cult following and sometimes even overshadow Korean mains. Banchan is said to have first appeared in Korean meals during the reign of the Joseon dynasty. Over the 9 centuries that followed the number of Banchan is said to have skyrocketed to include pickles, fermented veggies, garlic, chilly sides, fried eggs and several other condiments.
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Korea is one of the world’s largest consumers of garlic
Whether it is a soup, starter, main, barbecue or any other type of Korean savoury dish, chances are it will contain garlic. Along with soybean and chilli, garlic is one of the main ingredients in most Korean dishes. Served deep fried, dry roasted or fresh, garlic is an important part of Korean banchan. On an average Koreans consume anywhere between 7 to 8 kilograms of garlic per person, per year. Breath mint anyone?
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Gochujang is the main sauce in Korean cuisine
Gochujang or red pepper sauce is the very soul and essence of Korean cuisine. It can be used as a base for gravies, in the stock for soups and broths, as a sauce for the famous Korean fried chicken. You know you’re having authentic Bibimbap, when it is served with a generous dollop of this mouth-watering, if oftentimes spicy Gochujang sauce.
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Korean chopsticks are made of metal, not wood or bamboo
Chopsticks are an integral part of Korean cuisine. But for nearly 1000 years, Koreans used metal chopsticks with rounded bottoms in their cuisine. The reason for this is quite simple, Korea simply lacked wood. Unlike China and Japan where wood was abundant and metal scarce, the reverse was true in Korea. Here all available wood was used in construction and scaffolding. Korean metalists instead refined the artform of making metal chopsticks as early as the 2nd century AD.
Bonus fact: Stone and earthenware pots, and not iron woks are the basis of Korean food. If someone therefore offers you an ‘authentic’ Korean feast made in a cast iron wok, take it with a pinch of salt (or gochujiang).
Korean food is more than just a delicate balance of flavours. It is a mind-boggling and fanciful exploration of flavours, cooking techniques, sauces and condiments. To start your exploration of Korean cuisine, or indeed any great world cusine, do visit our online store. We curate the world’s best ingredients for your convenience. Visit our store here.
