Something Korean

copyedited by Korea Time staff  Recently, I dropped into the Korean Temple Food Center in north Seoul. This was in order to interview its vice director and take part in a cooking class on making tofu-curry rice in the Korean temple food style.Korean temple food is very diverse, but regarding spices, well that's another matter. It bans the use of five spices, some of which are critical in forming..

One sunday this spring, I dropped into Korean Temple Food Center in north of Seoul, South Korea. This was in order to interview its vice Director and go on to cooking class with the class tutor of tofu-curry rice in Korean temple food style. Korean temple food is very diverse, but spice-wise unprecedented in the culinary department. It cuts out five spices, some of which are critical in forming ..

Tteokhyanggi Facing the street across Yongin’s own Heungdeok 8th and 9th danji (Korean for apartment complexes) is Tteokhyanggi.   In the back kitchen of Tteokhyanggi you should see the two members of the staff working like busy bees creating their Korean rice cake, namely tteok! To residents they supply versatile needs faithful to their choice of recipes. Below is the interview I had with one o..

In between Yongin's Wonhee Castle Plaza buildings a and b you will find a "Waffle University" serving a wide array of tasty toppings upon filling, soft waffles. Best examples would be available in early hours.

With buddhist monks and other foodies ceaselessly at work spreading their recipes and cuisine philosophies by teaching and writing, no wonder more Korean foodies are dashing to uncover the secret of the temple food formula. As a tradition, the buddhist monks have had their meals that way and stayed healthy without any bodily trouble. Sticky rice, nutritious fruit, herbs and grains, use of scarce..

I am always partial to the soft cushion in the mouth that is produced with those little gooey “pearl”s at Amavin Bubble Tea. I'm talking about a small wayside parlour and the facade is washed sky blue, where the little pearls are busy being swallowed in line along the thick straw, down- down touching the inside of your mouth and stomach. Inside the parlour it’s rather dim but take-away seems to ..

This is a place where (costing around 10000KRW) a single plate of broiled pork with salt, Sogeum-gui, are shoulder-to-shoulder with local and global food and exotic snacks in the 1st basement of Galleria Cheonan. Boiled rice coupled with the chewy beef (and bean sprouts) keep our inside from food going watery. Other types of cooked meat cost a similar amount of KRW; and speaking from my experien..

All sorts of bunsik (Korean snack) are there in the roadside eatery Uri Halmae Tteokbokki in Sanghyeon-dong and anyone Korean and non-Korean should enter here to sample the generous menu of fried food and tteokbokki. There is Rose Tteokbokki (yes, part italian) and Garaetteok (which is bar rice cake) Tteokbokki. The latter is the most popular but the rose is smooth on the tongue, not too hot and..

I regularly visit my favourite reading room to study and people there sometimes very kindly offer those yellow cans of sikhye. Any sikhye signs are about giving you freedom in the mouth and the throat. It is not alcoholic and it is more savoury and lighter than any other beverage. I will provide its recipe, which is historical and quite interesting, later.

Shall we deign to devour the endearing baekban in Eunhye noodles? Located in Baebang on the outskirts of Asan in Chungcheongnam-do, they serve up delightful rice and jjigae (call it baekban) with next-to-homemade seasoned radish(mu-mallaeng-i). Also for Korean foodies, kaennip, the quintessential and all-knowing sesame leaf Korean side dish will definitely more than tickle your taste bud. Seatin..