Top 10 Best South Korean Dishes That You Can’t Miss

South Korea, popularly known as the ‘land of the morning calm’ is a country that offers you some of the best places to visit in South Korea for a wholesome vacation. Right from scenic travel destinations to bustling city life, South Korea is a travel destination that will amaze you with its culture and amiable Korean people. You must have come across a lot of Korean beauty products, Korean gadgets and even K-pop and Korean dramas. Apart from these, South Korea also has a rich and vibrant taste, when it comes to food. Be it street food or high end-restaurants, Koreans love their food. South Korean food generally consists of five colours- red, yellow, green, white and black. Each colour in the dish signifies a natural element, direction and health benefits. If you are planning a Korean trip anytime soon, here is a curated list of the top ten Korean dishes that you can not miss trying.

1. Kimchi - Spicy Fermented Vegetables

Kimchi is one dish that comes to our mind when we think of South Korean food. Kimchi is the heart of Korean cooking and is known as the national food of South Korea. None of the South Korean dishes is complete without Kimchi. It is served as a side dish along with the South Korean dishes and used as a base for many stews and soups. Kimchi is a spicy and crunchy mix of fermented vegetables with Cabbage as the main ingredient.

2. Tteokbokki - Spicy Rice Cake

South Koreans prefer rice in almost every dish. If you are someone who likes to eat hot and spicy food, Tteokbokki is something that you should not miss trying. Tteokbokki is made with soft and chewy rice cake, fish cake, onions, diced garlic and assorted vegetables stir-fried in sweet red chilli sauce to give the spiciness and tangy flavour to the dish. Tteokbokki is a famous South Korean street food and can be found in high-end restaurants with Kimchi on the side.

3. Bibimbap - Mixed Rice

Another famous South Korean dish that is made with rice is Bibimbap, which is served in restaurants, food courts and street markets. Bibimbap can be served with meat base or vegetable base depending on the region. Bibimbap is made with hot steamed rice, topped with assorted vegetables, chicken or beef and egg with a dollop of chilli sauce as a garnishing element. Bibimbap is a popular traditional South Korean food that is very nutritious and filling.

4. Haejangguk - Hangover Stew

There are a lot of South Korean dishes and stews that are prepared to drink either before the alcohol or after the alcohol. One of the stews that are also known as hangover stew is Haejangguk that is made from beef broth, assorted vegetables, beans sprouts, spices and other ingredients that enhance the flavour of Haejangguk.

5. Samgyetang - Chicken Soup

Samgyetang is another staple South Korean food that has a soup base. Samgyetang is a delicious chicken soup that consists of a small chicken stuffed with rice, jujube, garlic and other spices. Samgyetang is a very healthy dish that is very filling as well. South Koreans prefer Samgyetang generally during the cold weather due to the warmness the soup provides to the body.

6. Gimbap - Seaweed Rice Rolls

Gimbap is one of the best food in South Korea that you can notice in every restaurant or street food vendor. Gimbap is also a popular lunchbox dish among South Korean to pack in their children’s tiffin boxes. By appearance, Gimbap looks like Sushi from Japan, but the filling that is used in Gimbap is Tuna mixed with assorted vegetables and pickles.

7. Pajeon - Korean Pancake

Generally, pancakes are made with sugar, lemon or maple syrup. But have you ever heard of an onion pancake? Pajeon or onion pancakes are gooey green pancakes that are tasty and have a very distinct flavour. Pajeon is served hot with rice wine in various flavours like banana, kiwi or apricot flavour. Pajeon is also one of the most famous dishes of South Korea.

8. Naengmyeon - Cold Noodles

Naengmyeon or cold noodles is another popular South Korean food that is made with buckwheat noodles, thin strips of cucumber, assorted fruits, kimchi and thinly sliced chicken, pork or beef. Naengmyeon is a cold and tangy broth, served hot with hard-boiled eggs and spicy beef strips on top. Naengmyeon is a must-try dish when in South Korea.

9. Japchae - Stir-fried Glass Noodles

Arguably one of the best dishes of South Korea is Japchae, as noodles are a favourite staple among South Koreans mixed with hot chilli paste, assorted vegetables, beef or chicken strips served hot with a side dish. The noodles that are used in Japchae is made out of sweet potatoes. South Koreans don’t prefer their soups to be very soupy like other soups, hence they use chopsticks other than soups or forks to slurp the flavourful Japchae.

10. Patbingsu - Shaved Ice with Fruits and Sweet Red Beans

After all the spicy and tangy food of South Korea, here is a sweet dish that will fill your taste buds with flavour that is so unique and tasty. Patbingsu is a simplified version of sorbet that is served with shaved ice, mixed fruits and sweet red beans. Most of the Korean sweet dishes have sweet red beans paste that makes it different from any other sweet dish.

South Korean Food In a Nutshell

South Korean food without any doubt has a very distinct flavour that makes it different from any other regions’ food. If you are planning a South Korea tour package with your friends or family, or even planning a honeymoon to South Korea, we hope this curated list of the top ten famous food of South Korea will help you in eating some of the best foods.