How to Prepare Korean Traditional Food: 7 Essentials You Need to Know

According to a recent survey, interest in Korean traditional food has increased by almost 100% among Americans over the last few years. Many people are visiting restaurants specifically to eat traditional Korean dishes.

They aren’t stopping there, either. Some people are also making Korean food at home. It’s helping Korean food become even more popular in the U.S. than it already is.

Would you like to give cooking Korean food a try? If so, there will be some important things you’ll need to know prior to taking on this culinary adventure.

We’re going to break down everything from which Korean traditional food recipes you should try making to which Korean traditional food ingredients you’ll need to get started.

Here are seven essentials you’ll need to know before preparing Korean traditional food for the first time.

1. Learn About the Best Traditional Korean Dishes

Before you even think about trying to cook Korean food, it’ll be important for you to learn about all the different traditional Korean dishes you’ll be able to make. There will be so many options for you to choose from.

Here are just a few of the options that’ll be available to you:

• Gimbap
• Kimchi
• Chuncheon Dakgalbi
• Soft Tofu Stew
• Kimchi Jjigae

Visit www.korealandscape.net to find out about some of the other Korean traditional food choices you’ll have. There are sure to be at least a few that’ll start to stand out to you.

2. Look At the Cooking Techniques Used for Making Korean Food

There are a handful of different cooking methods that’ll need to be used when making Korean food. They’ll include:

• Pickling
• Stewing
• Grilling
• Pan-frying

Outside of deciding which type of Korean traditional food you’d like to cook, you’ll also need to figure out which cooking method you’ll have to use to make it. It’ll help you determine if you feel comfortable enough to utilize this method in your kitchen.

3. Secure a Recipe for Korean Traditional Food

Once you know which Korean traditional food you want to make, you’ll need to work to get your hands on a great recipe for it. This might be easier said than done in some cases depending on which dish you choose.

But generally speaking, you should be able to find a good recipe for a traditional Korean dish right online. Look around on different websites to see which recipes you can locate and then pick the one that looks like it’ll be the easiest to make for a beginner.

4. Gather the Appropriate Korean Traditional Food Ingredients

There may be any number of ingredients you’ll need to obtain to make Korean traditional dishes. But there are a few ingredients you’ll want to have around in your kitchen if you’re going to be making Korean food regularly. They’ll be utilized in many of the dishes you’ll cook.

Stock your kitchen with these ingredients before cooking Korean food:

• Garlic
• Soy sauce
• Rice
• Sesame seed oil
• Ginger
• Kochujang
• Daenjang
• Kochukaru
• Rice wine
• Scallions
• Dried anchovies
• Gim
• Roasted sesame seeds
• Tofu
• Noodles

There may, of course, be other ingredients you’ll need to buy for different Korean dishes you want to make. But many of these ingredients will be used in most of the dishes you’ll set out to cook.

5. Obtain the Right Kitchen Gear for Cooking Korean Food

In addition to buying the right Korean traditional food ingredients, you’ll also want to purchase the right kitchen gear for making Korean food. You may already have some of this gear handy, but if you don’t, now would be the time to invest in it.

Here is some of the kitchen gear that’d be worth buying for making Korean food:

• Rice cooker and/or pressure cooker
• Non-stick frying pan
• Cast iron skillet
• Cast iron Dutch oven
• Stainless steel mixing bowls
• Vegetable slicer
• Garlic press

Just like with the ingredients we talked about earlier, there might be more kitchen gear you’ll have to buy for certain Korean traditional food dishes. But the equipment listed here should get you off to a strong start.

6. Give Yourself Time to Make Korean Traditional Food

There will be some Korean traditional food dishes that’ll call for you to give meats time to marinate. There will also be others that’ll take more time to make than you might expect.

Additionally, there will be a learning curve that’ll come with figuring out how to cook Korean food. For all these reasons, you shouldn’t decide to try making Korean food one night after work on a whim.

It’d be best to set aside an entire Saturday to prepare Korean traditional food. It’ll provide you with plenty of time to learn the ropes as you aim to understand how to make the best Korean food possible.

7. Put Your Own Twist on Traditional Korean Dishes

When you’re first cooking Korean food, you might not want to veer off the beaten path too much. Stick to the recipe you’ve chosen and try to follow it as best you can.

As time goes on, though, you’re welcome to make slight adjustments to recipes as you perfect them so that you’re able to put your own twist on them. It’ll make you feel even more accomplished and allow you to eat traditional Korean food dishes you’ll absolutely love.

Test Your Skills in the Kitchen by Making Korean Food

It might take you a little while to get the hang of making Korean food. But by using the tips found here, you’ll be able to put yourself on the right path as you attempt to cook Korean traditional food dishes.

You’ll love how many different options there are to make. It’ll keep you busy in the kitchen for the foreseeable future.

Find more tips that’ll help you throw down in the kitchen by browsing through some of our other blog articles.