Korean cuisine balances fermentation, spice, and freshness—kimchi on every table, BBQ for celebration, and banchan with every meal.
Kimchi
Fermented Vegetables
Spicy fermented napa cabbage—Korean soul food.
Ingredients: 1 napa cabbage, Salt for brining, For paste: gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, Scallions, Rice flour paste.
Preparation: Quartere and salt cabbage overnight. After that, rinse and squeeze dry. Make spicy paste with rice flour base. Then massage paste into every leaf. Pack tightly in jar. Finally, ferment 1-5 days at room temp.
💡 Press out all air—fermentation needs anaerobic conditions.
Bulgogi
Marinated Beef
Sweet-savory marinated beef grilled at the table.
Ingredients: 400g beef sirloin, sliced thin, Asian pear, grated, Soy sauce, sesame oil, Garlic, ginger, Sugar, Scallions.
Preparation: Slice beef very thin. Make marinade with pear, soy, sesame, aromatics. Marinate at least 2 hours. Then grill over high heat quickly. Wrap in lettuce with rice and ssamjang. Add kimchi.
💡 Asian pear tenderizes the meat—don't skip it.
Sundubu Jjigae
Soft Tofu Stew
Bubbling spicy stew with silken tofu—Korean comfort food.
Ingredients: 1 pack silken tofu, 100g pork or seafood, 30ml gochugaru, 1 egg, Anchovy broth, Garlic, scallions, Sesame oil.
Preparation: Sautingé pork in sesame oil with gochugaru. Add broth, bring to boil. Slide in soft tofu gently. Then add seafood if using. Crack raw egg in just before serving. Finally, serve bubbling hot with rice.
💡 Served in stone bowl—should still be bubbling at table.
South Korea has a small but growing wine industry, though the country's most important contributions to the drinks world lie in its extraordinary traditional alcohol culture. Small vineyards exist, primarily in the Yeongdong region (Chungcheong province) and Gyeongbuk, producing wines from Campbell Early and Muscat Bailey A table grapes, with some experimental Vitis vinifera plantings. The wines are modest and consumed primarily locally.
South Korea's drinking culture is one of the world's most dynamic. Soju — the clear, neutral-flavored spirit (typically 16–25% ABV) — is the world's best-selling spirit by volume, consumed in enormous quantities as an essential accompaniment to Korean BBQ and social life. Makgeolli (milky, sweet-tart rice wine) is experiencing a renaissance, with craft producers creating artisanal versions that challenge preconceptions. Bokbunja-ju (black raspberry wine from Gochang) is Korea's most distinctive fruit wine. Korean drinking culture is intensely social and hierarchical — elaborate pouring etiquette, drinking games, and the expectation of participation make Korean nightlife one of the world's most intense experiences. Wine consumption has grown dramatically, particularly among younger urban Koreans in Seoul's Gangnam and Itaewon districts, with Korean sommeliers increasingly prominent in international competitions.
✍️ Author's Note
Radim Kaufmann
In a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seoul's Mapo-gu — the hiss of marbled beef on a charcoal grill, the clatter of soju glasses, the shout of "geonbae!" (cheers) from every table — I experienced drinking culture at its most collective and uninhibited. The Korean approach to alcohol is radically communal: you never pour your own glass, you always accept when offered, and the evening ends only when the last bottle is empty. Craft makgeolli — cloudy, effervescent, with a gentle sweetness that pairs perfectly with kimchi jjigae — is Korea's most underrated contribution to the world of fermented beverages. It deserves a global audience.
