Korean cuisine — 1592, Chili arrives
Before Korean cuisine reaches the table, the method to trust is 1592: “Chili arrives,” measured by 1598. Season it before it is served. A star rating is not a measure. Soju and makgeolli punctuate barbecue. Elders are poured first; metal chopsticks and a long spoon (sujeo) are the default tools, not a tourist exception.
Fermented heat and shared grills: kimchi, gochujang and banchan from the Korean Peninsula. Hansik (한식) is Korean cuisine organised around rice, soup or stew, and banchan. Kimchi is expected, not optional, even when the main is grilled meat. No. Many stews and soups are mild; heat concentrates in gochujang dishes, tteokbokki and some kimchi. Baek-kimchi and doenjang jjigae are common low-chili counters.
What is the difference between gochujang and gochugaru? Gochugaru is dried chili flake. Gochujang is a fermented paste of chili, soybean and glutinous rice. They are not interchangeable spoon-for-spoon. Banchan are the meal's vegetable and ferment layer. Restaurants refill them; at home they are yesterday's pickles, namul and a new kimchi.
Is Korean barbecue the everyday dinner? It is a social and restaurant form. Weeknight tables more often hold rice, kimchi and a jjigae or leftover grilled fish. Kimjang is the seasonal making and sharing of winter kimchi, typically in late autumn, now recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage.
Korean cuisine needs 1592, “Chili arrives,” and 1598. Without them the plate is an advertisement.1592
Figures to keep
- Year of the method
- 1592
- Measure
- 1598
- Dish
- Korean cuisine
- Cooking line
- Chili arrives
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