Must-Try Foods and Drinks in South Korea
Bibimbap
Korean rice bowl. Served in a bowl of warm white rice topped with assorted seasoned sautéed vegetables, Korean marinated beef, fried egg, chili pepper paste and a spicy gochujang sauce. Stirred together thoroughly before eating.
Kimchi
Traditional Korean side dish. Sweet-spicy, salted and fermented cabbage (can be a variety of vegetables and even fruits), flavored with gochugaru (Korean chili powder), spring onions, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, jeotgal or jeot (salted seafood), and other flavorings.
Bulgogi
Korean BBQ beef dish. Made with thin slices of meat most commonly beef ribeye or sirloin, marinated in a sweet-savory sauce. Grilled and often served with rice and vegetables.
Tteokbokki
Simmered rice cake. Made from small-sized garae-tteok called tteok myeon (rice cake noodles). Cooked in red, slightly sweet and spicy broth. Often paired with Eomuk (fish cake), boiled eggs and scallions.
Hotteok
Pan-fried pancakes with brown sugar syrup filling, honey, cinnamon, and chopped nuts. Chewy, fluffy, and sweet. Popular street snacks in Korea especially in winter.
Soju
Korea’s national drink. Clear and colorless distilled alcoholic beverage. Low in alcohol. Alcohol content varies depending on brand and type but is typically around 16-25%. There are fruit-flavored with minimal alcohol content and premium soju with higher alcohol content. Often compared to vodka.
Makgeolli
Traditional Korean rice wine. Slightly sweet, bitter and tangy flavor. Milky white appearance. Made by combining rice, yeast, and water. Alcohol content is much lower than soju, ranging around 5-8%.