By Lawrence J. Reaves

If you are thinking about going out to a Korean eatery, go to Korea, or just try to cook your own at home, read on for an introduction to Korean cuisine.

One of the things that makes Korean food stand out from others is that it has many different side dishes that are served during the meal. You can have up to 12 side dishes during the main meal, but usually for most meals there are 4-5 side dishes. If you are eating at a Korean restaurant, your side dishes are going to come out before your main meal in little bowls. These side dishes might be vegetables, meat, seafood and other things. All Korean dishes are served at once, so you will not see separate courses as with a Western dinner.

As with Chinese food, rice is the foundation of every meal in Korea. Every once in a while, noodles are used in place of the rice. However, most of the time, you will have rice with your Korean meal. Each person at the table usually has his own soup or stew dish, too. Usually, these side dishes and also the main dish, will be served in a family style in the center of the table. Occasionally, a big stew will replace the big dish and it will be served family style in the center of the table.

Koreans have become experts in food preservation over many thousands of years. Most of the side dishes in Korea will be salted, pickled and fermented. Many of them will be very spicy. Kimchi is the famous spicy cabbage of Korea, and it has more than 100 varieties, all with different vegetable combinations. Most stews and soups in Korea are served to you very hot, but some of the side dishes might be cold or served at room temperature.

Korea is on a peninsula, so naturally there is an abundance of seafood served there. Meat also has grown in popularity in recent years. The spices and sauces you see the most in Korea are chili pepper paste, sesame oil, soybean paste, garlic, ginger and also scallions. You will find that most Korean cuisine is full of strong flavors and is very spicy and bold.

However, if you are not a big fan of spicy food, all is not lost in Korean cuisine. It is possible to modify dishes in Korea so that they do not include chili peppers. Even a very spicy dish, such as Takoritang can be changed so that it is not nearly as spicy. Most people think that Korean food is special because it is so spicy and because of the peppers, but you can still enjoy very tasty food without all of the spices.

Most Korean dishes – including the meat and chicken – is cut up into small pieces. You will not need to use a knife as with Western style meals. Koreans also are very good at using chopsticks as in China. If the pieces of meat are too big or the fish is served whole, you can split it up with your chopsticks. Many dishes in Korea are braised or marinated, so the meat is very soft. Usually, food in Korea is consumed with chopsticks made of stainless steel.

Remember that the cuisine in Korea has been affected by its geographic location on a peninsula, as well as its climate. It has very hot summers and cold winters. Korea is also very close to China and Japan, so those cuisines have had a large influence as well. Also, traders in Europe brought many influences to Korea, such as chili peppers which were brought here from Portugal in the 1600s.

About the Author: Lawrence Reaves writes for Hamilton Beach, a kitchen

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