Recipes from South Korea
Korean cooking turns fermentation into a national pantry — kimchi crocks, doenjang stews, gochujang glazes. Banchan plates surround every meal; rice and shared heat carry the conversation.
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Bibimbap
Bibimbap — the word means simply 'mixed rice' — is one of the most direct expressions of Korean cooking philosophy: components prepared separately, each cooked…
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Kimchi
Kimchi is Korea's most important fermented food and a foundational element of Korean cuisine.
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Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki is one of South Korea's most popular street foods — cylindrical rice cakes cooked in a thick, spicy sauce made from gochujang, the fermented red…
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Kimbap
Kimbap — literally seaweed rice — is South Korea's national snack and the perfect food for picnics, long journeys, or a quick lunch.
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Bulgogi
Bulgogi — literally 'fire meat' — is Korea's best-loved grilled dish and, for many, the gateway to Korean food.
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Japchae
Japchae — the name means 'mixed vegetables' — is the glittering, sweet-savoury noodle dish that appears at almost every Korean celebration, from birthdays to…
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Kimchi Jjigae
Kimchi jjigae is the stew Koreans reach for when the kimchi in the fridge has grown too sour to eat raw — and that is exactly the point.
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Samgyetang
Samgyetang — literally 'ginseng chicken soup' — is Korea's great restorative, a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice and simmered with ginseng,…
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Haemul Pajeon
Haemul pajeon — seafood and scallion pancake — comes from Busan and the coastal villages where scallions grow thick and the fishing boats return daily with…
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Dakgangjeong
Dakgangjeong grew out of the street kitchens and fried-chicken bars of modern Korea, where competition for the crunchiest recipe pushed cooks toward…
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Galbi
Galbi (sometimes called kalbi) is the star of Korean barbecue: beef short ribs cross-cut through the bone, marinated in a sweet pear-soy sauce and grilled fast…
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Kimchi Bokkeumbap
Kimchi bokkeumbap grew out of Korean kitchens' universal instinct not to waste anything: kimchi that has gone too sour to eat raw, and rice left over from the…
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Sundubu Jjigae
Sundubu jjigae — literally 'fresh tofu stew' — takes its name from sundubu, tofu so fresh and soft it's never even pressed before being sold.
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Bibim Naengmyeon
Naengmyeon traces its roots to northern Korea, where harsh winters made cold buckwheat noodles surprisingly popular even in freezing weather — it's said that…
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Mandu
Mandu arrived in Korea along the Silk Road, brought by Mongol traders in the 14th century, and have since become so deeply rooted that every region and every…
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Corn Cheese
Corn cheese was born in South Korea's beer halls, where it became one of the most-ordered anju (drinking snacks) alongside a cold beer, right up there with…
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Tteokguk
Tteokguk is eaten on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year in nearly every South Korean household, followed by the traditional question 'how many…
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Gamjatang
Gamjatang comes from the working-class kitchens of 20th-century industrial Korea, where pork neck bones — a cheap cut otherwise often discarded — were…
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Jeyuk Bokkeum
Jeyuk bokkeum spread from Korean home kitchens in the years after the Korean War, when pork — cheaper than beef — became the main protein source for many…
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Kkori Gomtang
Kkori gomtang belongs to Korea's family of white, milky soups — alongside seolleongtang and galbitang — where the broth's opacity comes entirely from collagen…
Flavours of South Korea
The cuisine of South Korea is built on rice, soy, ginger, sesame and umami-rich broths. The 20 recipes gathered on this page lean on those everyday building blocks, so you can bring an authentic taste of South Korea to your own kitchen without hunting down hard-to-find ingredients or specialist equipment. Each one keeps the techniques approachable while staying true to the way the dish is traditionally made.
What you can cook here
Browse dishes such as Bibimbap, Kimchi, Tteokbokki, Kimbap. Each recipe opens with a complete, measured ingredient list, then walks you through the method one clear step at a time, with cooking times and per-serving nutrition so you always know exactly what is on the plate. Whether you want a quick midweek dinner or a dish to linger over at the weekend, there is something here worth cooking next.
Add South Korea to your week
Every recipe here is portioned for a household and slots neatly into a balanced week — light enough for a busy weeknight, generous enough for a relaxed weekend cook-up. Pick a few favourites from South Korea, add them to your free weekly meal plan, and we will fold every ingredient into one organised shopping list so the cooking is the only part left to do.