After visiting Korea 10 times, here is my list the top South Korea famous food beyond Kimchi and pork belly- I've divided the list into sections, such as stew and street food. Each category is further divided into dishes for people who've never tried Korean cuisine before, and dishes for those who eat it all the time, so there's something for everyone!
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Before our trips to Korea, the only thing I knew about Korean cuisine was that it was spicy. My 10 visits to Seoul have opened my eyes to the country's long history of creating a unique food culture that changes depending on the region, agriculture, and climate.
For example, fermented foods such as gochujang (chili paste) and doenjang (fermented bean paste) were developed to last during the country’s cold winter.
A typical meal at a Korean household consists of a bowl of rice, a bowl of soup or stew and numerous banchan (side dishes.)
Fun fact: Koreans love spicy food more than ever. Kimchi, for example, now uses 12x as much chili pepper in 2010 as 1930! Luckily for those who can't eat spicy food, there are many delicious non-spicy Korean dishes. (Click through for the list!)
Stews
For Those Who've Never Eaten Korean Food
Korean Tofu Stew (Soondubu Jjigae)
This is one of my favourite traditional Korean dishes- I have tofu stew (soondubu jjigae) almost every time I go to a Korean restaurant! The best restaurants make the tofu from scratch themselves.
Even though it's a tofu stew, it's typically not vegetarian- the broth usually comes with various seafood such as shellfish. It is served in a traditional black earthenware bowl to retain the heat so the stew usually comes bubbling hot!
The only thing is that it's usually red and spicy. However, in Korea, there's also a white version with no gochugaru (i.e. not spicy)- shown above- although it is a bit more difficult to find. (I've never seen it outside of Korea.) (For other non-spicy Korean foods, click here.)
Kimchi Stew (Kimchi-jjiae)
At first glance, this might be mistaken for Tofu Stew as both dishes are red and spicy.
However, Kimchi stew usually has a more sour taste- the best Kimchi Stew is made with very old, very fermented kimchi to create a warm, hearty, spicy, savory and delicious dish.
Bean Paste Stew (Doengjangjjigae)
This classic Korean dish is a stew made from Doenjjang (fermented soybean paste, similar to Miso), anchovy stock, garlic, and more- you can think of it as a heartier, Korean equivalent of Japanese Miso Soup. (I much prefer Doenjjang Jjigae to Miso Soup- for more similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean food, click here.)
It used to be the most popular Korean stew (in Korea) but has been replaced by Kimchi Jjigae in recent times.
Army Stew (Budge Jjigae)
This dish was introduced after the Korean War. As food was scarce, the surplus food from the American military base areas, such as spam and baked beans, were used to create this fusion dish.
It's quite a hearty dish and often is too big for just one person.
Note: outside of Seoul, some restaurants don't serve solo diners. Some Budae Jjigae places will take you but keep in mind that the portion may be too much for 1!
More Unusual Stews
Soy Bean Soup (Kongbiji Jjigae)
This is one of the dishes that is harder to find outside of Korea.
The stew is made up of soybean puree/ soy pulp (kongbiji, the leftovers from making tofu), pork, garlic, fermented shrimp, sesame oil etc
Pollack Roe Soup (Ahl Jjigae) (알찌개)
Seasoned pollack roe is simmered with kelp-anchovy broth, Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste) and red pepper flakes. However, note that the stew can taste a bit fishy to those who are not big fans of seafood.
Beef Stew (Suyuk Jeongol)
This Korean boiled beef stew is perfect for cold winter days.
Soups
Haejang-guk (Korean Hangover Soup) (해장국)
This soup literally translates to "to chase down hangover.”
Made from ox bones, cabbage, radish and more, it is a hot and spicy soup that is nutritious and reduces the effects of a night of drinking.
Some versions of this soup have ingredients that non-Koreans may find unpalatable, such as cow stomach, ox blood, blood pudding etc.
Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
This hot and steaming dish is one of the most famous Korean dishes.
It has a (small) whole chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic and jujube. Koreans have a saying “fight fire with fire” and traditionally eat this during the hot summer days to balance their body heat with the steaming weather.
If you're headed to Busan, the best Samgyetang I've ever had was at Seomyeon Market.
Note: the salt is usually served on the side so if you just drink the soup as is, you may find it bland. Remember to mix in the salt!
Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup)
This spicy soup is made with pork neck bones, potatoes, scallions, ground perilla seeds and pieces of pork cooked in a pork bone broth. This soup is very hearty and is ideal for the cold winter days.
Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup)
This popular dish is inspired by Chinese cuisine, and has noodles, vegetables and seafood in a spicy soup.
Beef Soup: Seollongtang, Gomtang vs Doganitang
Seollongtang is a milky beef bone soup (made by boiling ox leg bones with various cuts of beef) and is a staple in Korean households. It is perfect for the cold winter weather.
It is not easy to find good Seolleongtang restaurant these days, as it is not cheap to make a good thick bowl of soup- you need a large amount and wide variety of beef to produce the thick, milky soup.
Don't confuse Seollongang with doganitang (made by boiling ox knee cartilage) or gomtang (gomtang is a clear soup made by boiling only the meat.) In addition, Gomtang is quite an acquired taste- non Koreans may find it on the bland side!
Answer: I had Seollongtang at Gamcheon Culture Village!
Gukbap (Soup Rice)
Gukbap is made by simmering pork or beef bones for hours. Diners can then customise the soup to their taste by adding various seasonings at the table.
There are several types of gukbap, such as Sundae Gukbap (blood sausage soup) and, my personal favorite, Dwaeji Gukbap. (The best place in Busan for Dwaeji Gukbap is Someyeon Market where you'll find a row of specialty restaurants serving this dish.)
If you're in Seoul, I recommend one of these restaurants:
- Nongmin Baekam Soondae (20-4 Yeoksam-ro 3-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea)
- Gwanghwamun Gukbap (53 Sejong-daero 21-gil, Sogong-dong, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea)
More Unusual
Chueotang (Mudfish Soup)
The mudfish is mashed and boiled with leeks, green onions, cabbage, garlic, soybean paste and red pepper paste.
Noodles
Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)
This Korean Chinese noodle dish is topped with a thick sauce made of Chungjang, diced pork and vegetables. It's so popular, you can find it in the form of instant noodles too!
However, I'm not a fan of the dish- if you try it, let me know what you think!
Kalguksu (Knife Cut Noodle)
This dish consists of handmade wheat flour noodles, cut with a knife, hence its name.
The most famous place to have it would be at Gwangjang Market (the stall was featured on Netflix) however I had the most delicious version at Songdo Beach, Busan.
Japchae (Glass Noodles)
This stir-fried glass noodle dish is savory, a bit sweet, and slightly slippery. It comes with pork, mushrooms, carrots, spinach and onions with sesame oil, and is often a banchan (side dish.)
Naengmyeong (Cold Noodle)
This cold buckwheat noodle is a very popular summer dish. It is topped with pickles, julienned pear, cucumber, scallions, eggs and/or beef. There is more than 1 type of Naengmyeon:
- Mul naengmyeong consists of buckwheat noodles, seasoned with white vinegar and mustard and topped with boiled egg.
- Bibim naengmyeong is spicier. The sauce of the noodles is made from chili paste.
You can find it in instant noodle form too!
More Unusual
Kongguksu (Cold Soybean Noodle)
This is a popular dish in summer and consists of thin wheat noodles served in a chilled, creamy soymilk broth.
Note: You can find it at Myeongdong Kyoja but only during the summer months. I tried to order it in April and they wouldn't serve it then.
Porridge
Hobakjuk (Pumpkin Porridge)
This pumpkin porridge is ideal for late fall and winter. It is sweet, smooth and delicious and can be cooked with chewy rice cake balls and pine nuts.
In addition, it is a popular snack and can also be served as an appetizer. Pumpkin porridge is also a health benefit known to reduce swelling after surgery!
Jeonbokjuk (Abalone Porridge)
A very popular porridge, the abalone porridge is known as the “king of porridges” in South Korea. Abalone is rich in minerals and vitamins- and not cheap!
This popular porridge is creamy, savory, and hearty. However, the real authentic abalone porridge- made with the abalone guts, as you find it in Jeju Island and Busan- can be quite earthy in taste and a bit of an acquired taste. (There are also watered down versions in Seoul that are more universally palatable.)
Muneo-juk (Octopus Porridge)
The octopus porridge is made, of course, from sliced octopus and rice, garlic, scallions, carrots, sesame oil and fish sauce. Eggs can also be added.
This is often served with kimchi as a side dish.
Heukimja (Black Sesame Porridge)
Another traditional porridge, heukimja, is made from black sesame seeds, sweet rice flour and salt. This porridge is often garnished with pumpkin or pine nuts.
It is a very popular dish all year round with Koreans especially when they are feeling under the weather.
Meat
Chuncheon Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir Fried Chicken)
This dish originated from Chuncheon, South Korea in the early 1960s as a budget meal, and is my favorite Korean chicken dish.
It is spicy as the chicken pieces are marinated in chili paste and various spices and are stir-fried along with cabbage, carrots and sweet potatoes at the table.
As it is spicy, it can be eaten with a bowl of rice and is perfect with alcohol.
Chimaek (Korean Fried chicken and Beer)
Fried chicken (chikin in South Korea) together with beer (maekju) known as “chimaek” is served in many South Korean restaurants in the evenings.
Bossam (Korean Boiled Pork Wrap)
This dish of boiled pieces of thinly sliced pork is eaten wrapped in lettuce and dipped in a sauce.
This is served with side dishes of kimchi, spicy radish salad and sliced raw garlic. There are 2 traditional options of dipping sauces:
- ssamjang made of chilli paste and soybean paste (doenjang)
- saejeot which is a salty pink sauce made of tiny, pickled shrimp (which is also used to cook some Korean stews)
Dubu Kimchi (Tofu Kimchi)
Dubu Kimich consists of blanched tofu, kimchi and stir-fried pork. This goes well soju or makgeolli.
Bulgogi
Bulgogi means “fire meat” and is often made with tender beef, pork or chicken.
Generally, bulgogi is made of thin, marinated slices of meat. This well known dish has been around for thousands of years. It can be grilled on a barbecue or on a stove top.
Gopchang
The small intestines of cattle and the large intestines of pigs are chopped and cooked as soups, stir-fried or grilled.
It can be cooked as “gopchang jeongol”, a hot and spicy Korean stew with vegetables and seasonings. This goes well with kimchi.
Galbi
This is one of the most popular barbecue dishes in South Korea.
In Korea, “galbi” means ribs. Ribs can be made from pork, beef or chicken. (If a dish is made from pork spareribs or another meat, the dish is named according to usage of the main ingredient).
This dish “galbi” is served with raw beef short ribs, to be cooked on tabletop grills by the diner themselves on tabletop grills. The beef is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic and sugar.
Note: beef galbi can be used to make soup (galbi tang), or it can be steamed (galbijjim).
Seafood
Nakji-bokkeum (Octopus)
Another favourite dish in South Korea, the najki (octopus) is used as it has “long thin arms and a small oval head” and stir-fried with vegetables, chili paste, chili powder, green peppers and chili peppers.
This is a very spicy dish and is chewy due to the octopus.
Ganjang-gejang (Soy Sauce Marinated Crab) (간장게장)
This raw crab dish became very popular in the 1980s. This “rice thief” dish is so flavourful that diners tend to eat more rice (and hence the name)!
The raw crabs are marinated in a savory, slightly sweet and tangy sauce. The best part is the crab roe!
Note: although crab is the most famous version of this dish, you can also eat raw prawns and raw abalones marinated in a similar way.
Haemul-pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake)
Haemul Pajeon is a pan-fried scallion pancake that is soft but also crispy. It is also crunchy and filled with shellfish, cuttlefish and other kinds of seafood.
This is also one of the most popular dish restaurants (especially BBQ restaurants) and goes well when paired with soju or makgeolli.
For those who don't eat seafood, there is also:
- kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake)
- pajeon (green onion pancake)
Agujjim
This dish, also known as “agwijjim”, is a seafood cuisine cooked with a black mouth angler, a fish known as “agwi”. It is seasoned with hot chili pepper powder, soy sauce, minced garlic and chopped scallions. Bean sprouts are also added.
Rice
Bibimbap
The word “bibim” means mixing and “bap” means cooked rice. Warmed rice, vegetables, marinated beef and eggs is mixed a spicy sauce of sesame oil and chili paste.
Side Dishes
The wide variety of Korean banchan (side dishes) is one of the best and most unique things about Korean meals. In the Joseon Dynasty, the number of banchan one was served depended on one's status (the higher it was, the more you got.)
Below are some of the most famous Korean sides (click here for Korean banchan recipes):
For Those Who've Never Eaten Korean Food
Baechu Kimchi (Cabbage Kimchi)
This is the most common type of kimchi, made of Napa Cabbage. You can learn to make it at many cooking classes in Seoul.
However, there are actually over 100 types of kimchi, some of which I've listed in other parts of this list and which you must try when in Korea!
Oi-Muchim (Spicy Cucumber Salad)
This dish of seasoned cucumber, perfect for summer, is served as a side dish for rice, noodles, or BBQ.
Musaengchae (Sweet & Sour Radish Salad)
This julienned radish, seasoned with sugar, vinegar and salt, is very crunchy and goes well with galbi and bulgogi. This is a cold weather vegetable and taste best in late fall and winter.
Gamjajeon Pancakes
These pancakes are made from grated potatoes. Small amounts of garlic, chives, scallions, chili and zucchinis can also be added.
Kongnamul Muchim (Korean Soybean Sprouts)
This commonly served side dish is very popular in the southern regions of South Korea. It is crunchy and delicious.
Sigeumchi-namul (Korean Spinach)
This is made of blanched spinach seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and toasted sesame oil.
Gamja Jorim (Korean Braised Potatoes)
This is a filling side dish which is hearty and not expensive.
Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-fried Zucchini)
A favourite summer side dish and it goes well with bulgogi, galbi or bibimbap.
Gaji Namul (Steamed Eggplants)
A simple everyday Korean side dish.
Oi Bakkeum (Stir-fried Cucumbers)
A refreshing cucumber side dish for rice, soup and noodles.
Sukyu Namul (Seasoned Bean Sprouts)
A simple Korean side dish that is easy to make- you just blanch and season the bean sprouts. (Korean bean sprouts are slightly different from Chinese bean sprouts, as the bean part is much bigger and crunchier.)
Put Baechu (Young Cabbage) Doehyang Muchim
Cabbage is flavoured with fermented soya bean paste.
Gimbap
This seaweed rice roll is made of:
- gim (a sheet of dried seaweed)
- bap (rice)
- other ingredients, such as carrots, crab sticks, eggs, spinach, cucumber, sweet pickled radish beef etc
The ingredients are rolled and tightly wrapped in a sheet of seaweed then cut into small sizes. Somewhat similar to Japanese sushi but the taste is much more savoury.
Dishes Hard to Find Outside Korea
Oyster Kimchi
This is a unique kimchi, which has raw oysters inside- I've only ever had it once, when I made it myself at a kimchi-making class in Seoul! (I highly recommend the class if you're interested in making this unique kimchi.)
Desserts
Bingsu
This milk-based shaved ice with red beans is a summer favourite dessert. It's a modern Korean dessert that comes with sweet toppings like sweet red beans, chopped fruits, condensed milk and mochi.
Icy and creamy, it is a perfect dessert for a hot summer day. It also comes in a variety of flavors, such as strawberry, chocolate, lychee, mango and matcha.
Note: this dessert can be pricey in Korea. I ordered it at Park Hyatt, one of the luxury hotels in Busan, and it ended up costing almost $50! (I wasn't told the price before I ordered so I was pretty shocked when the bill came)
I'll be honest- I'm not really a fan of traditional Korean desserts. (The only Korean sweets I like are really Bingsu and Hotteok!) A few others worth mentioning include:
- Songpyeon (rice cakes): This steamed rice cake is traditionally eaten during Korea's harvest festival (Chuseok.)
- Yaksik (sweet rice dessert): A mixture of honey, nuts, glutinous rice, and dried fruits, this looks like a flapjack but made of rice!
- Bukkumi (pan-fried rice cake dumplings with sweet red beans): If you like red beans or mung beans, this is the dessert for you, as that's what it's filled with!
- Dasik (tea cookies)
- Yakgwa (honey pastry)
- Bungeoppang (fish-shaped bread with sweet red bean)
Street Food
South Korea is famous for its street foods. Some of the most popular and most delicious include:
Tteokbokki
These chewy stir-fried rice cakes are one of the most popular street foods in Korea. I'll be honest and say I'm not a huge fan- I can take them or leave them myself- but they're definitely something you should try!
Note: tteok (rice cakes) are also served in other dishes such as soups. For example, tteokguk is a traditional Seollal dish. (Korean Lunar New Year.)
Mandu
Korean dumplings can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried or deep-fried. They come with various fillings, such as kimchi and japchae.
Hotteok
Hotteok are one of my favorite Korean street foods. They are pan-fried sweet pancakes, stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts.
Tip: don't get the Hotteok from Myeong Dong- it's not as good!
Sundae
Blood sausage is a traditional Korean food made by stuffing pig’s intestines with sweet potatoes, barley and pig’s blood. You can eat it as is, or in a soup or stew.
Binttaetteok
A Korean mung bean pancake that comes with an onion and soy dipping sauce and was featured on Netflix's street food.
Gyerangppang
Egg muffins or egg bread is a sweet, savory and fluffy bread loaf, popular for breakfast in Korea.
Odeng (오뎅) / Eomuk (어묵)
Korean fish cakes are made from fish paste.
They can be served on sticks (like kebabs), in a clear broth, stir-fried etc. It's associated with Busan and is a must-try food in Busan!
Drinks
Maesil Cha
This is my favorite Korean drink- made by fermenting maesil (Korean plums) into a syrup and then diluting it with water. (Read about the process of making Maesil tea here.)
So delicious, my friend lugged a 2kg bottle back with her when we first visited Korea 15 years ago!
Barley Tea
You may have already tried Barley tea without knowing it- it's often served cold at Korean traditional restaurants. This tea has a nutty taste and is one of my favourites. (Learn to make barley tea here.)
Sujeonggwa (cinnamon ginger punch)
Made from cinnamon, ginger, and sugar, this is a sweet non-alcoholic drink.
Sikhye (sweet rice punch)
This is a sweet drink made by fermenting rice and malt. You can find it at 1 of Korea's ubiquitous convenience stores.
Makgeolli
This used to be viewed as a farmers drink but has become increasingly popular over the years- you can even buy makgeolli kits to make it at home!
Unique but Not Recommended
There are also some Korean Foods that are unusual but not (in my opinion) to everyone's taste.
It's worth a try if you want to eat something unique but, since we only have limited stomach space, I would leave them till after you've tried the dishes above.
Korean Sashimi
I tried Korean raw fish (회 hoe) in a famous restaurant in Busan. This was 1 of my least favourite traditional Korean foods and I wouldn't order it again- it was pretty fishy (and this is coming from a sashimi lover!)
Any questions about these popular South Korean foods? Let me know in the comments!
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