Today I had a family of 7 people do the street food tour and we tried 8 different snacks at different stalls around Insadong. It was a good day and I was surprised to find that the little kids aged 2 and 5 ate and enjoyed almost all the different types of food. They especially liked the fresh steamed dumplings and the kimbap. Korea's street food scene is quite exceptional and you can get a varied and filling meal at almost any place you visit. I highly recommend you try it out. 
There is a debate right now about Korean fried chicken. One group thinks it can be considered Korean food. The other group thinks that it is just western food. What do think about this? I believe that Korean fried chicken should be promoted as a Korean food because it is Korea's unique food culture, which led to the development of its unique taste and texture. The sauce, dips, style of eating, and side dishes also make this uniquely Korean.
Chicken in the past was considered a boyang (endurance) food that was often eaten during the three hottest days of summer. Korea was mainly a farming country and when you work all day in the fields, you need protein to stay healthy. The problem is that in summer cattle needed to work the fields and the meat would quickly spoil.
Smaller animals would be eaten instead such as eel, duck or chicken. But for the Korean palate, eel and duck are too greasy so many preferred the taste of chicken. The problem is that the lean chicken doesn't have enough fat so they would usually stuff it with rice, veggies, oriental herbs, and then boil it with potatoes and other veggies to fortify the chicken.
Chicken in Andong was stir fried and then braised in a seasoned a black-sesame-soy sauce and served with potatoes and noodles. In other regions such as Chuncheon it was marinated and braised in a chili sauce.
As more and more Koreans traveled overseas and saw the concept of fried chicken many tried to develop one for the Korean people. When Western fried chicken franchises came to Korea it started a fried-chicken phenomenon. Although Koreans liked the crags, flavor and crumbly texture, it tended to be a bit greasy, messy and it wasn't food that could easily be shared. Also, the chicken’s one time frying method meant it had to be cooked to order, which would take a long time.
To make Korean fried chicken, you first chop the chicken with a knife to make smaller peoples that are easier to eat with chopsticks. The chicken would be marinated and then dredged in a flour and cornstarch mixture. It would then be fried. After a few minutes, the chicken would be taken out of the oil using a wire basket and shaken and metal tongs would be used to beat on the metal basket. This is what makes the crackling texture. Taking it out of the oil gives the chicken time to cook inside while staying moist. It is then fried again a few minutes later making it hot and delicious. It is also often topped with a spicy chicken sauce, which is usually made from gochujang, rice syrup, vinegar, garlic and sesame seeds. It is delicious.
This was written for KBS World Radio. You can listen to my Korean Food Story Every Wednesday at 10am.
Dan
Hanuso
During spring I am always on the search for fresh, crispy and nourishing bibimbap. Hanuso uses top quality ingredients to create dishes that will please the epicurean in you. Their Yukhwae (raw beef) bibmbap has fresh sprouts, various lettuces, julienned carrots and pears and more. With this you get clear beef soup, Korean vegetable side dishes and a steaming bowl of hot rice. All combined, it becomes a nourishing meal that feels like a bowl of sunshine and spring rain. Pictured here this is some abalone bibimbap. Although the abalone is fresh, it is a bit chewy. For those that love fresh abalone, this is quite excellent. I would say that Hanuso has some of the best bibimbap in the city because the ingredients are very fresh. It's more like a salad with a side of rice than a heavy bibimbap. I would recommend you make a stop there.
Hanuso
Jongno-gu Nakwon-dong 272
Ph#:02-739-9990
Hours: 11am-10pm
Price: 8,000 won-18,000 won
In
cheap eats,
Pho
Pho bo
In
Blog,
Chuseok in Boeun
After a long day on the road, I made it to my mother's house where she had a feast waiting for us. We had spinach, bean sprout salad, pan-fried snapper, marinated beef, ginseng kimchi, beef and turnip soup, and rice cakes. Oh, and egg battered fish and crab sticks. It was a great meal and it was great to have my fiancé and my mother get along so well. To walk off the meal we are at Beojusal temple at Songnisan mountain. It is truly great to get out of the craziness of Seoul.
Happy Chuseok everyone!
Dan
Wow, another epic food week. Our food tours have been hopping nonstop and I have tried all sorts of great food and met great people from around the world. I feel quite blessed to be able to do a job as this and that so many are enthusiastic to come meet me and our team. In the last week, I have met people from Singapore, Australia, USA, and Canada that all came to Korea for the food.
Some of the cool things we saw were a cool plate that let the kimchi juice flow down and make a rose. Lots of great street food like the eggie bread thing. Is also got some Chinese moon cakes that had some beautiful writing on top. At Brew 3.14 (my pub) we made some tomato pie to the dismay of my chef. It's been a good week I must say. My chef also made some quiche at our pub and they have been a big hit.
Ok, back to work. Thanks for reading.
Dan
Test
After a long day on the road, I made it to my mother's house where she had a feast waiting for us. We had spinach, bean sprout salad, pan-fried snapper, marinated beef, ginseng kimchi, beef and turnip soup, and rice cakes. Oh, and egg battered fish and crab sticks. It was a great meal and it was great to have my fiancé and my mother get along so well. To walk off the meal we are at Beojusal temple at Songnisan mountain. It is truly great to get out of the craziness of Seoul.
Happy Chuseok everyone!
Dan
I have no idea where I am but it is apparently a rest stop that has one little concession stand and I count over 30 buses. The bathrooms are porta potties that have 40 people standing in them. I can't drink water because the bathroom lines are ridiculous. Them men are going pee in the woods. I feel bad for the women.
It is the first time I will be traveling on Chuseok day to my mother's house in Boeun. It is going to be far and I think pretty painful because I heard that that traffic is terrible. People going to Busan by car had to travel 10 hours to get there. It usually takes 3 hours to get to my mother's house but they will try and go around the traffic. I hope to get to my mother's house by 1pm.
Sadly, I won't be able to stay long this time. I have a lot of responsibilities back at home and there are a ton of email to answer. I wish my mother didn't live so far away.
This is an important day for me because my mother will meet my fiancé. We are planning on getting married next January. I am looking forward to it but I realize I really have to change. For my fiancé I am willing to change. I hope my mother approves of my future wife and adores her as much as I do.
Well because of the Internet, I can work anywhere. Time to put a dent in all those emails.
One of the best experiences of the summer was our first group tour of 11 people from the Food Sovereignty Organization. We hosted a group of food activists on their journey to discover how farmers and the different food coop organizations operate in South Korea. It was an enlightening week for all who came.
Chuseok is coming and that means there are a lot of food gift sets going on sale. I think it is great that Koreans are so practical. I mean seriously, how many scented candles and wine decanters does one need? I had a house warming party where I got 3 wine decanters on the same night. (I guess people think I must really enjoy red wine.)
I think the food gift sets are great things. I love the ornate boxes of seaweed, apples, pears, and fruit baskets. Oh, and you have to love the Spam gift sets.
The colorful food gift sets have their origins in the harvest festival as part of the ancestor memorial service. People would lay out the food in the center of their households to commemorate the memory of their ancestors. Colorful and various foods were important to let ancestors know that your family was doing well.
