Asia • Featured Cuisine

Korean Recipes & Cuisine

Fermented heat, sizzling grills and banchan-filled tables bring bold Korean flavor from barbecue to bubbling stews.

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Korean barbecue table with grilled meat and banchan in South Korea

Welcome to South Korea

Korean Food Guide: Kimchi, Bibimbap and More

South Korea’s cuisine brings together fiery pastes, fermented vegetables, sizzling barbecue, rice bowls, bubbling stews and generous side dishes made for sharing.

South Korean cooking is bold, colorful and built for contrast. Gochujang, doenjang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, scallions, rice, noodles, tofu, seafood and vegetables create food with heat, depth and plenty of personality. Even simple meals can feel lively once the side dishes hit the table and the broth starts bubbling.

Meals often revolve around sharing, with banchan, soup, rice and grilled or simmered dishes filling the table. Fermentation gives Korean food its backbone, from kimchi to rich stews. The result is generous cooking that feels both comforting and exciting.

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Cooking Style

Fermenting, grilling, braising, stir-frying, simmering and shared-table serving

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Signature Flavors

Gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, sesame, soy sauce, doenjang, kimchi

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Food Culture

South Korean food culture values shared meals, banchan, rice, soup, barbecue, fermentation and lively tables where small dishes create variety and conversation.

Kimchi (Tongbaechu-kimchi)

Featured Dish

Crazy for Kimchi

Kimchi is one of South Korea’s most recognizable foods, a fermented vegetable preparation most often made with napa cabbage, radish, chili, garlic, ginger and seasonings. It tastes spicy, tangy, savory and alive, and it appears beside everyday meals, stews, pancakes and rice dishes.

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Korean Recipes

Explore Korean recipes

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Explore Korean cuisine through kimchi, barbecue, stews, rice cakes, banchan and bold fermented flavors built for lively, generous shared family meals.

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Korean beef bulgogi is one of the great quick-payoff dinners: thin slices of marinated beef cooked fast and eaten even faster.

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Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi fried rice is Korea’s ultimate leftover upgrade: bold, spicy, savory rice with crispy edges and a fried egg on top.

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More Korean favorites

From Korean fried chicken, corn dogs and tteokbokki to soft tofu stew, hotteok and samgyeopsal, Korean cooking keeps the table bold, generous and hard to leave while anything is still sizzling.

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Regional Flavors

Jeonju Bibimbap, Busan Seafood, Jeju Pork and Andong Jjimdak

South Korea’s regions add local character, from Jeju black pork and coastal seafood to Jeonju’s famous bibimbap and hearty inland stews.

Best Known Dishes

  • Kimchi
  • Bibimbap
  • Bulgogi
  • Korean Barbecue
  • Tteokbokki
  • Japchae
  • Kimchi Jjigae
  • Samgyeopsal

Food Traditions

Rice, Soup, Banchan and Shared Barbecue

Rice, soup and banchan often shape the table. Fermented foods, shared grilling, seasonal vegetables and family-style serving make meals varied and interactive.

Travel & Dining

Barbecue Restaurants, Markets, Noodle Shops and Stew Houses

South Korea serves up its energy in barbecue restaurants, street-food stalls, market counters, noodle shops, cafés, home-style diners and steaming stew houses.