South Korea
Abalone Porridge
전복죽
A luxurious rice porridge with abalone, cooked in sesame oil until creamy and rich, once reserved for royalty and special occasions.
eastern-asia
North Korea
Explore 148 foods connected to North Korea, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
148 foods12 leading categories1 Essentials guides
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North Korea Essentials
10 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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Traditional foods from North Korea.
148 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
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South Korea
Banquet Noodles
잔치국수
Thin wheat noodles in a clear, light anchovy broth with egg garnish, zucchini, and kimchi, traditionally served at celebrations.
South Korea
Barley Tea
보리차
A caffeine-free tea made by steeping roasted barley grains, with a nutty, earthy flavor, served hot or cold in every Korean household.
North Korea
Bibimbap
비빔밥
A bowl of warm white rice topped with seasoned vegetables (namul), gochujang chili paste, a fried egg, and sliced meat, stirred together before eating.
South Korea
Black Raspberry Wine
복분자주
A sweet, fruity wine made from Korean black raspberries (bokbunja), either steeped in spirit or fermented, at 14-19% ABV.
Kaesong, North Korea
Bossam Kimchi
보쌈김치
A Kaesong specialty: spiced napa cabbage leaves folded around a filling of sliced pine nuts, apples, pears, chestnuts, and jujubes; elaborately wrapped and fermented; at the table the top is cut in a cross so the bundle opens like a flower; a celebratory and ceremonial dish from the historic city of Kaesong.
South Korea
Braised Cutlassfish
갈치조림
Cutlassfish (beltfish) braised with radish, potatoes, and onions in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce, a Jeju specialty.
South Korea
Braised Lotus Root
연근조림
Lotus root slices braised in a sweet soy sauce until tender and glossy, with a satisfying crunchy-chewy texture.
North Korea
Braised Pig's Feet
족발
Pig's legs braised in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice wine until tender and glossy, sliced and served with salted shrimp sauce.
South Korea
Braised Potatoes
감자조림
Small potatoes braised in a soy sauce, sugar, and corn syrup glaze until tender and glossy, a sweet-savory banchan.
South Korea
Braised Short Ribs
갈비찜
Beef short ribs slowly braised in a sweet soy sauce with pear, honey, garlic, ginger, and vegetables until meltingly tender.
South Korea
Braised Tofu
두부조림
Firm tofu braised in a spicy soy sauce with gochugaru and sesame oil, a simple and savory banchan.
South Korea
Bulgogi
불고기
Thinly sliced marinated beef (usually ribeye) grilled over high heat, marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and scallions.
South Korea
Chicken Porridge
닭죽
A comforting rice porridge with shredded chicken, sesame oil, and chicken broth, easy to digest and nourishing.
South Korea
Cinnamon Punch
수정과
A cold, dark cinnamon-ginger punch with dried persimmons, sweetened with sugar or honey, served with pine nut garnish, a traditional dessert drink.
South Korea
Citron Tea
유자차
A warm citrus tea made from yuja (Korean citron/yuzu) preserved in sugar or honey, dissolved in hot water, popular in winter.
South Korea
Clear Rice Wine
청주
A refined, filtered clear rice wine, smoother and clearer than makgeolli, historically served at royal court ceremonies.
Pyongan, North Korea
Corn Noodles
강냉국수
Corn noodles served in a cold broth, a Pyongan province dish; corn is ground and made into noodles, reflecting the importance of corn in North Korean agriculture; eaten cold, similar to naengmyeon but with a distinct corn flavor; a regional specialty of the Pyongan region; listed in Wikipedia's Korean regional cuisine.
South Korea
Corn Tea
옥수수차
A tea made from roasted corn kernels, with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a light golden color, served hot or cold.
South Korea
Crab Stew
꽃게탕
A spicy stew made with fresh Korean flower crabs, vegetables, and gochugaru, best with soft-shell crabs in season.
North Korea
Cubed Radish Kimchi
깍두기
Korean radish cut into cubes and fermented with chili paste, garlic, and ginger, the perfect accompaniment to ox bone soup.
North Korea
Dumpling Soup
만두국
A soup with Korean dumplings (mandu) in a clear beef broth, often eaten on New Year's, with rice cake slices added.
South Korea
Egg Rice
계란밥
A simple comfort dish of hot rice topped with a fried egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, and seaweed, mixed together before eating.
Pyongan, North Korea
Eobok Jaengban
어복쟁반
Pressed beef served on a brass plate; a Pyongan province representative dish listed in Wikipedia's Korean regional cuisine; an elegant preparation of beef pressed into a slab and sliced; served cold as a banquet dish; reflects the refined culinary tradition of Pyongyang and the Pyongan region.
South Korea
Fast-Fermented Soybean Paste
청국장
A quick-fermented soybean paste with a strong, pungent aroma and a stringy texture from Bacillus subtilis, used in stews.
South Korea
Fast-Fermented Soybean Stew
청국장찌개
A pungent stew made with cheonggukjang (fast-fermented soybean paste), tofu, pork, and vegetables, known for its strong aroma.
South Korea
Fermented Soybean Blocks
메주
Dried, fermented soybean blocks that are the foundation of doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang, made by soaking, grinding, and fermenting soybeans.
South Korea
Fish-Shaped Pastry
붕어빵
A fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste, cooked in a special mold, a popular winter street snack.
South Korea
Fist Rice
주먹밥
Rice balls mixed with seasoned vegetables, kimchi, or tuna, shaped by hand into fist-sized portions, a portable and popular snack.
South Korea
Five-Flavor Berry Tea
오미자차
A tea made from schisandra berries (omija), known for five distinct flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent), with a striking red color.
South Korea
Floating Rice Wine
동동주
A type of makgeolli with floating grains of cooked rice on top, thicker and sweeter, traditionally served in a bowl.
South Korea
Flower Rice Cake
화전
A small pan-fried rice cake decorated with edible flower petals (cherry blossom, azalea), a seasonal spring delicacy.
South Korea
Fried Shrimp
새우튀김
Whole shrimp battered and deep-fried until crispy, a popular street food and twigim variety.
South Korea
Garlic Chive Pancake
부추전
A savory pancake made with garlic chives in a light batter, pan-fried until crispy, with a bold chive flavor.
South Korea
Gimbap
김밥
Seasoned rice and various fillings (spinach, egg, fishcake, pickled radish, meat) rolled in dried seaweed (gim) and sliced into bite-sized rounds.
South Korea
Ginger Tea
생강차
A warming ginger tea made from honey-preserved ginger, dissolved in hot water, popular in winter for colds and circulation.