Korea in Photos: Food

Whoa did I ever get a crash course in Korean food during First Trip Home! I love the fact that there are a lot of interesting vegetables in Korean cooking but not so much a fan of the fermented foods and red chili paste that is used in a lot of it. I coined a new term for bibimbap = bippity boppity BOO! I did find the street food scene fascinating. Enjoy the photo tour of my Korean food experience!

1st night K-BBQ meal in Seoul for FTH

FTH fancy opening ceremony dinner...so many beautiful dishes

Shabu Shabu - one pot cooking

So many fresh veggies which I loved

Korean Social Service, Inc. lunch. This is a special seaweed soup that is supposed to aid healing for post-partum mothers. It is also supposed to be eaten every year on one's birthday.

Bippity Boppity Boooooo (aka Bibimbap)

Korean locals enjoying their meals

All around Seoul, there are Starbucks coffee shops with the English logo. However, in the Insadong area known for its traditional crafts and culture, they had to localize the title

Starbucks Korean snacks

Dear Korean McDonalds, what the hell is this?!

K-Mickey-Ds made up for the crazy poster with cool touchscreen ordering

One of many street food vendors in Myeongdong

These are super popular potato tornados...deep fried potato spiraled around a stick or hot dog

Bingsu (sweetened shaved ice milk) with Mango...delicious

More bippity boppity booo (sigh)

My favorite Korean restaurant on FTH...Lotus Flower cafe

Lotus root salad

Deep fried ginseng

Marinated lotus root

Lotus tea

Rice wrapped and steamed in a lotus leaf

Trees inside the restaurant

Korean Dunkin Donuts selections: Sweet Redbean Donuts

Korean Dunkin Donuts selections: Icheon Rice Glazed Donuts

Korean Dunkin Donuts selections: Glutinous Rice Stick

Fascinated at watching them make rose shaped ice cream

My cone: Green tea, frozen yogurt and strawberry ice creams

Bungeoppang: My favorite sweet Korean street food. It's a pastry filled with sweet red bean paste

Traditional royal Korean cooking class

The results: radish salad

The results: Japchae (sweet potato starch noodles stir fried with vegetables and sauce)

Not pictured: Bulgogi

"Poop" bread - I did not try this but it's supposedly similar to Bungeoppang - a sweet pastry dessert. Apparently poop shapes are cute in Korea

Kkultarae (aka "Korean Court Cake") 

Kkultarae is made with honey and maltose. Through repeated stretching (spinning) of a honey-maltose mixture, 16,384 strands are created, in which nuts, chocolates, or other mixtures can be wrapped.

There you have it folks! Korea does have a very rich culinary scene and I am glad I got to have the whirlwind experience of trying a lot of different kinds. I am even going to attempt to make bulgogi at home...get ready Jeff!