Korea’s Traditional Food
Korea has four distinct seasons
and very advanced agricultural culture and technology,
so many types of rice and grains were grown and
subsequently multiple recipes to cook them as well.
Korea also boasts many marine products as it is
a peninsula having three coastal areas touching
the sea. Korea also has many diverse recipes to
cook meat and vegetables as well as recipes using
seasonal ingredients. In particular, Korean food
is made with utmost care and efforts to maximize
the natural taste of the ingredients themselves.
What is Fermented Food?
Fermented foods are the best
natural healthy foods as the tastes and smell of
the food come very naturally. Key fermented foods
recognized all around the world include consumed
in villages of the world’ oldest people, wine known
to be effective in preventing cancer and aging and
soybean paste and kimchi from Korea. Korea’s fermented
foods are exceptionally excellent as the culture
has long been cherished the benefits of fermented
food.
The four distinct seasons of Korea are the perfect
condition for food fermentation. Pickling the Korean
cabbage harvested in the autumn with lactic acid,
the Kimchi can be enjoyed until early next spring
as Korea’s best traditional fermented food with
unique taste and flavor. As the agriculture industry
started off in Korea quite soon, many of Korea’s
menus required grain, vegetables, saltiness and
meat.
Using salt as the base, we
have multiple salt-based fermented foods, including
grains, beans, vegetables and fishes. These fermented
foods can be stored further and longer, turning
them into important food items in the long term.
Our ancestors also produced liquor for various
rituals for agricultural prosperity and folk faiths.
Thanks to these advanced fermenting and brewing
technology, the ferment condiments such as soybean
pastes, kimchi, pickled fishes, vinegars and liquors
have been an important source of nourishment to
us who consume grains daily and quickly became
part of our dining culture.
Kimchi
What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is one of Korea’s most representative fermented
vegetable foods, reflecting a combination of Koreans’
wisdom and insights. The main ingredients for the
kimchi are Korea’s traditional cabbage and white
radish, and the minor ingredients are salt, red
pepper powder, anchovies, garlic and ginger. There
are all mixed to create this incredible fermented
and stored food. It is one of the most important
foods in the Korean cuisine culture. The saltiness
and the taste of multiple organic acid created during
the fermentation go harmoniously well along with
tastes of spices and soils, making it all the more
special.
Nourishing Kimchi
This unique fermented vegetable, Kimchi, is considered
excellent in terms of providing nourishment and
retaining physiological aspect.
Basic Nutrients of Kimchi
Made by mixing pickled Korean cabbage, white radish
and cucumber with many other vegetables and fermented
fishes, spices and seasonings, kimchi contains a
variety of minerals such as calcium, copper, phosphorus,
iron and salt as well as ample dietary fiber.
You can take in amino acid and calcium from pickled
seafood, and carotene, complex vitamin B and vitamin
C among many other vitamins from the vegetables.
Other nutrients created by microorganisms during
the fermentation get absorbed into human body.
Also, kimchi is low in sugar and fat, making it
an ideal food choice for modern-day consumers.
Foods
Fermented by Lactic Acid
Kimchi is fermented naturally by lactic acid, allowing
for a well-fermented kimchi to contain some ten
to 100 more lactic acid bacteria than milk ferments.
The organic acids such as lactic acid and citric
acid created during the fermentation process help
absorb minerals, including calcium and iron into
the body.
Physiological Functions
Kimchi is fermented naturally by lactic acid, allowing
for a well-fermented kimchi to contain some ten
to 100 more lactic acid bacteria than milk ferments.
The organic acids such as lactic acid and citric
acid created during the fermentation process help
absorb minerals, including calcium and iron into
the body.
The dietary fiber contained in the vegetables prevents
constipation and improves the conditions of intestinal
microflora. Also, the lactic acid prevents the growth
of harmful microorganisms in the intestines, improving
the microflora as well. Some of the substances in
the lactic acid are known to enhance anti-cancer
effects and immunity-boosting effects.
Besides these nutritional
benefits, the spicy capsaicin and other savory
flavors contained in the pepper boost appetite
by giving kimchi a unique and mouth-watering taste.
Fermented Sauces
In ancient days, our ancestors were extremely keen
about making excellent fermented sauces, saying
that making them in an improper way can perish the
whole family. They painstakingly chose the right
place and the right date for making sauces and paid
utmost care in storing them right as well. They
even relied on some superstitious rituals when making
the fermented sauces, such as hanging your socks
upside down at your front doors. This shows how
much making fermented sauces mattered for our ancestors.
Traditionally, you put the soybean paste lump into
the salty water, mature the mixture for a while,
separating the lump and the fluid and then boil
the fluid to make it into soybean sauce and put
the lump into a pot to ferment it a bit more to
make it into soybean paste. Our ancestors were able
to take in dietary fiber, lecithin, fat and protein
among other great nutrients from this fermented
soybean paste.
Soy Sauce
Definition in the dictionary
:
It is made from soybean paste lump. When you put
the lump into salty water, ferment it for a while
and then process the filtrate to make it into the
soy sauce.
Soy sauce is a combination of soybean paste lump,
water and salt, and is filtrate extracted while
making fermented soybean paste.
Well-boiled beans cultivated by natural fungus and
germs form soybean paste in small grain or lump
shape. Put the salty water into the container in
which this soybean paste is put. After maturing
and fermentation, separate the paste and the filtrate.
The filtrate becomes the soy sauce and the solid
paste becomes fermented soybean paste. Keep fermenting
both soybean fermented condiments to use as seasoning.
Soy sauce is a fermented
food made of beans rich in protein and amino acid.
It is assumed that the sauce was a creation out
of necessity as eating meat was prohibited thanks
to the prevailing of Buddhism at the time. Soy
sauce is a great source of protein and can be
stored for a long time, which shows how smart
and wise our ancestors were. Both soy sauce and
the soybean paste are the favorite condiments
for Koreans, always prepared on the table for
meals.
Beans are crucial source of supplying protein
and fat to Koreans as their staple consists mostly
of carbohydrate. The fermented soybean paste has
been very valuable condiment for the Korean cuisine
in terms of taste and nourishment.
Our ancestors thought making these fermented soy
sauce and soybean paste annually was extremely
important and one of the most essential family
“rituals”. They didn’t know about the microorganism,
so for them, the mysterious process of fermenting
came across as almost sacred. So our ancestors
avoided quarrels or other dishonest behaviors
for three days before making the ferments and
cleaned themselves thoroughly on the d-day and
put Korean paper made of tree bark on their mouths
to fend off evils while making the ferments.
Five “Virtues” of
Fermented Soybean Paste
Outstanding - it retains its own taste even if it
is mixed with other ingredients.
Maintaining- it does not spoil for long.
Neat and Fresh - it removes fishy and greasy smell.
Softening - it relieves spicy and hot flavor.
Harmonizing - it goes well with any other ingredients
and food.
Red Pepper Paste
Nearly unprecedented in the history of world foods,
red pepper paste contains protein from tasty beans,
sugar from carbohydrate ingredients such as sticky
rice and barley, and soy sauce, salt and red pepper
powder which create colorful and tasteful seasoning
and condiment.
Red pepper paste became widespread after growing
and distributing of red chili pepper became easier
in the mid Joseon Dynasty of ancient Korea. It was
an innovative fusion condiment at the time, converging
beans for soybean paste and the new red chili pepper.
Dressing and condiment in the western cuisine
are mostly confined to salads, but in Korea we
not only eat red pepper paste not just with vegetables
but put it into stews and use it as seasoning,
so the usage is much more versatile and wider.
The red pepper paste has gone through a lot of
changes in the history, and now it has adjusted
to modern-day people who prefer strong and spicy
flavor.
Fast-fermented bean
paste
Fast-fermented bean
paste use soy beans and many other types of beans
and degrade the protein inside with bacillus subtilis.
The process creates savory and nutritious protein
provider, the fast-fermented bean paste.
Fermented by bacillus subtilis mostly, the fast-fermented
bean paste is effective in preventing cancer and
suppressing the growth of harmful germs in the intestines.
Known as one of the healthiest condiments, it contains
the nutrients from the soy beans as well as more
powerful substances created by microorganisms.
In the fermentation process, many beneficial substances
are created including anti-cancer slime (polyglutamate),
immunity boosting high-molecular nucleic acid,
anti-cancer browning agent, protein degrading
enzyme that works as clotbuster among others.
This is mostly done by the microorganism called
bacillus, which degrades protein in the soy bean
and makes it into smaller amino acids. This in
turn improves absorption rate of the nutrients
in the fast-fermented bean paste, suppresses the
activities of harmful germs in the intestines
and enhances anti-bacterial effect against disease-causing
germs.
The beneficial germ restrains the activities of
putrefying bacteria that generate carcinogens
such as ammonia, indol and amine. It also adheres
to these harmful bacteria and discharges them
out of our system.
Mostly harmful substances are detoxified in our
livers, but if the fast-fermented bean paste facilitates
the discharging of these toxins, the workload
imposed on the liver is reduced, so it helps you
recover your stamina and restore skin radiance
more quickly and effectively. Rich in vitamin
B2 in particular, it boosts the detoxification
effect of the liver and protects the liver from
alcohol and nicotine. Vitamin B2 is contained
in ample amount in beans (0.3mg per 100g of soy
beans) but when you boil the beans, the nutrient
is reduced to 0.05mg. However, if the beans are
fermented, the vitamin jumps to 0.56mg.
The bacillus helps with digestion by generating
organic acids and thereby stimulating the intestines.
There are many germs in action in fast-fermented
bean paste. The flavor and taste of the paste
depend on the germ strain for the fermentation.
There are multiple strains all of which yield
different forms, colors and features. They determine
the taste and flavor of the fast-fermented bean
paste.
In general, the traditional fast-fermented bean
paste is made as follows: the soy beans are put
into the water for maceration; put hays in so
that the germs in the hays naturally move onto
the beans for fermentation. Keep the temperature
between 37 and 42 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity.
After two or three days, the surfaces of beans
get fermented, become brown and white thin sticky
threads are created. The more the threads are,
the better and more nutritious the bean paste
is.
Fermented Fish
Fermented fish is one of the most representative
fermented condiments in Korea. This signature condiment
is made by fermenting almost all parts of fish with
a large amount of salt. Using a variety of fishes
as ingredient, the fermented fish has served as
one of the most essential condiments and side dishes
in the Korean cuisine whose staple is mostly grain.
While fermenting the fishes with salt so as to
be able to store it for a long period, a process
of self-degradation of protein occurs in the fermented
fish, allowing savory taste and texture for the
condiment.
Usually, fermented fish is made by adding only
salt for the fermentation on a variety of seafood.
The history of fish fermentation is extremely
long, and now more diverse ingredients are used
for fermentation other than fishes, making savory
and tasty condiments through lactic acid base
fermentation and autophagic process.
.
Maturing and Fermentation
The fish ingredient and the concentration of the
salty water determine the fermentation process as
they affect the protein degradation and the growth
of microorganisms.
Generally, fishes are fermented in the saline
solution of 20% concentration of less, so the
growth of germs except salt-resistant ones is
impaired and the activities of enzymes inside
the fishes can also be slowed.
As for the fermented fishes with grains, they
are fermented in the solution of less 10% salt.
The lactic acid is generated and the salt-resistant
enzymes start working as well, so the alcohol-based
fermentation removes fishy odor.
Fish fermentation is usually done in a place with
little temperature change, such as cave, and the
optimal temperature range is between 13 and 15℃.
Usually the fermentation of fish is done under
room temperature and takes between six to twelve
months. The recipes of fermenting Korean anchovies,
shrimps and pollack roe and the making of fermented
sole with grains are as follow respectively:
Pickled Vegetables
Pickled vegetables are made of vegetables harvest
during the season when there are a lot of them,
store them in soy sauce, red chili pepper paste
or soybean paste to eat them during cold seasons
when vegetables are hard to get. These types of
pickles taste better when they are chopped in pieces
and sprinkled with sugar, sesame powder or sesame
oil.
Vegetables must be dry or semi-dry in order to
stay crunchy and not spoiled. Popular ingredients
for pickling include garlic, stem of garlic, perilla
leaf, radish, cucumber and deodeok the mountain
herb.
There are also lightly-pickled vegetables, mostly
using chopped cucumber, radish or young radish.
They taste great if you remove moisture from them
and stir-roast them with seasoning.
Slow Food
Search for healthy, slow food definitely affected
Korea’s food culture as well. These new types of
health-improving food are called “slow food” as
opposed to the “fast food” deeply rooted in modern
day lifestyle.
Fast foods that swept the western cuisine hugely
influenced Korea’s dietary life and caused a lot
of problems. In Japan for example, the obesity
rate doubled since they started importing fast
foods.
Fast foods contain extremely little nutrients
compared to its high calories, causing nutritional
imbalance and loss of function of taste buds because
they get used to the artificial seasoning and
food additives.
There is also a study that shows children who
enjoy fast foods have 40% higher risk of developing
atopic dermatitis. The mad cow disease that originated
from the U.K. was caused by feeding herbivore
cows with animal protein fodder to accelerate
their growth.
Fast foods threaten people’s health and even the
agricultural industry in local communities in
providing various plants and food ingredients
because those foods destroy the diversity of tastes.
The “slow food” movement first began in Italy
in 1986. It started as foodies in Italy protested
against the launch of a McDonald’s in the “Piazza
di Spagna” in Rome, arguing that fast foods will
destroy the diversity of foods and threaten people’s
rights to enjoy diverse foods.
Slow foods are made with ingredients that are
grown in the traditional way, so they are nutritious
and easy to digest. The key activities of the
slow food movement include focusing on reinventing
and preserving each nation’s traditional cuisine
and using environmental-friendly agricultural
produce. Slow foods also have a lot to do with
how we eat.
Even though you are served with slow foods cooked
authentically, if you consider them as tool for
filling your stomachs only and eat them right
away, that wouldn’t be considered having slow
foods. You should appreciate the efforts made
by the cook and savor every bit of the food and
its taste to be able to truly enjoy slow foods.
Slow foods ensure not only the joy of cooking
the foods and meals but also of enjoying the savory
taste. Korea’s signature slow foods would include
many of fermented condiments because they contain
natural ingredients, they require a long period
of maturing and fermenting and they ensure natural
taste, fragrance and health.
