Whenever it rains, I wish I could be in a pojangmacha devouring Korean comfort food.
Pojangmacha‘s are food carts in Korea that are enclosed in tents. They typically serve spicy rice cakes (ddukbokki) and fish cakes (odeng) and of course beer/soju. I swear something about eating in a tent makes everything taste better.
Ddukbokki or spicy rice cake, is one of Korea’s most popular street foods. It mainly consists of rice cake, sweet red chili sauce and seasoning but variations include fish cake, eggs, scallions and even ramen noodles. This is the ultimate late night snack.
Korean BBQ. Meat grilling is a wildly popular pastime for Koreans not only because its so tasty, but also because it’s a great social activity. Typically, a waitress or waiter grills a wide variety of pork and beef right in front of you so you don’t even need to lift a finger. Once the meat is cooked, you make your own lettuce wraps with rice, sauces and other toppings. My personal favorite is pork BBQ, also known as samgyupsal.
Yangnyeom Tongdak is seasoned fried chicken and it’s delicious. Why? Because its fried TWICE, making the skin even crispier. It is also coated with a thick and tangy sauce that can range from mild to very spicy. Chicken and an ice cold glass of beer is often consumed together. They call this combo “Chi-maek,” Chi is short for Chicken and Maek is short for Maek-ju (the Korean word for beer).
Kimchi is a spicy side dish present at almost every meal and is made out of fermented cabbage seasoned with pepper, garlic, ginger and scallions. Like most Koreans, I am a kimchi addict and love making it into soups (kimchi chigae) or into a snack. Have you ever tried dubu kimchi? It’s fried kimchi and pork coupled with tofu. Drool!
Patbingsu is everything you could want in a dessert. Traditionally, the dessert is made up of finely shaved ice, red bean and sweetened rice cake with condensed milk but there are so many varieties now. Some places serve it with whipped cream, cereal, nuts, ice cream and fresh fruits! I’ll take Patbingsu over Pink Berry any day!
And finally, ramen. I’ll never refuse a bowl of Korean instant noodles (especially in a old school copper pot). It may not be the healthiest choice, but it usually satisfies my Korean food craving no matter where I am.
Looking at all these photos and reviews from this Korean food blog, has my mouth watering!