(All the following text is referenced from "Pork" by Amos Farooqi
Korean Food - Pork
Pork is the most widely consumed meat in Korea, because of its savory taste and relatively cheap price, especially when compared to beef. All parts of the pig, from its head to its feet, are widely used in Korean dishes. Nevertheless, the most beloved part amongst Korean is by far pork belly, or samgyupsal.
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Pork Cuts / Parts
Moksal: Boston butt |
Perfect blend of flesh and fat. |
barbeque, bossam |
Deongshim: Loin |
Consists of mostly flesh. Very soft. |
steak, bulgogi, cutlet, jjigae |
Anshim: Tenderloin |
Consists of mostly flesh. Softest pork cut |
jangjorim, tangsuyuk, cutlet |
Dwitdarisal: Fresh Ham |
Contains low fat and is a vividly colored part |
ham, bossam, jangjorim, |
Samgyeopsal: Pork Belly |
Layered with flesh and fat. Juicy |
barbeque, bacon, bulgogi, bossam |
Galbi: Spare Ribs |
Flesh with a bit of fat. Chewy and savory |
barbeque, jjim |
Apdarisal: Picnic shoulder |
Consists of mostly flesh. A Bit tough |
bulgogi, jjigae, bossam |
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1. Dwaeji Galbi
Where to eat:
- Suwon is famous for sogalbi (beef), Chuncheon is famous for dakgalbi (chicken), and finally the mecca of dweji galbi is Mapo in Seoul. Many restaurants with long histories are located in the Dwaeji Galbi Alley in Mapo, so if you’re in Seoul, do not miss the chance to taste authentic dwaegi galbi here.
2. Samgyupsal
Where to eat?
- You can find Korean barbeque restaurants serving samgyupsal anywhere. It’s also easy to cook at home, as grilling samgyeopsal doesn’t require a lot of skill. However you might have a hard time getting rid of the smell and grease afterwards
3. Bossam
Where to eat?
- There are bossam restaurants everywhere, whether they’re franchises, in the food courts of department stores, or at traditional markets. If you visit the Bossam Alley near Jongno 3-ga station in Seoul, famous for gul-bossam (oyster bossam), you will be amazed by the generous amount of food you can get for an incredibly reasonable price.
4. Jokbal
The front trotter is chewier as its muscles are more developed. But if you want your meat to be soft, eat the back trotter. Koreans usually prefer the taste of front trotter, although it’s more expensive.
Where to eat?
- There are a lot of franchises and restaurants specializing in jokbal in Korea. But the three major jokbal restaurants in Seoul are ‘Manjok Ohyang Jokbal’ near City Hall, ‘Seongsu Jokbal’ in Seongsu-dong, and ‘Yeongdong Jokbal’ in Yangjae. There are also many other famous restaurants located in Jangchung-dong Jokbal Alley and Gongdeok-dong Jokbal Alley
5. Sundae
It is one of Korea’s most popular snacks, alongside tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cake) and twigim (deep fried vegetables or seafood), all of which can be found at any street food vendor. There are also many restaurants specializing in sundae soup or stir-fried sundae.
Where to eat?
- You can find sundae at any street food vendor or snack house (bunsikjip), while sundaeguk restaurants are also quite common, usually around offices. But if you are in Seoul and want to try stir-fried sundae, definitely go to ‘Sundae Town’ in Sillim. It’s a building several stories tall filled with nothing but stir-fried sundae restaurants.
6. Gamjatang
Koreans often eat this dish to cure hangovers, but ironically it is also a popular food to have a few drinks over. Although 'gamja' is the Korean word for potato, the spinal cord included in the bone used to be called ‘gamja’, and this is where the dish got its name, not from potatoes.
Where to eat?
- There are plenty of gamjatang restaurants in any neighborhood you go to. However, there’s a famous gamjatang alley in Eungamdong in the northwestern part of Seoul that’s well known for this dish.
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Harry
Hello, and welcome to my blog! My aim is to provide new tourists and expats information and daily tips about living in Korea. These tips will be ranging from visa, some history and overview, food, popular attractions, and general information about Korea.