🇰🇷 Block 31–32: Korean Cuisine
← Block 29–30: Japanese | Block 33–34: Chinese →
"Korean cooking is a cuisine of fermentation, fire, and contrast. The same meal might include mild steamed rice, fiercely spiced kimchi, umami-rich doenjang, and the charred sweetness of gochujang-lacquered short ribs. Heat and cooling. Sour and sweet. Pungent and subtle. Korea's table doesn't resolve these tensions — it holds them in deliberate, delicious balance."
Before You Start Block 31
Read these first:
- 📖 Serious Eats — Everything You Need to Know About Korean Ingredients — gochujang, doenjang, ganjang (soy), gochugaru, toasted sesame oil, perilla — the pantry that makes Korean food Korean
- 📖 Maangchi — About Korean Cooking — Maangchi is the most trusted Korean cooking resource in English. You'll use her recipes throughout this block.
Stock your pantry before starting this block:
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Gochujang (fermented chili paste) | The backbone of Korean red sauce cooking |
| Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) | Korean miso — funkier, more complex |
| Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) | Coarse red flakes — essential for kimchi and most banchan |
| Sesame oil (toasted) | Finishing oil, not cooking oil |
| Soy sauce (Korean style or Japanese dark) | Ganjang, or Korean soy sauce |
| Rice vinegar | Mild acid for dressings and pickles |
| Fish sauce | Background depth in many dishes |
| Short grain white rice | The foundation of every meal |
Block 31 — Foundations: Fermentation and Fire
⏰ Planning Ahead
- Session 146 (Kimchi): kimchi needs 24–48 hrs fermentation before it's really ready; make it immediately and taste it each day
- Service 37 (PROJECT: Korean Barbecue Night): marinate galbi 24 hrs ahead; marinate bulgogi at least 4 hrs ahead
- Session 146: Kimchi: The Soul of the Korean Kitchen
- Session 147: Japchae: Glass Noodles, Vegetables, and Technique
- Session 148: Doenjang Jjigae: The Everyday Soup
- Session 149: Tteokbokki: Spicy Rice Cakes
- ⏰ Service 37: Korean Barbecue Night
Block 32 — Depth: Fried, Simmered, and Composed
- Session 150: Bibimbap: The Composed Bowl
- Session 151: Korean Fried Chicken: The Science of the Crisp
- Session 152: Pajeon: Korean Savory Pancakes
- Session 153: Galbi-Jjim: Braised Short Ribs
- ⏰ Service 38: A Korean Dinner Party
Optional: Go Deeper
These aren't required reading — but if something from this block sparked a question, here's where to go.
The Korean Pantry: Fermentation as Foundation
Korean cooking's depth comes from fermented ingredients. Gochujang, doenjang, and kimchi aren't just condiments — they're the flavor infrastructure.
- 📖 Serious Eats — Gochujang, Explained — what it is, how it's different from other chili pastes, and how to use it beyond the obvious
- 📖 Serious Eats — What is Doenjang? — the sister fermented paste to gochujang, and why it's more versatile than it looks
Korean Barbecue: Beyond the Restaurant
The Korean BBQ table at home is one of the most social, interactive meals you can cook.
- 📖 Maangchi — Bulgogi — the canonical marinade explained in full, with the specific pear or kiwi enzyme tenderizing step that makes a difference
- 📖 BBC Good Food — Bulgogi — a slightly simplified version for weeknight cooking
Watching a Pro Do It
- 📺 Maangchi's YouTube Channel — Maangchi is the most trusted Korean cooking teacher on the internet. Her channel has every dish from this block; watch any video before you cook the dish.
A Book Worth Having
- 📚 Korean Home Cooking by Sohui Kim — The most comprehensive Korean cooking book for the home cook. Goes deep on banchan, fermentation, and the logic of the Korean table.
- 📚 Koreatown by Deuki Hong & Matt Rodbard — Korean-American cooking, with equal depth on technique and culture. The restaurant profiles add useful context.
- 📚 On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee — Ch. 6 (Vegetables) on cabbage fermentation and lacto-fermentation basics (the science behind kimchi). Ch. 8 (Flavorings) on capsaicin and gochugaru heat profiles. Full reading guide →