Seoul Food: A Taste of South Korea

It probably comes as no surprise that when I travel one of the highlights is always the food.   I love to try local cuisines, the more unique the better.  And I’ll try just about anything once.  Korea of course was no exception (live octopus? Sign me up!).  It’s only been in the past year or so that I’ve become familiar with Korean food, and I’ve come to really love it… or love the Americanized version of it at least.  So I was excited to get to Seoul and try the real deal!

We certainly had no shortage of food during our stay.  From roadside holes in the wall to trendy dining spots to the hidden back room of a fish market, the plates kept coming and the soju flowed.  Although the setting varied greatly, most meals had many elements in common:  a rice base, beef cooked table side and numerous “banchan,” a variety of sides including fish, eggs and many types of pickled vegetables.  Most meals were served family style, and it was fun to get to try so many different things.  Made up primarily of protein and veggies, it’s a very healthy cuisine.  As delicious as everything was, I’ll be honest: by the last day, the very idea of bulgogi and fermented vegetables made be a bit queasy.  But needless to say once that passes, I’ll most definitely be experimenting with bibimbap here in the Messy Kitchen!

Here’s a look at just some of the food we ate and places we ate it!

Hidden back room at the Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market where the fish is served fresh and the beer and soju flows freely.

 Other good travel eats…

Spain

Bali & the Gili Islands

Johanna