Sunday

Korean Seafood Grows In Popularity

By Lelia Hall


Korea is a peninsula surrounded by oceans and so it is not surprising that many of the dishes include fish. Fish and shellfish are prepared in many different ways from grilling and roasting to fermenting and drying. Korean seafood dishes such as soups and stews are now appreciated by many people around the world today.

It has taken a while for this type of cuisine to become popular in other parts of the world. However, currently many restaurants exist in America dedicated to not only making food for Koreans but exposing Americans to this cuisine too. Some of these create fusion foods to appeal to the American palate. However, many of them offer authentic cuisine as Americans begin to embrace the foods of other cultures.

This cuisine is distinguished by strong flavors and most dishes offer a combination of salty, sweet, sour, acidic and spicy tastes. People tend to fall in love with this cuisine once they are accustomed to eating it. They also enjoy the fact that many of the dishes are suitable for those allergic to dairy and gluten.

Commonly used ingredients in this type of cuisine are soy sauce, fermented bean paste, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and fermented chili paste. Both fresh and salt water fish are used and the type of fish dictates the cooking method. Some are best left raw whilst others are better suited to adding to soups or grilling.

Raw fish is called hweh and it is sliced thinly and then dipped into sauces like red pepper paste or fermented bean paste. In restaurants in America, a dish may consist of slices of raw fish, crisp vegetables and kimchi paste may be eaten. When visiting the pier at Redondo Beach, California, there is the option of eating many such dishes.

Mollusks and smaller fish are usually fermented. In this form, they can be used to add wonderful flavoring to soups and stews. When deep fermenting takes place, the resulting odor is incredibly strong. The process makes the flesh very tender but the smell can be quite offensive.

Mackerel or herring are readily available and are usually grilled and served with rice and veggies. Traditionally, yellow croaker, called Jogi, was central to a formal occasion. It was grilled and served together with numerous side dishes or banchan. Banchan are a common feature of this type of cuisine.

Once the fish is dried, its name changes and its purpose does too. Some fish are dried completely and they are then suitable for using in soups. If they are only half-dried, they can be steamed successfully and eaten with toppings and sauces. This wonderful cuisine is now no longer restricted to one small peninsula but is now enjoyed by many people. More and more restaurants all over the world are dedicated to providing people with more of this type of food as the demand increases all the time.




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