Eat your weeds...

Seaweed...

Not just slimy stuff that floats aimlessly along with the ocean currents. Seaweed, or gim (김), is a big part of Korean cuisine. Whether it serves as garnish with fried rice, or is wrapped around rice and veggies to make gimbap, many claim it will make you as healthy as a horse. A large part of those claims are not too far off mark!
With all the health hype around seaweed as a source of utmost nutritional value, it is no wonder why Koreans have superstitions about this sea plant. For example, many Koreans say that it is a good idea to eat lots of seaweed soup after giving birth because it produces healthy breast milk in mothers.
Here are just a few of the supposed health benefits of seaweed :

- Nearly all minerals and vitamins that the human body needs can be found in in this oceanic plant. (i.e. calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and the list goes on.) There is also B12, that is not found in land plants!

- It has been said that seaweed promotes healthy hair growth because it feeds the pores of your scalp.

- Especially for the ladies, seaweed supposedly helps prevent osteoporosis.

- If you have deficiencies in your diet, it is said that seaweed helps offset these deficiencies because of its richness in all other minerals and vitamins.

- Seaweed is a good food to include in your regiment if you are on a diet. It stimulates metabolism which can help with weight loss.

- And the list goes on...

Try to include seaweed in your diet and look for the results!
Sources :
http://health.learninginfo.org/seaweed-benefits.htm

http://hubpages.com/hub/Health_Benefits_of_Kelp_or__Seaweed

Food in Korea -- Samgyetang/Dakdoritang

Samgyetang/Dakdoritang

The summer is approaching and in Korea, that means many things. Regarding food, it means that it is almost time to eat samgyetang (삼계탕) and dakdoritang (닭도리탕). Both dishes are specialties that are eaten in the summer, but are not limited to this time of year. Even though it is typically very hot and humid in Korea during this season, these two dishes are a great treat!

First, samgyetgan, is primarily made of a whole young chicken and ginseng in the broth. It is thought that the nutritious values of samgyetang are especially healthy in the summer because they replace nutrients loss through sweat. The broth is quite strong and consists of ginseng, garlic and ginger. The chicken is boiled and stuffed with rice, all of which soaks in the flavors that the broth has to offer. Koreans tend to eat this dish on the three hottest days of the year : Chobok, Jungbok, and Malbok. Look for specialty restaurants that serve this chicken and ginseng soup.
Finally, dakdoritang. Recently there has been a push to change the name of this dish because of its Japanese origins. Koreans have moved to call it "dak bokkeum," but the moniker has yet to stick. This is quite spicy, especially in comparison to its special friend, samgyetang. Dakdoritang is composed of braised chicken, potatoes and sometimes carrots, onions and zucchini. The broth is a combination of chili pepper paste, garlic, sugar, black pepper and soy sauce. Because the broth is a wee bit spicy, it makes a perfect match with a side of rice, which also makes the dish extra-filling!
For all you picky eaters out there, I am also in the "picky club" and I actually like both of these things. Go ahead and try these dishes in the summer...winter, fall, or spring!


Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samgyetang

http://paintroller.blogspot.com/2007/04/dakdoritang-koreas-answer-to-freedom.html

Food in Korea -- Samgyeopsal

Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) is another popular traditional Korean dish and one of my personal favorites. It is a pork dish and is similar in appearance to the bacon you eat for breakfast. However, in Korea, it's a meal in itself.
Samgyeopsal is thickly cut slices of pork belly and comes on a plate to your table raw. It is then cooked on a grill at the table where you are also served with various sides and usually accompanied with rice. Two sauces are also typically served with this meal. First is a combination of sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. The second is a mixture of chili paste and soybean paste. Addtionally, you will almost always receive a bowl of spring onion salad with a chili-based sauce.
The "way" to eat samgyeopsal is up for interpretation. I tend to fix it according to my personal taste. First and foremost, you should probably begin by grilling the samgyeopsal. Place it carefully on the grill. (Be careful, the grease may splash up and it IS extremely HOT...as hot oil tends to be.) Let it grill and after about 5 minutes, use the tongs to tug gently at the slices. If there is little resistance, it is ready to be flipped. The reverse side will take less time to brown. Using your best judgement -- it will come with time -- about one minute before the meat is fully cooked, take the scissors to it and cut it up in bite size pieces. Don't forget to add the other garnishments meant for the grill. They vary, but sometimes include onions, mushrooms, and of course...GARLIC! Pick and choose your "toppings" and place it all on a leaf of lettuce. Shove it in your mouth and chew. Try it with a side of rice and enjoy! (Soju optional!)

Food in Korea...

General overview

Food in Korea is pretty simple. If you don't like meat, rice, vegetables, or seafood, you might not like Korean cuisine. Nowadays, Korea's got a plethera of international restaurants offering cheeseburgers the size of your face, fusion pasta dishes, and curry galore. This is an introduction to the basis of traditional Korean cuisine.
The majority of Korean dishes are based from tofu, rice, noodles, vegetables, and meats. Most traditional meals (even in Korean fast food restaurants) come with side dishes--or banchan. More traditional meals will come with several various dishes. Kimchi is perhaps the most common side dish in Korea and comes in hundreds of different varieties depending on the restaurant and main dish. Traditional kimchi consists of cabbage.
Seafood is predominant in Korea because of its geography. Many dishes include squid, shrimp, tuna and other local varieties of seafood. Kimchi also contains shrimp paste, so those who have shellfish allergies, beware!

Meats such as beef, pork, and chicken have become standard within the last 50 years. Spam is also found in Korean food. These products are now commonplace whereas during the Korean War and post-war, meats were hard to come by. Dishes such as bulgogi, samgyeopsal, and galbi are now readily available to Koreans.

Soups and noodles are also something that are a large part of the Korean diet. Ramen (ramyun) noodles as a snack, also known as cup noodles, can be found in any convenient store or supermarket. The soups in Korea are hearty and chalked full of veggies and tofu as well as the Korean rice cake (daak).
As far as spices go, Koreans tend to use chili paste in a large number of their dishes. Sesame oil, soy saude, salt, garlic, and ginger are also added to give the food a very rich and unique taste.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of Korean foods to try. Be brave and try as much as you can during your stay!

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_cuisine