Korean Food

"For nutrition, they're hard to beat." WebMD

Koreans can eat eggs at every meal:

• Steamed Eggs
• Rolled Egg Omelette
• Chicken and Poached Egg Soup
• Kimchi Fried Rice

Smoke and Pickles? All the headlines riff on the fact that a Southern food - Korean food mix is surprising, but I think it sounds delicious! Further West, Anthony Bourdain's favorite places to eat in L.A.'s Koreatown. Going to the where it all began? Ten notable places to eat around South Korea.

Just starting your love affair with Korean food? Start at the Korean Food Primer.

Also read Korean Food 101.

Ramps are one of my favorite spring vegetables because my grandmother used to make kimchi and salads with them every year. To me, these seasoned ramps (dalae) taste like spring and childhood and they brighten any Korean meal.

Other Resources:

10 Great Spring Vegetables

Spring Vegetable Recipe Collection

Candied Ginger

Ginger Chicken Recipe

Soju Ginger Fizz Cocktail

Spicy Ginger Beef

What's going on and going around:

• Made in America....Asian-American Food

• The Seven Spiciest Korean Foods in Seoul

• Hangover Cures from Around the World

If you are a first-timer at a Korean restaurant, then follow this simple guide and you'll be hooked. You'll definitely want to return for some more daring dishes. This is a guide geared towards people with a more Western palate, as there's huge variation in the most popular Korean restaurant dishes around the globe.

If you're at a Korean BBQ place where there's a grill on your table, then order Galbi (marinated short ribs). Don't be surprised when the raw meat comes with all the fixins'. It it's not a DIY grill place, then order Galbi Jim (braised short ribs) for the table to share family-style.

All those little side dishes that you didn't order? That's banchan, and it's free.

Also try:

• Mandoo (Korean dumplings)
• Pa Jun (Scallion pancakes)
• Chapchae (Stir fried sweet potato noodles)
• Bibimbap (Mixed rice with vegetables) or Hwe dup bap if you love sashimi
• Duk Gook (Rice cake soup)

Some people dislike the word fusion, but it's something that happens organically in kitchens everywhere. I tried Cathlyn Choi's Spicy Korean Kimchi-Beef Pasta the other day, and was hooked (even though I didn't have angel hair pasta on hand at the time).

TRY MORE:

Modern Korean Dishes and Drinks

Korean-Style Spicy Clam Linguine

I'm always on the lookout for new Korean food resources out there, and Cathlyn Choi's cooking show on PBS goes beyond the general Korean food how-to web videos that we all know and love. Cathlyn lived half her life in Southeast Asia so her fusion is unique for Korean-Americans, and she also features non-Korean chefs on her show (who frequently have to recreate or re-invent Korean dishes).

Some people describe pa jun (scallion pancakes) as Korean pizza, but Western pizza is actually popular in Korea. There, the general attitude towards pizza is not less is more. It's more and more and more- toppings include everything but the kitchen sink.

Check out this tumblr for some Korean pizza pics and this photo gallery of popular pizza toppings around the world.

_{Photo courtesy of Pizza Hut Korea.}