Korean Comfort Food

With life's ups and downs, coming home to see your favorite comfort food being prepared is enough to make some of the stress disappear, the dish that provides a sense of well-being and brings back memories of your childhood. For many, food is considered therapy, so when we deem something a comfort food we really mean it.

Korean Dumplings

Dumplings are a common side dish or appetizer usually filled with a meat mixture such as beef and pork, although some versions also include shrimp. In addition to the meat mixture, the other ingredients consist of cabbage, onions, carrots, mung bean noodles, and other complementary ingredients. There are many ways to prepare these dumplings like boiling, frying, and steaming. They are usually served alongside a variety of spicy, sweet, and savory sauces for dipping.

Cheese Dung-galbi

A popular Korean barbecue dish, these baby back ribs are prepared on the grill at your table along with chopped peppers, shredded cheese, and corn. Comfort food is usually characterized by a couple things such as high calories and carbohydrates and this dish is no exception. The vegetables and cheese are incorporated into the fondue sauce while the ribs are grilled and then served together as a single dish. It’s a nice contrast between the crisp cheese and texture of the barbecued ribs.

Bungeoppang

There’s nothing like comfort food to give you those warm fuzzy feelings inside, and these super cute fish-shaped cookies are a popular treat! It’s one of the most common winter street foods in Korea and is often sold in street stalls cooked in a device similar to a waffle iron but with fish-shaped molds. Sweet red bean paste is used in a lot of different pastries but the most well-known are these. The cookies aren’t overly sweet, and they are crisp on the inside while being soft and fluffy on the inside.