Table of Contents
Based on a Japanese manga, Little Forest is the story of a young woman, Hye-won (played by The Handmaiden's Kim Tae-ri), who is hungry, for tasty real food, for soul food, and for answers she cannot find. After living in Seoul, she grows tired of city life and convenience food and moves back to her childhood village because she's "hungry." As she says, "Instant food didn't fill me up. I meant it when I said I came back because I'm hungry."
In an interview with View of Korean Cinema, director Yim Soon-Rye said the film features sixteen dishes, three or four per season. She wanted to show that Korean foods and drinks like makgeolli and rice cake can be made at home, and many dishes tie to her own memories, like the tteokbokki a character craves. Some she learned to make during filming, including makgeolli, which she failed at three times because timing is so important.
Although most of the dishes are Korean, the food is largely meat-free, reflecting Yim's identity as an animal rights activist and "fish vegetarian." So if you're a vegetarian curious about Korean cuisine, this film is a great exploration. And if you love food-based entertainment like the K-drama Let's Eat, you'll enjoy how Little Forest follows food from the land, to preparation, to being shared with friends. As Hye-won's mother says, "Cooking reflects the heart."
Here are some of the most memorable dishes from the film, including a few of our Korean favorites.
Fried Acacia Flower Fritters
Delicate acacia blossoms, battered and fried, a fragrant taste of spring.
Kongguksu
A refreshing chilled soy-milk soup with noodles. Swap the wheat noodles for cucumber noodles to make it like Hye-won's.
Sirutteok
Hye-won prepares this as a three-layered rice cake. The film's food stylist said it was the most demanding dish, as the rice cake kept freezing and defrosting during the winter shoot.
Spring Flowered Pasta
A simple pasta finished with edible flower blossoms on top.
Chestnut Preserves
Sweet, glossy chestnuts simmered into a comforting preserve.
Crème Brûlée
Not a Korean dish, but featured because Hye-won's mother loved experimenting with cuisine, and to appeal to the film's young audience.
Sujebi
A traditional Korean hand-torn dough soup. If you enjoy kal-guksu, you'll love this too.
Cabbage Sandwich
Essentially a third of an Inkigayo sandwich: simple cabbage salad between two slices of bread, perfect for on-the-go days or a picnic.
Tteokbokki
Korea's beloved spicy rice cakes, a comforting classic.
Stuffed Onion
Onions filled and cooked into a savory, satisfying bite.
Pajeon
A crispy Korean scallion pancake.
Okonomiyaki
Paying homage to the film's Japanese source material, Hye-won's mother makes this savory cabbage pancake for her as a child. It's similar to Korean yachaejeon.
What is your favourite dish from Little Forest? Which one will you try to cook? Let us know in the comments!
Written by Tiffany Simms