HOW IS THE KOREAN DIET? MAIN FOODS - NUTRITION - 2025

The Korean diet is characterized by the consumption of a lot of rice and vegetables, little fat, and steamed foods. It is a diet with its own style, although it includes elements of Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Kim chee or kimchi (김치) is the emblematic dish of Korean food.

Kimchi contains probiotics and is not lacking in the daily diet. It has hot peppers, ginger, garlic, and greens, usually Chinese cabbage fermented for days. It is considered a dish with anti-obesity, anti-cancer and anti-cholesterol properties, due to its high content of fiber and nutrients developed in the fermentation process that originates it.

Kimchi, typical dish of the Korean diet.

In general, Korean cuisine is low in calories and fat. For this reason it has a reputation for being slimmer and helping to preserve the figure. In 2004, the World Health Organization designated Korean cuisine as "nutritionally balanced exemplary cuisine." Kimchi is known as one of the five healthiest dishes in the world.

The main foods of the Korean diet

A wide variety of food ingredients are used in Korean cuisine. These represent a balanced mix of products of animal and vegetable origin with diversity in their nutritional value.

There are five essential elements: rice, vegetables and fruits, fish and shellfish, peppers, and tea.

Hot peppers, radishes, garlic, and sweet potatoes

These foods help control body weight due to their fiber content and their thermogenic nature.

Fiber prolongs the feeling of fullness and helps to avoid eating between meals. Also, stews often feature large chunks of hot peppers.

Rice

It can be the main dish or accompany the main dish in a bowl. Rice is always present.

In Korean, when you say "let's eat" you literally say "let's eat rice."

Green Tea

Koreans regularly drink green tea, hot or cold, throughout the day. Green tea effectively curbs your appetite. In addition, it is an excellent antioxidant, stimulates metabolism, strengthens the immune system and promotes dental health.

Soy

It is a central food in the Korean diet. It is consumed in different forms: tofu, sprouts, milk, cream, yogurt, among others.

Soy is rich in protein, does not contain cholesterol and has omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which contribute to a decrease in cardiovascular risk.

Other ingredients

Eggs are common in Korean dishes. The most common preparation is in the form of a French omelette with many herbs.

Various types of mushrooms, fish and shellfish, and sesame oil are also often present. Beef is almost non-existent; it is only consumed on special occasions.

Basic elements of Korean cuisine

The characteristics of Korean cuisine distinguish it from that of other countries and make it considered one of the best in the world. The most characteristic techniques and elements of this gastronomy are detailed below:

Cooking techniques

Koreans prefer steaming, although many dishes are simmered, grilled, or sautéed with a little fat.

Balance and variety of menus

Moderation in portion sizes is another primary feature of the Korean diet.

On the other hand, there is a wide variety of options: rice is the base of this cuisine, and it can be accompanied by many dishes, such as soups, fish, seafood and chicken sautéed in the wok with low amount of fat. The possibilities are quite wide.

Kimchi, essential in the Korean diet

There are more than 180 varieties of kimchi. Traditionally it was prepared by leaving the vegetables to ferment in winter to later bury them in the ground in ceramic containers.

Kimjang is the collective process of traditional kimchi preparation. Since 2013, kimjang is part of the representative list of cultural and intangible heritages of UNESCO.

Today there are special kimchi coolers that maintain the proper temperature for fermentation.

Menu example for breakfast and lunch

First food

The first meal of the day is usually the gimbap, a cylindrical roll of cooked short grain rice, stuffed with various ingredients and wrapped in edible pressed seaweed of the genus Porphyra. In fact, the name comes from the union of the terms cooked rice (bap) and edible seaweed (gim).

It is a very popular food completely dry, without liquid, so it is convenient to carry.

lunch

The main meal of the day is lunch. The menu consists of soup, a bowl of white rice, a main ingredient, and a host of side dishes. In most cases the accompaniments are steamed vegetables, and also preparations with eggs, all served in bowls without a handle.

Food is often heavily seasoned with pepper sauce. The accompaniments presented individually, in small quantities, are known as banchan (pronounced as panchan).

It is common for there to be at least 4 banchan, and the more formal the meal, the greater the number and variety of banchan. Kimchi is the most famous banchan.

Kimchi, being a dish so appreciated for its digestive properties, can be consumed before and sometimes after food.

Usually the service at the table is done all at the same time and not in consecutive order (starter followed by a main course).

Bibimbap is another very popular dish eaten for lunch. It means "mixed rice" or "mixed food."

In this case, the rice is not separate, but is served in a bowl with vegetables, eggs and, eventually, meat on top. Lettuce is also part of the accompaniments.

All the ingredients are stirred at the time of eating, adding sesame oil (sesame) and hot red pepper paste. It is usually served alongside soup and another side dish.

Bibimbap

In the traditional Korean diet, the sweet taste is not reserved for dessert. There is really no notion of dessert and the sweet taste usually accompanies some meals.

However, there is a strong tendency to eat out and in large cities the influence of Westernization on consumer habits is appreciated.

Food does not escape this. For example, the appearance of Western-style cafes in which the same foods as in the West are present, such as desserts and coffee, is evident.

References

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2. Eleven new elements inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Recovered from: es.unesco.org
3. (KOCIS), K. (2018). Food: Korea.net: The official website of the Republic of Korea. Korea.net. Available at: korea.net
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5. Park Kun-Young, Jeong Ji-Kang, Lee Young-Eun, and Daily James W. III. Journal of Medicinal Food. January 2014, 17 (1): 6-20. Taken from doi.org.
6. Wilson, A. (1998). Japanese and Korean cuisine. Cologne (Germany): Könemann.