As for the serving, all the food dishes except hot soups are set at one time on a low table that is set on the floor; at which one sits to eat. The main dishes and the side dishes which are shared by all are placed in the middle of the table. The rice and soup are placed in front of each diner. Chopstics and spoons are used for eating.
In general the Korean diet is high in grains and vegetable which add mucht fiber to the diet, moderate but adequate in protien. both animal and vefetable (bean curd, bean sprouts, bean pastes, soy bean sauce), moderate in a calories and low in fat and sugar. In short- a very healthy, well-balanced diet. It may be a bit high in salt if soy sauce is used heavily. It may or may not be red peppery hot; it is a matter of individual taste.
The Korea diet is changing and developing but basically the diet pattern has remained the same. Westerners may do well to examine this diet pattrn and shift to a similar diet pattern for their own long and healthy life.
Showing posts with label prepation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prepation. Show all posts
Friday, July 4, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Kimchi and the korean table settings
Kimchi is a kind of spicy fermented pickle and accompanies every Korean meal. It is made from cabbage, turnip, cucumber or seasonable vegetables, seasoned with red pepper, garlic, onion, ginger, salt, oysters and soused salted fish juice, and fermented in an earthenware crock. Kimchi is made in large quantities in late autumn for use during the winter months. Autumn Kimchi making is called "kimjang" which is one of Korea's most important household events. Kimchi contains good amounts of vitamin C and stimulates the appetite. Somehow, kimchi and rice make an excellent flavor and texture combination.
The basic diet includes at each meal steamed rice, hot soup, kimchis and a number of meat and/ or vegetable side dishes with fruit as an after-meal refresher. In-season fresh vegetables are used at the peak of their season and dried preserved for out-of-season use later on.
Korean table settings are classified into the 3-chop, the 5-chop, the 7-chop, the 9-chop and the 12-chop according to the number of side dishes served. The average family takes three or four side dishes along with rice, soup and kimchi for an everyday Korean meal.
When a family entertains guest for a special occasion, such as a wedding celebration or 60th birthday party, a dozen or more delightful dishes of different kinds are served according to the season. In addition, there is a characteristic way of setting the table for each occasion: New Year's Day Table, Moon-Festival Day Table, Baby's First Birthday Table, Ancestor-Memorial Day Table, Bride's Gift Table or Drinking Table.
Korean food is usually shared by diners. Each person has his own bowl of rice and soup, but other dishes are set on the table for all to reach. The main dishes and the side dishes are distinguished by the quantities served. At meal time, the smaller quantity of the food served will be one of the side dishes. Larger quantity dishes will be the main dish and nothing more will be needed except rice and kimchi.
The basic diet includes at each meal steamed rice, hot soup, kimchis and a number of meat and/ or vegetable side dishes with fruit as an after-meal refresher. In-season fresh vegetables are used at the peak of their season and dried preserved for out-of-season use later on.
Korean table settings are classified into the 3-chop, the 5-chop, the 7-chop, the 9-chop and the 12-chop according to the number of side dishes served. The average family takes three or four side dishes along with rice, soup and kimchi for an everyday Korean meal.
When a family entertains guest for a special occasion, such as a wedding celebration or 60th birthday party, a dozen or more delightful dishes of different kinds are served according to the season. In addition, there is a characteristic way of setting the table for each occasion: New Year's Day Table, Moon-Festival Day Table, Baby's First Birthday Table, Ancestor-Memorial Day Table, Bride's Gift Table or Drinking Table.
Korean food is usually shared by diners. Each person has his own bowl of rice and soup, but other dishes are set on the table for all to reach. The main dishes and the side dishes are distinguished by the quantities served. At meal time, the smaller quantity of the food served will be one of the side dishes. Larger quantity dishes will be the main dish and nothing more will be needed except rice and kimchi.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Korean Diet
For centuries the Korean have eaten the fruits of the sea, the filed and the mountain because these are the geographically significant features of the Korean peninsula.
The Yello Sea and Sea of Japan offer excellent fish, seaweed and shellfishe for the Korean table. THe lowland fields produce excellent grains and vegetables while the uplands grow marvelous fruits and nuts-apple, pear, plum, chestnut, walnut, pine nut and persimmonto name a few. And the ever present mountains offer wild and cultivated mushrooms, roots and greens. A temperature climate makes for four seasons with the fall harvest and being the most abundant. Through the centuries, the basic seasonings- red pepper, green oinion, soy sauce, bean pastes, garlic, ginger, sesame, mustard, vinegar and wines- have been combined various ways to enhance the meats, fish, seafood and vegetables in the peculiarly spicy and delicious Korean manner. Various regions of Korea have special seasoning combinations-some hotter,some spicier-and each family also has its particular seasoning pattern. One family uses no salted shrimp juice in kimchi; another uses a great deal, but both claim kimchi as an integral part of their daily diet.
The Yello Sea and Sea of Japan offer excellent fish, seaweed and shellfishe for the Korean table. THe lowland fields produce excellent grains and vegetables while the uplands grow marvelous fruits and nuts-apple, pear, plum, chestnut, walnut, pine nut and persimmonto name a few. And the ever present mountains offer wild and cultivated mushrooms, roots and greens. A temperature climate makes for four seasons with the fall harvest and being the most abundant. Through the centuries, the basic seasonings- red pepper, green oinion, soy sauce, bean pastes, garlic, ginger, sesame, mustard, vinegar and wines- have been combined various ways to enhance the meats, fish, seafood and vegetables in the peculiarly spicy and delicious Korean manner. Various regions of Korea have special seasoning combinations-some hotter,some spicier-and each family also has its particular seasoning pattern. One family uses no salted shrimp juice in kimchi; another uses a great deal, but both claim kimchi as an integral part of their daily diet.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Preparation Tips
Koreans always have different kinds of dishes on the table during meals. If you know the drama Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace), or if you saw some of the pictures that i posted here, you may already have an idea about it.
I'm not good at cooking but i'm not also that bad. I consider myself lucky because my in laws usually give us some side dishes so i don't need to prepare much. Cooking and preparing Korean meals takes much time but it's fun specially when you see lots of dishes on the table.
Korean food preparation methods are quite differenet from western ones. The main jobs in preparing a Korean meal are the cutting, slicing, seasoning and careful arranging of the food. So whenever i go to my in laws house and help them, i always ask my sister or mother in law to do first and i finish it. When i cook at home, i always make my own style in slicing and cutting. hehe..
The cutting of food before cooking is very important for appearance as well as convenience in eating with chopstics. Slicing, chopping, scoring and sectioning the vegetables, fish and meat are techniques employed so that the food will cook quickly and be easier to eat. Also, each ingredient is cut or sliced into the same size or shape and the same thickness so that it cooks evenly and looks neat. Because of the quick cooking the nutritional value reamins high as well. Scoring, which is the process of cutting slits in the meat, allows the marinade to penetrate further into meats and also prevents the cooked meat from curling up during cooking. Chopping the seasonings (such as garlic, green onion and ginger) allows for better distribution of the flavor throughout the dish.
Various seasoning sauces are used on vegetables. The amounts of seasonings used may vary with ones preference and other ingredients may also be added to suit one's individual taste.
The final step in preparing most dishes is the careful arranging of the foods paying particular attention to alternatong the natural colors of the foods to make a pleasant pattern. Foods are always arranged neatly in concentric circles, radial designs or parallel linear columns and never placed in a disorderly fashion. The dish must have eye appeal when presented for eating and reipes often give directions for the exact arrangement of the foods.
I'm not good at cooking but i'm not also that bad. I consider myself lucky because my in laws usually give us some side dishes so i don't need to prepare much. Cooking and preparing Korean meals takes much time but it's fun specially when you see lots of dishes on the table.
Korean food preparation methods are quite differenet from western ones. The main jobs in preparing a Korean meal are the cutting, slicing, seasoning and careful arranging of the food. So whenever i go to my in laws house and help them, i always ask my sister or mother in law to do first and i finish it. When i cook at home, i always make my own style in slicing and cutting. hehe..
The cutting of food before cooking is very important for appearance as well as convenience in eating with chopstics. Slicing, chopping, scoring and sectioning the vegetables, fish and meat are techniques employed so that the food will cook quickly and be easier to eat. Also, each ingredient is cut or sliced into the same size or shape and the same thickness so that it cooks evenly and looks neat. Because of the quick cooking the nutritional value reamins high as well. Scoring, which is the process of cutting slits in the meat, allows the marinade to penetrate further into meats and also prevents the cooked meat from curling up during cooking. Chopping the seasonings (such as garlic, green onion and ginger) allows for better distribution of the flavor throughout the dish.
Various seasoning sauces are used on vegetables. The amounts of seasonings used may vary with ones preference and other ingredients may also be added to suit one's individual taste.
The final step in preparing most dishes is the careful arranging of the foods paying particular attention to alternatong the natural colors of the foods to make a pleasant pattern. Foods are always arranged neatly in concentric circles, radial designs or parallel linear columns and never placed in a disorderly fashion. The dish must have eye appeal when presented for eating and reipes often give directions for the exact arrangement of the foods.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)