KOREAN FOOD Korean cuisine provides unique aromas and tastes for visitors to savor. In addition to being highly nutritious, Korean food is also low in calories, being made chiefly of a wide variety of vegetables. Seasoning include garlic, red pepper, scallions, soy sauce, fermented bean paste, ginger, and sesame oil. Vistiors cannot relly say they have been to Korea if they have not tasted kimchi, the internationally famous cabbage dish fermented in chili pepper spice.Koreans east it at almost every meal. There are in fact dozens of different varieties of kimchi, and thoese who are not accustomed to spicy food are advised to proceed cautiously. Dishes more familiar to the Western palate are Galbi and bulgogi. These two meat dishes, pork or beef, are always served at Korean dinner parties. Galbi is something like the Chinese !spare ribs! Dish, bulgogi is made from strips of marinated meat. Neither is highly spiced and, being cooked at your table over a charcoal fire, it resembles a barbecue. Other populat Korean dishes are bibimbap (a mixture of rice, vetetables, egg, and chili sauce),doenjangjjigae (a thick soup made from femented bean paste and vegetables, eaten with rice), naengmyeon (chewy noodles eatenin a cold broth, popular in summer) and samgyeatang (a broth made of chicken and ginseng, excellent for your health). Korean table manners Traditionally, Korean food is not served in courses, but instead is all placed on the table at the same time. This style is called hanjeongsiki. There is no set order to eat the food, just according to personal preference. As there are usually several "dommunal" dishes, the guest is not obliged to celan his or her plate. The main dish is almost always accompanied by rice (bap), soup (guk), kimchi, and several siede dishes (banchan), all included in the price. Korens eat their rice and soup with a spoon, and side dishes with chopsticks. Stainless steel tableware and ceramicware are used most frequently, with metal spoons and chopsticks. Do not leavethe spoon or chopsticks stuck into the rice.This is a ceremonial act done only at an altar honoring a deceased person. Traditional Food D E U N G S I N  G U I Barbecued sirloin, broiled at the table, the cut in bites and dipped in salt and sesame oil. S A M G Y E O P S A L Barbecued bacon-type pork. It is dipped in sesame oil and salt, or wrapped in a lettuce or sesame leaf with soybean paste, fine strips of green onion and garlic to fit one´s taste. S E O L L E O N G T A N G Hot bland soup made by boiling down beef bone and meat. Salt, green onion, and black pepper are added at the talbe to taste. K A L G U K S U Hand-rolled noodles in beef or chicken broth. Not spicy. M U L  N A E N G M Y E O N Buckwheat flour noodles served in chilled beef broth with sliced meat and vegetables. Slightly tangy. M A N D U G U K Bland dumpling soup with meat broth. Dumplings are filled with a combination of meat and vegetables. H A E M U L  J E O N G O L Very spicy seafood casserole. Squid, octopus, schrimp, clams, etc., are used as ingredients. J A N G E O  G U I Eel broiled with a sweet and tangy sauce. G A L B I  G U I Marinated beef ribs, charbroiled. S S A M B A P  J E O N G S I K Vegetable bundle with boiled rice inside. Lettuce, parboiled sea-tangle, garland chrysanthemum, cabbage, parboiled pumpkin leaves,sesame leaf, etc., are used for wrapping boiled rice or barley. Not spicy, unless dipped in seasoned soybean paste or red pepper paste at the table. Y A N G N Y E O M  T O N G D A K Roast chicken coated with sweet, tangy sauce. P A J E O N Pancake fried with green onion, sea foods and mushrooms. Not spicy. B E O S E O T  J E O N G O L Mushroom casserole with beef and various mushrooms. S U N D U B U  J J I G A E Soft bean curd stew with clams, beef or pork. Quite spicy. Summary The one element of Korean cooking which receives the most comments, both positive and negative, is that staple of the Korean diet, Gimchi. It is typical Korean food and people from this country like it very much. As for visitors, they can taste also other specialities which has been already mentioned above. There are many ways to recognize country. One of them is recognization through tasting food. So, don't forget! You should try to eat at least one of them. You will like it too, be sure...