So You Want to Cook Korean Food

As a Korean American, I find it heartening to see that Korean food is gaining popularity outside of the motherland - especially in the U.S. When I was a kid, I would feel embarrassed trying to describe what I had for dinner. It was a little difficult trying to jump into conversations about meatloaf or spaghetti when all I ever had in my arsenal were rice and banchan (bulgogi or "Korean barbecue" on a good day). It was even more difficult to have my friends over for dinner. A dinner table consisting only of rice and a bunch of vegetables (many of which are pickled or fermented) is rarely pleasing to the average American, let alone the average American kid.

"Cooking Korean Food with Maangchi" is one of my favorite Korean cooking blogs and YouTube channels. Run by a Korean woman who goes by the nickname of "Maangchi," the cooking videos consist of fun, step-by-step instructions on how to cook a variety of Korean dishes, from more popular dishes, like homemade kimchi and bulgogi, to more obscure or lesser known dishes, like hwajeon (sweet flower pancakes) or my personal summertime favorite, kong guksu (cold soy milk noodle soup). Maangchi has that "fun and exciting aunt" vibe, making her videos equally fun and exciting. If you dig deeper into her website and videos, you'll find fun little gems, like her trip around the world visiting and cooking with her YouTube fans.

If you have ever been curious about Korean food, or have wanted to try cooking it but thought it might be out of your league, try spending some time on Maangchi's YouTube channel or website (which also has a crowd-sourced list of Korean grocery stores around the world). You'll be a connoisseur of Korean food in no time!

Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup


Kimchi