In Korea, Acorn Noodles are made from 1/3 acorn flour, 2/3 wheat flour. Their taste is mild, light and somewhat sweet. Japanese Acorn noodles are made with 1/10th acorn flour, 9/10ths wheat flour.
Acorn starch is a beige-coloured, finely-ground powder. To make it, acorns are ground and soaked. The grindings are discarded, but the resulting sediment is collected from the water is collected. Though called a “starch” in English, it is used more as a flour than as a thickener. In Korea, it is used to make various…
Acorn Starch Jelly is a Korean jelly made from acorn starch. Its texture is like a firm blanc-mange or piece of firm tofu. It is brown, the colour of milk chocolate It is rather bland, but its texture is its purpose. To make it, starch is mixed with water, then allowed to set in a…
Black Garlic is fermented, aged garlic. The skin doesn’t black, just the inside cloves. It has a mellow, sweet taste, like slow-roasted garlic, with none of the acridness of regular raw garlic. Some compare the taste to liquorice or balsamic vinegar. Any garlic smell is gone. The garlic is chewy and sticky from the sugars…
Dang Myun Noodles are Korean noodles made from sweet potato starch and water. They are long like rice vermicelli. When dried, they are grey, but they cook up to a translucent beige similar to glass noodles, though these noodles are slightly thicker. They have no flavour to speak of, but are chewy and give texture…
Godeulppaegi is a biannual member of the chrysanthemum family. A biannual plant, it grows for 2 years, then dies. It has heart-shaped leaves that the stem passes through, and blossoms with yellow flowers from spring until the end of summer. The plant self-seeds. Harvest starts in April of the leaves and roots. The young roots…
Godeulppagi Kimchi is Kimchi made with “godeulppaegi” “lettuce.” It is made in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions of Krorea. The godeulppaegi plant is a biannual (living for 2 years) member of the chrysanthemum family. Its leaves have a bitter taste, so in making the kimchi they are soaked first in salted water for 7 to…
Kimchi © Denzil Green Kimchi is a traditional pickled Korean vegetable condiment that remains very popular. Sometimes, three different kinds of Kimchi will be served at the same meal. In South Korea, about 40 pounds (18 kg) of Kimchi is eaten per person per year (2006 figures.) There are several different regional and seasonal variations…
Korean Melon © Denzil Green Korean Melon is the name used in North America for a yellow melon that is exported from Korea. It’s not the most precise name for a fruit ever thought of, given that Korea obviously has more than one type of melon: in 2003, Korea grew almost 240 kilotons of melons…
Myulchi Dashida is a Korean fish stock for soups, etc.It is made from packets sold in varying sizes. The Myulchi Dashida package mixture is made from powdered, fried anchovies, salt, glucose, powdered soy sauce and monosodium glutamate. Cooking Tips You put the Myulchi Dashida package mixture in a pot, add water, and simmer for 3…
Naeng Myun Noodles are brown noodles made from buckwheat flour and sweet potato starch. Commericial ones may also contain wheat flour and acorn starch. They are usually served cold, in both the winter and summer. When served with a broth, the noodles are cooked on their own first, drained and cooled, then put in a…
The bulbs of Pyong Vang Garlic have purple flushes and stripes. Inside, there will be 6 to 8 mild-tasting cloves per bulb. The skin of the cloves is buff with purplish blushes, and defined tips. Early harvest. The garlic belongs to the Asiatic sub-group of the Artichoke group of garlics, itself a subgroup of softneck…
To make Sesame Salt, 1 part fine salt is added to 4 parts ground sesame seeds. It looks and feels a bit like crumbs, and has a nutty, savoury taste. It is used in Korean cooking. Outside of Korean cooking, you can use it as a seasoning, or to coat meat or vegetables in. Cooking…
These large Asian Pears have a round, slightly flattened shape. Their skin is bronzy-brown with brown russeting. The flesh is yellowy-white with a sweet, subtle rich flavour. Quite juicy. Shinko Pear trees are pollinated by other Asian pear trees, namely Hosui, Olympic, or Shinseiki. Storage Hints Store in fridge for up to four months. History…
Shiso is an annual herb that is a member of the mint family. It is grown throughout Asia as a crop. Some people in North America grow some cultivars as an ornamental, but otherwise, it’s considered an invasive weed. For this reason, it’s best grown in pots to contain it. The fragrance and taste somewhat…
A sinseollo (aka sinsollo) is both a Korean cooking pot, and the hotpot dish made with it.
This is a bean paste made from red adzuki beans that are boiled, drained, then puréed. It’s called “sweet”, not because sugar has been stirred in, but unlike some other bean pastes such as Miso, it’s not fermented to make it sour. The “sweet” here means not tangy. That being said, some versions actually do…
