February 2022

Do you like Korean flavors? If so, try making this gochujang mayo sauce! This sauce is the perfect condiment to spread on burgers, hotdogs, fish tacos, and sandwiches. I also recommend it as a dipping sauce for fries, roasted vegetables, and more! No matter how you use it, this sauce will add a delicious umami layer to your dish. 

Across the countryside of South Korea, beautiful bellflowers grow wildly over the mountainous terrain and cultivated fields. This species of herbaceous flowering perennial plant is native to much of East Asia, including China, North and South Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East. While beautiful in gardens, people in South Korea use this plant as an ingredient in the kitchen. Here, we will learn about the importance of this plant in Korean culture and how they use it in their cuisine. 

The enoki mushroom, also known as the velvet shank, is a species of non-toxic mushroom native to much of East Asia. This edible fungus grows on the stumps and trunks of different species of trees, examples of which include mulberry, persimmon, ash, and the Chinese hackberry. While more popular in Japanese and Chinese cooking, people in South Korea use enoki mushrooms as an easy-to-add ingredient in soups and stews as well as braised dishes. In the Korean language, these mushrooms are known as ‘paengi-beoseot’ (팽이버섯). In English, this translates to ‘mushroom planted near catalpa.’ 

Walking through your local farmers’ market, you may have come across a wild-looking bunch of thin, long, and curly bright green stalks. These tangled stalks, more likely than not, are garlic scapes! While rare in most grocery stores in the United States, you will commonly see this ingredient in grocery stores across South Korea. There, people often cook with and eat the mild, slightly sweet garlic scapes when at home. In this ingredient article, we will learn about garlic scapes and how they are used in Korean cooking! 

Kongnamul muchim is a common side dish people serve in their households. Crispy and crunchy, it is the perfect light and refreshing side dish for every Korean meal. In Korean households, people typically make two types of kongnamul muchim. On one hand, they make a spicy version using gochugaru (red pepper flakes). On the other hand, they make a mild version without the hot Korean pepper flakes.