Of all the citrus fruits in the world, yuzu probably has the strongest, most intoxicating fragrance making it coveted in the culinary world, even more so because it is banned to import into the United States. While chefs in the Western countries increasingly use this ingredient in their kitchens, this East Asian fruit has been an important part of China’s, Japan’s, and South Korea’s culinary culture for generations. In this post, I will discuss this popular Korean ingredient in-depth!
In South Korea, people often enjoy beautiful specialty drinks at home and in cafes. If you also enjoy making specialty drinks at home, try making this Korean black sesame latte! In Korean, this drink is known as a ‘heukimja latte’ (흑임자라떼). This particular coffee drink combines the nutty flavor of sesame with deliciously bitter espresso.
When traveling in South Korea, you may notice how expensive fruit is in grocery stores. When living in Korea, I was shocked by the price of specialty apples, kiwis, pineapples, etc. Though that is the case, some of the locally grown fruits unique to parts of East Asia are much cheaper and more readily available. One of these fruits is the Korean melon! Many people describe this fruit as tasting like a combination of a honeydew melon and cucumber. Compared to Western varieties, this fruit tastes less sweet and milder.
In English, ‘Mirim’ (미림) is known as ‘Korean cooking rice wine’ or just ‘Korean cooking wine.’ In South Korea, people use this alcohol-based sweetener to remove undesirable smells and flavors of meat and fish as well as enhance and balance the flavors of a dish. Beyond that, people use this ingredient to tenderize meat!
In many East Asian countries, black sesame plays an important part in their food cultures. These days, black sesame has become a more popular ingredient in the west as the world gets smaller and people try other cultural foods. One way people use black sesame is to make a nutty milk substitute. People drink black sesame milk because it is packed full of nutrients and gives a new and unique flavor to boring coffee drinks.
Hello! Welcome to Carving A Journey! My name is Emily. My food and cooking influences come from my Southern heritage and Korean marriage. I hope you enjoy cooking with me. Thank you for stopping by!
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