Four Seasons of Korea
Korean food that follows the seasons
Dishes that taste best in their season — spring greens to winter broths.
When choosing food in Korea, you are less likely to go wrong if you consider both the weather and the holidays. Even with noodles, people may seek them cold on hot days and in hot broth on cold days. This group is useful when you want to choose a seasonal meal at a market, snack shop, or Korean restaurant while traveling. It helps you guess what temperature and flavor direction might suit the moment when facing an unfamiliar menu.
These foods share an emphasis on bringing out the aroma of the ingredients and matching the temperature your body wants. Cold Buckwheat Noodles are served in an icy broth, with vinegar and mustard added to adjust the flavor. Cold Noodle with Soybean Soup fills you up on hot days with the nutty richness of thick soybean broth. In autumn, half-moon-shaped Songpyeon evokes the holiday mood, with sesame or bean filling and the scent of pine needles.
Oyster Soup
굴국 · gul-guk
A clear and light soup dish made by adding fresh oysters to anchovy stock. The soft and salty taste of the oysters blends into the broth, providing a refreshing umami flavor.
Naengmyeon
냉면 · naengmyeon
A dish made with chewy noodles made from buckwheat, served in chilled broth with floating ice, enjoyed by mixing the noodles with Dongchimi (radish water kimchi) and meat broth (mul-naengmyeon). Adjust the flavor with mustard and vinegar to your liking, perfect for hot summer days and often enjoyed as a meal finish at a barbecue restaurant.
Songpyeon
송편 · songpyeon
It is a rice cake made by kneading non-glutinous rice flour, filling it with ingredients like sesame seeds, beans, and chestnuts, shaping it into a half-moon, and steaming it on a bed of pine needles. Inside the chewy rice cake skin, there's rich or sweet filling, and the subtle aroma of pine needles permeates. It is a representative holiday food that families make together during Chuseok.
Red Bean Porridge
팥죽 · patjuk
A dish made by boiling red beans until soft and straining them into a red porridge, mixed with chewy glutinous rice balls, traditionally eaten on the winter solstice to ward off evil spirits. The hearty taste of the red beans and the chewy texture of the glutinous rice create a harmonious balance, usually enjoyed with salty side dishes like kimchi or soy sauce braised meat.
Cold Buckwheat Noodles
물냉면 · mul-naengmyeon
This dish features chewy noodles made from buckwheat that are served in a chilled broth, enjoyed with the cool, clear Dongchimi (radish water kimchi) or meat broth mixed with ice flakes. It's seasoned with mustard and vinegar to taste and is enjoyed not only in hot summer days but also as a refreshing finish to a meat meal.
Samgyetang
삼계탕 · sam-gye-tang
A traditional Korean health food made with a young chicken stuffed with ginseng, jujube, garlic, and simmered until tender, featuring a milky broth and tender chicken meat.
Cold Noodle with Soybean Soup
콩국수 · kong-guksu
A summer delicacy made by mixing boiled thin wheat noodles with chilled and nutty soybean broth. The rich nuttiness of the soybean soup and the chewy texture of the noodles come together to create a refreshing dish.
Bibim Naengmyeon
비빔냉면 · bi-bim-naeng-myeon
A cold noodle dish made with chewy buckwheat noodles mixed with a spicy sauce, enjoyed as a summer delicacy.
Grilled Gizzard Shad
전어구이 · jeon-eo-gui
This dish features gizzard shad seasoned with salt and grilled over an open flame, known for its rich and light flavor. It is especially enjoyed in the fall when it's in season and is often eaten wrapped with ssamjang.
