Korean food is some of the healthiest on earth, with an emphasis on vegetables, meats cooked simply and without much oil, and a near obsession with the fermented vegetable kimchi, which can be something of an acquired taste for non-Koreans.

Dae-ji Bul-go-gi
Spicy Marinated Pork
돼지불고기

Daeji bulgogi is another popular Korean meat dish similar to bulgogi. However, instead of using beef, thin sliced pork loin is marinated in a specially blended red chili pepper paste with various assortments of vegetables. The meat is marinated with a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, ginger roots, rice wine and gochujang which is the base sauce for this dish. It is marinated for 30-60 minutes to bring out the depth and intensity of flavors.

Jae-yook
(Kim-Chi) Bo-kum
Spicy Pork and Kimchi Stirfry
제육(김치)볶음


Jayook bokum also known as jaeyook kimchi bokum, is a delicious Korean dish that consists of marinated pork loin which are stir-fried with kimchi and red chili pepper paste, gochujang. When making jaeyook bokum, gochujang is the key base sauce to this dish which determines the flavor and its level of spiciness. Depending on one's taste, spiciness can be softened by adding more soy sauce and less gochujang and red chili powder to the sauce mix.

•1-4 tbsp gochujang
•1-4 tbsp soy sauce
•1 tbsp garlic (minced)
•1 tbsp sesame oil
•1 tbsp ginger juice (or powder)
•3 tbsp sugar
•Black ground pepper to taste
•1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
•1 package of firm tofu (optional)

•20 oz. pork loin or belly
•½-1 cup kimchi, bite sized
•1 onion
•2 stalks green onions
•½ carrot
•1 bell pepper (optional)
•2 jalapeño peppers (optional)

1.In a bowl, add 1-4 tbsps of gochujang depending on how you want your level of spiciness. Make up any difference with 1-4 tbsps of soy sauce. For example, if you prefer a mild taste, add 2 tbsps of gochujang and 2 tbsps of soy sauce but the total combination should not be more than 4 tbsps.
2.Add sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger juice or powder, sugar and pinch of black ground pepper.
3.If desired, add 2 tbsps of red pepper flakes to make it spicier.
4.Mix all ingredients well and put aside for later use.
5.For pork loins, use a meat tenderizer and lightly beat on meat until they are become very thin. Cut into desired, bite sized pieces thereafter. For pork bellies, cut thin strips into bite size pieces.
6.Add pork meat to the bowl of sauce that was prepared earlier and thoroughly marinate meat. Optimal time for meat to marinate is 30 minutes -- put aside to prepare vegetables.
7.Cut onion and carrot into thin strips, and cut green onion diagonally. Bell pepper and jalapeños are optional.
8.In a large pan, stir-fry pork for about 4-5 minutes in med-high heat.
9.Add kimchi along with vegetables into mix. Cook until pork is thoroughly cooked.
10.To prepare tofu, boil water in pot and add entire block of tofu for 3-5 minutes in hot water. Rinse with cool water and cut them into smaller, bite-sized "blocks."
11.Place pork and kimchi stirfry in middle of plate and garnish with tofu around the plate

Gim-bop
Korean Style Sushi Roll
김밥

Gimbop is considered one of the most popular and nutritious Korean meal. It consists of rice and strips of vegetables, egg, and meat, rolled in laver (dried seaweed) and then sliced. This is a popular snack or lunch that can be made with infinite variety of ingredients using different kinds of meat and/or vegetables. Popular ones include bulgogi, spinach, pickled radish, and eggs.

•1 bunch spinach, steamed
•2 carrots, cut in long thin strips
•1 yellow pickled radish, cut in long thin strips
•2 tbsp vinegar
•1 tbsp sugar
•1 piece thick sliced ham or Spam, cut in long thin strips and fried
•1 egg, fried like omelet and cut in long thin strips
•3 cups of cooked rice
•1 tbsp sesame seeds
•2 tsp sesame oil
•1 package roasted seaweed sheets

1.Stir fry carrots with salt and pepper.
2.Mix radish with vinegar and sugar.
3.Mix rice with the sesame seeds and sesame oil.
4.Place one seaweed sheet on a bamboo sheet. Put rice on half of the sheet and add 2 pieces of spinach, 1 carrot strip, 1 radish strip, 1 ham strip, 1 egg strip on top of rice. Roll in a log and squeeze tight. Use some rice to stick the seaweed together to keep it rolled.
5.Place a little sesame oil in your hands and rub it on the seaweed roll.
6.Put a little sesame oil on knife to cut roll

Pa kimchi is a quick and easy side dish made using green onions or scallions that can be purchased in every market throughout the world. There are numerous kinds of kimchi recipe in Korea and pa kimchi is considered to be the easiest recipe to make. In place of cabbage or radishes, green onions/scallions are fermented and matured in gochugaru, garlic, ginger and variety of seasoning paste which leads to less crunchy and slightly bitterer kimchi than the napa cabbage styles. Pa kimchi is considered a low fat high energy, high fiber side dish that is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin C which can aide in blood circulation as well as cleansing.