Unusual Korean Side Dishes

When enjoying a Korean meal, there will typically be a selection of side dishes, known as banchan, accompanying a main dish, such as meat or stew. Common banchan dishes will include kimchi, soup and an assortment of vegetables. However, there are several more unusual Korean side dishes that can accompany a Korean meal.

Fermented Squid

Korean cuisine is no stranger to fermented food, with kimchi being one of the most popular forms. As well as fermenting vegetables, seafood is also fermented in South Korea. Fermenting seafood allows it to be preserved for longer, as well as adding some incredible flavours. Known as Ojingeojeot in Korea, fermented squid is a great example of a fermented seafood dish. The squid will be fermented in a mixture of seasonings, such as fish sauce, chilli flakes and soy sauce, to create a flavourful bite.

Image Credit: Chloe Lim

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

Oi-sobagi Kimchi is made by cutting open a cucumber and stuffing it full of more vegetables, such as onion and carrot. These vegetables are already marinated in kimchi paste to add flavour to the dish. As such, the stuffed cucumber kimchi can be enjoyed freshly made, as the filling will already be fermented.

Raw Crab

Raw crab, known as gejang, is a dish that involves marinating crab in a sauce and then eating it raw. A common version of the dish is yangnyeom gejang, which sees the crab marinated in a spicy sauce. Enjoy this dish alongside a bowl of rice to help mop up all of the sauce!

Seaweed Salad

Miyeok Muchim is Korea’s take on the seaweed salad. It contains chunks of seaweed, with a mix of vegetables such as sliced cucumber, radish and onion. It has a sweet and vinegary taste, with the seaweed offering an incredible texture.

Image Credit: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han)

Muk

Muk or mook is a jelly-like Korean dish that is made from the starch of ingredients such as acorns, sesame seeds and buckwheat. Alone, these starches don’t offer much flavour, so the dish will be seasoned with soy sauce, chilli powder, seaweed, onions and sesame oil. Dotorimuk is one of the most common types and is made using acorn starch. It is commonly served as a side dish; however, it is a little unusual, as acorns contain tannins that can’t be properly digested by the human body, so the acorns must have the tannins fully removed before the starch can be used in this dish!

Fermented Skate

Another form of fermented fish, hongeohoe or fermented skate is a somewhat unusual dish enjoyed in Korea, particularly the Keolla province. Fermented skate is typically served in small slabs as part of a meal, alongside rice and kimchi. What makes this dish unusual though is the strong smell of ammonia associated with this dish! Skate urinate by passing the uric acid through their skin, and when fermented, this will break down and smell like ammonia. Despite the pungent smell, fermented skate still remains a fairly common side dish.

Image Credit: 행복한 초록개구리

Perilla Leaf

KKaennip, or Perilla Leaf comes from the edible plant Perilla, which is used in a lot of Korean cuisine. As a side dish, perilla leaf can be prepared in a number of ways. The leaves can be pan-fried, deep-fried, pickled or made into kimchi, amongst other preparation methods. Perilla leaves are rich in dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins.

Live Spoon Worms

Spoon worms are a type of marine animal that is eaten in several southeast Asian countries. In South Korea, they are known as gaebul, and are chopped live and served raw, seasoned with salt and sesame oil. They can be served as part of a seafood mixture, including sea urchin and sea cucumber. Spoon worms can also be fermented to make gaebul-jeot.

While you may not wish to try some of these more unusual Korean side dishes, you can find a range of kimchi and other Korean food in the UK at Oriental Mart!