Korean Table Manners: A Guide to Dining Etiquette in South Korea

Dining is an important part of Korean culture, and it's essential to be aware of the proper table manners when eating with others in South Korea. Here are some tips to help you navigate Korean dining etiquette with confidence.

Wait to start eating until the eldest person at the table starts

In Korean culture, the eldest person at the table is often given the highest level of respect, and it's considered polite to wait for them to start eating first. If you're unsure who the eldest person is, it's best to observe and follow the lead of those around you.

Use chopsticks properly

Chopsticks are the main utensil used for eating in Korea, and it's important to use them correctly. Avoid sticking them vertically into your food, as this resembles incense sticks used during ancestral worship and is considered rude. Additionally, don't use chopsticks to point at others or to pass food from one person to another. Instead, use the opposite ends of the chopsticks or a serving spoon.

Don't pour your own drink

In Korean dining etiquette, it's considered rude to pour your own drink. Instead, hold up your glass and make eye contact with the person you would like to pour for you. If someone else's glass is empty, it's considered polite to offer to pour for them.

Don't blow your nose at the table

Blowing your nose at the table is considered rude in Korean culture, so it's best to excuse yourself if you need to blow your nose during a meal.

Eat quietly and savor each bite

In Korea, eating is seen as a time to enjoy the food and each other's company, so it's important to eat quietly and savor each bite. 

Chewing with your mouth open or talking with food in your mouth is considered impolite.

Leave a small amount of food on your plate

Leaving a small amount of food on your plate shows that you've been satisfied with the meal, and it's considered polite in Korean culture.

Express gratitude after the meal

After the meal, it's common to express gratitude for the food and the company of those at the table. This can be as simple as saying "thank you for the delicious food" or "it was great to spend time with you."

In conclusion, Korean table manners may be different from what you're used to, but following these guidelines will help you navigate dining in Korea with ease. Remember to be respectful and show gratitude for the food and the company, and you're sure to have a great dining experience in Korea

Deonjang Jjigae

"Ddeonjang Jjigae 된장찌개"

The English spell seems very awkward, and there is not very adequate English translation  for this food, as this does not exist in any English speaking world. I may say this is 'fermented bean soup'.

Actually the taste is not very recommendable for foreigners. If you are very used to exotic food, and you like adventure, then you may try. So far I have not seen many foreigners like this food (even Chinese and Japanese).

Even Korean also says it smells like Athlete's socks found in the locker. And then we eat it. We says the more smells, the better tastes. :-)

However Ddeonjang Jjigae is a part of Korean culture. It is even older than Korean national staple food - "Kimchi". Kimchi is 500 years old but Ddeonjang is more than 1,500 years old. Most Korean loves this food, not at the high class restaurant, but usually at home.

Also this food is usually side dish or final dish at usual Korean BBQ restaurant. Those restaurant usually make it thin with several vegetable and sea food, so you may start with those Ddeonjang Jjigae.

However if you see so many bean grains in the soup, then you had better be careful as the soup will be thick and smelly.


Korean BBQ restaurant style. The soup is thin and the color is bright. Easy for foreigner's try.

Home style ddeonjjang. So many bean grains and I can smell above the monitor!

Korean Pan-fried tofu

Tofu is available all over the Asian country. You may see tofu in all Asian restaurant in western world. But upon my experience of visiting Asian country, tofu is most beloved in Japan, Korea and China.

Three asian country use same chinese character 豆腐, but pronounce in a little different way. "Tofu" is Japanese pronounciation. China says somewhat like "Ddo-pfu". And Korean says "Du-bu". 10 years ago many western people used 'Bean curd", "Bean cake", but now Tofu can be understood to any people.

Tofu literally means "Expired beans" or "fermented beans". But it is not actually fermented. The way of make tofu is similiar to the cottage cheese recipe, but more difficult. I will not describe the way because it's hard to follow. The best way to get tofu is going to grocery and grab one.

Almost every Korean loves tofu. Actually Korean people don't realize how much they love tofu, because it is not special food but daily food consumed with every rice meal. We use tofu for Korean soup, soju(Korean sake) helper, and so on.

One of best way to enjoy tofu is pan-fried style. Korean says "Dubu gu-i" or "Dubu buchim".
Recipe is
1. Slice Tofu (1cm thick)
2. Put some salt on tofu and lay on the kitchen towel to drain water.
3. Hit the pan and put some sesame oil.
4. Fry it !
5. Serve with soy sauce (Usually seasoned with chilli pepper, onion, green onion and garlic)







There are some variations, using corn-starch to make it more crispy, using eggs to enrich the taste.

Many restaurant provides Pan fried tofu as a side-dish, which means you can not order pan fried tofu as your main meal. Some restaurant with tofu specialty offers pan-fried tofu.If you would visit Korea to taste real good pan-fried tofu, please leave me a reply message to this posting to let me introduce you about a nice restaurant nearby your place.

Korean Bacon BBQ (Sam Gyeop Sal)

Korean loves pork belly bbq. They call the pork belly [Sam Gyeop Sal], which literally means three-tier-meat (Fat and meat is overlapped three times). In western country, the most similiar cut is bacon. As you expect, it is really greasy. Usually people cook it on the table with portable cooker. You need a big kitchen towel to absorb the fat.

Sam Gyeop Sal is a really party food in Korea. Of course the party style is very different from westerns. Korean drinking party is usually happen in restaurant with a lot of Soju(Korean vodka). Usually they don;t add any seasoning but eat with spicy side dish (such as Kimchi or Gochujang) or salty sauce (sesame-oiled salt, or wasabi soysauce). Cooked Kimchi is very spicy and special.

Many restaurant offer minimum 2 servings. But Koreans are kind to strangers. Foreign people may order 1 serving. If you visit Korea, never miss to taste it.

Ra-myeon soup (Korean Instant Noodle)

The Ra-myeon soup as a dish originated from China, and modern instant ramyeon is first produced at Japan. However, the biggest consumer is Korean people. From a statistics, average Korean people eat 90 pouches of ramyeon soup a year. If you visit Korea then Korean ramyeon soup is one thing you must try.

You can get ramyeon soup in your home country. But even if the brand is exactly same, the taste will be different because they make export edition. Upon my trial, american edition is reduced chilli pepper and increased sweet taste. Japanese edition enriched the vegetable bits. Chinese edition added special spices. Korean ramyeon noodle is usually 120g, which is almost twice of western ramyeon soup. (As far as I remember Nissin noodle is 65g per pouch)

The way Korean eat? We add a egg, some vegetable. We always eat Ramyeon with Kimchi (Korean vegetable pickle) as we feel Ramyeon is greasy.

The best selling brand is "Shin-Ramyeon", literally means "Hot & Spicy Ramyeon".  You can buy a pouch under $1 (800KRW), or cooked meal at most snack bar by $2 (2500KRW)

Korean Royal Cuisine

click the picture to see the adequate size
(Sorry I don't know how to resize)



1) The modern restaurant version of Royal Cuisine





2) The duplication of traditional royal cuisine by the scholar associate

Korea has developed very unique cuisine. The royal cuisine requires much effort for cooking, but the result is quite simple and clear. I may say it is a kind of minimalism because it does not include much decoration. As an example, walnut for royal cuisine, they are peeled off not only the hard shell outside, but also the brown inner skin. To do this, they soak the walnut and use tooth-pick. The the remain part of walnut is only white. Only whole walnut can be used for the royal cuisine. If it is broken while processing, then it can not be used.


The picture you see here is one serving for the King in Chosun dynasity. 22 small dishes does not seem fablous enough for the king of a dynasty? But imagine all the ingridient was prepared like the inner-skin removed walnut. A good many cooks in the palace should prepare the royal meal.

We call this "Surasang", literally means King's dinner. In more professional term, it is called "12 chub bansang", literally means 12 special dishes. It is very hard to taste the original royal cuisine. Why? Just imagine people are getting together and use toothpick. 10 people may prepare one day for your beer snack. Expect how much it will be!!

But you can taste similiar food in much reasonable price, reduced a lot of preparation process. Some restaurant offer all 22 dishes together, while others offer each dish in turn. Usually local people prefer all together. (Personally I strongly expect the all-together. You can get a real fun from the cultural shock)

The price ranges are from $10 in local city, $25 in Seoul (Lunch), $50 in Seoul (Dinner). Some restaurant may cost you over $100.

Very unique Korean Cold Noodle soup

Korea has very unique cold noodle named which literally means cold noodle. (냉면)

No other country has cold noodle soup like Korean. The most similiar style is Japanese Soba, but the only similiarity is that the noodle is served in cold. Soba noodle is served with cold dipping sauce, but Korean Naengmyun is served in cold broth.

Korean cold noodle is made from buckwheat. Usually the noodle is very thin and chewy. Sounds wierd? But that is true. As thin as your hair, but as strong as a fishing thread. Soup is usually very cold and refreshingly sour. Sometimes there is some hot chilli paste.

However, if you find very traditional style Korean cold noodle, the taste will be a little bit different as above. Noodle will not be strong, and the soup will not be sour. You can smell the flavour of buckwheat, and enjoy the calm taste without any strong flavor.

You can eat this noodle almost every place in Korea, but one of the vest place is in Seoul, Euljiro 4Ga. 02-2265-0151.

The price will be 8000 KRW ~ 10,000 KRW for one noodle soup.

You can order special which is not in the menu by adding 3,000 KRW and will enjoy 100% buckwheat noodle

Actually Korea has two different kind of cold noodle. The majority is

Korean Hot Food for suicide

Image from http://chalran.egloos.com/1264812

If you want to suicide very happily,
then the best way is eating your favorite food until you die.

The second best way is eating anyting until you die.

The third best way will be eating very strong food just one bite and then die.
Korean Myungdong Ramen is best fit for the third way.
You will not feel any pain, because as soon as you eat, you will paint your brain with white brush and you will lost yourself in your body. If you survive (un)fortunately, then you should search your mouth to find your tongue, which

The red is not from tomato, ketchup, paprica, etc.
Believe it or not, the red color is all from nothing else than hot pepper.

Korean Food : Spicy Ham & Sausage Soup

Korean name is "BUDAE CHIGAE 부대찌개"

The main ingridient is assorted sausage, ham and spam.
But the taste is very strong and hot because of Korean chilli sauce (GOCHUJANG)

It is originated at the Korean war and the US Army.
Cheap Korean restaurant get Spam, ham, sausage from black market or even the food garbage of US soldiers.

This day BUDAE CHIGAE is clean and exotic food.
All Korean likes it.

Korean Leek Pancake Recipe (10 min)

Korean vegetable pancake is very healthy and nuturious. Perfect meal for a vegetarian.

Ingredients
1. Leek (100g)
2. Flour (1Cup)
3. Salt (1tsbp), Soy Sauce, Vineager

Preparation
1. Cut Leek into 3-4cm each.
2. Pour water into flour and mix. Make it a little bit thinner than usual pancake.
3. Pour leek into the mix and stir well.

The mix should look like the following picture


4. Coat your pan with sesame oil or canola oil and heat. Pour a scoup of mix in the pan, and cook it until the surface gets dry. Then turn it over and cook for one more minute and serve.

Do not try to cook every mix in one turn. Remember the leek cake mix is thinner than pancake, and the leek cake itself is also best when it's thinner than the usual pancake

Korean Food : Kimchi

Kimchi is already famous for the symbol of Korean food. Even it is not only a symbol of Korea food, but it is the symbol of Korea herself! Korean eat Kimchi almost every meal. Even when you go to nice and expensive french restaurant, still you can order some Kimchi. You can order Kimchi at Outback stakehouse. Because Korean customer usually ask for it.

Kimchi is the representative name of Korean style vegetable salad. That is something like cheese. French has more than 100 kinds of cheese, but they call them just cheese.

Although there are more than 100 kinds of Kimchi, you can expect the "Baechu Kimchi" at the ordinary restaurantt. (The picture above). The main ingridient is asian cabbage, hot pepper, green onion. And maybe some leek, carrot, radish, pear and etc.

Taste is usually spicy, sour, and strong. But don't panic too much if you can't eat. You do not have to order one bowl of Kimchi. It is not like "One ceaser's salad for $5". Whatever you order, you will have a small plate of Kimchi. You can ask for more, for free.

Korean Food : Seaweed Roll (Gimbap)

You can have Gimbap김밥 any place in Korea. Gimbap is one of most beloved snack and lunch in Korea. It usually contains carrot, ham, egg, spinach, sesame seed and leaf, radish rolled by sticky rice and seaweed, seasoned by salt and sesame oil. You can order additional ingridients such as cheese, kimchi, tuna.

Price starts from 1$, and no more than $3 for 1 line. Adult male usually eat 2 lines for 1 meal.

Korean Food : Gopchang (Intestine)

broiled small intestine of cattle

Intestine. Sounds yucky? No, Never!

Broiled intestine is very chewy and nuturious. If you don't like fatty meat then the broiled intestine is not for you. But if you are a hungry meat monster and eager to try exotic meat, then intestine is wonderful choice. You can not eat broiled intestine anywhere other than Korea.

Korean whisky "Soju" is very nice with intestine.

Usually orderd more than 2 servings. Pork intestine costs $7~$10 per 1 serving. Beef intestine costs $15~$20 per 1 serving. In Seoul, go to Wangsipri왕십리 to try best Gopchang in the world.

Korean Food : Ginseng Chicken Soup

Korean eat nuturious food at summer as a tradition. Nowadays summer specialty is the famous "Ginseng Chicken Soup" (or "Sam Gye Tang" In Korean)

The soup is much more richer than western style chicken soup, because of several Korean herbs in addition to Ginseng. (Basically in Korea Ginseng is not for food but for medicine)