Traditional Korean Lunar Calendar — Auspicious ‘Gil-il’ Days for Food and Drink Preparation The traditional Korean lunar calendar is filled with special days called ‘길일’ (gil-il), which means “auspicious days” or “good days.” These lucky days often refer to ideal times for important events like moving house or getting married, but they also apply to […]
If you’re on a trip to Seoul, here’s your to-do list: see the palaces like Gyeongbokgung or Changdeokgung, shop in Gangnam, party in Itaewon, hike and enjoy city views at Namsan Tower. But to experience traditional Korean street food and eating culture, you must visit traditional markets! Seoul has many wonderful markets where you can […]
What do you know about red bean porridge, or ‘patjuk’? Made from boiled, softened red beans, water, and glutinous balls of rice, and sometimes eaten with honey, ‘Patjuk’ is a cold-weather treat traditionally consumed on winter solstice. Winter solstice in Korea is the shortest day of the year, called ‘Dongjinal’ in Korean. In 2015, Dongjinal […]
While other East Asian cuisines—like Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese—have long been popular in the US, Korean food has recently skyrocketed in popularity. Twenty to thirty years ago, Korean restaurants mainly catered to Korean-Americans, but today Korean food is even on menus of major US fast-food chains. Korean BBQ (KBBQ), bulgogi, and Korean fried chicken restaurants […]
When looking at Korean traditional clothing, art, and food, it’s not hard to notice that some colors seem to be repeated more than others. You’d be right, in fact, in thinking that a certain spectrum of colors holds a specific significance in Korean history and tradition. Read on to find out more about the Korean […]
For centuries, Koreans have eaten products from the sea, the fields, and the mountains. The unique geography and climate of the Korean peninsula have made Korean cuisine rich and diverse. Korean foods are very distinctive, exotic, and authentic. One of the most distinctive features of Korean food culture is its spiciness. Basic seasonings such as […]
Looking for Innovative or Eco-Friendly Wrapping This Christmas? If you’re searching for an innovative or eco-friendly way to wrap gifts this Christmas, why not try bojagi — a traditional Korean wrapping cloth — to give your presents an extra touch of meaning for your friends and loved ones? Bojagi literally means “wrapping cloth” and is […]
South Korean Dalgona Took the World by Storm in 2020 and 2021 What started with the Dalgona Coffee trend on TikTok culminated in the appearance of this simple, sweet candy on the popular Netflix show Squid Game. Dalgona became famous worldwide, with many people recreating recipes and playing the dalgona game. But dalgona has actually […]
