Day 90: It's Yummy!

So in the past I've done a lot of bitching about Korean food that I don't like, well here's the reverse - an ode to all the yummy Korean food that I really enjoy, and will no doubt miss when I leave.

1) Bibimbap - I've talked about this in the past before, but it's so damn good that it deserves another mention. Bibimbap is most often a favourite among foreigners, and it's certainly won me over! It's best when served in a bowling hot stove pot, and consists of steamed exotic vegetables served over rice with some spicy red bean paste sauce. The dish is so hot they throw an egg on top of all of this and it cooks right then and there. You mix it all together, throw in a little more sauce perhaps, and dive in. Mmmm...so yummy, and so healthy! (and always vegetarian - hooray!)

2) Red Bean Paste - Soooooo spicy, and so tasty! I couldn't handle this stuff when I first moved here, but now I love it! There's actually a lot of really good spicy sauces here in Korea - a great work out for your taste buds and sure-fire way to clear your sinuses!

3) Chicken Dish - I forget the Korean name for this, but it's the one where you sit at a table in front of a giant grill and cook your own strips of chicken with mixed vegetables yourself at your table. You then throw in some spicy sauce, stir it all together, and then scoop it into lettuce leaves to eat like a little wrap. Ultra yummy!

4) Fruits & Milk - the Koreans are all about flavoured milk! I thought this was gross at first but now I'm a full-fledged addict. At any given moment my fridge is always stocked with at least one variety of flavoured milk. Banana and strawberry are my favourites, but it comes in all sorts of flavours! I'll *totally* miss this stuff when I go home!

5) Steven's Mother's Pancakes - When we had the kindergartens at work, Steven's Mom always made them lunch and mid-afternoon snacks everyday, a lot of which I wasn't too crazy about, but her pancakes are TO DIE FOR! They're just regular pancakes, but rolled and then covered in sugar - very much like a crepe. They're so simple but for some reason they're so fuckin' delicious! Now that we don't have the kindergartens she doesn't cook at school anymore - so sad!

6) Baked Goods - Every single street corner in Korea has *at least* one bakery on it! Bakeries are HUGELY POPULAR and there's several major bakery chains that can be found all across Korean cities - Crown Bakery, Tous Les Jours, Paris Baguette - lots of really yummy places. And Korean bakeries are THE SHIT! They serve up the tastiest little treats you can't even imagine - half the time I don't know what they are but they taste really good anyways! My favourite are Tous Les Jours' apple streudels - solid gold baby!

7) Ottogi Ketchup - Forget Heinz! I'm all about Ottogi Ketchup now! This is a brand of condiments that is really popular in Korea and they're ketchup is awesome. It's hard to explain, I mean yes it is "just ketchup", but it seems to have this little extra spice in it that makes it that much more memorable. It goes great with my grilled cheese sandwiches!

8) Rice Drink - This comes in a variety of forms (can be wine-like, or more like juice most of the time) but it's really quite tasty. Definitely an acquired taste though. The smell of it is enough to put anyone off, but if you can get past the smell the flavour is really delicious! Andrea loves this stuff so I often steal a bit of hers!

Well that's my list for now - I was just shooting it off at random as it came out of my head. I know there's lots more that I enjoy, but those are probably all my favourites. YUMMY STUFF!!!! ;-)