Korean food, rich in flavor but low in fat

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

For Seoul-born Lupina Cho, 27, meal time is family time. It is a time when families enjoy the food and mothers spoil their families with many side dishes. Meat, especially beef, is a treat for her family.

"Meat is the main attraction of the whole meal. For example, we will have bulgogi (barbecued meat) and cook it together at the table, for the sake of spending time together and enjoying the special food," she said.

Bulgogi can be translated literally as "fire meat". It is barbecued meat strips, usually beef or pork, chicken, baby octopus or rabbit. In some places, dog meat is also popular.

Influenced by the Mongolian, Chinese and Japanese, Koreans have developed a unique combination of food that is both healthy and preservable, such as the famous pickled vegetables, usually white cabbage, called kimchi, a variation of which dates back to the seventh century.

Bulgogi and kimchi are two other well-known Korean dishes. Another popular dish is bibimbap, a mixture of rice, vegetables and meat.

Bibimbap is usually eaten with half-boiled eggs, Korean red pepper sauce and vegetables. Bibimbap can also be served on a sizzling hot plate to keep it warm.

Bibimbap is a healthy meal for busy people who want to remain healthy, according to Cho.

The ddeok rice cake is a favorite among youngsters. It is often cooked as a soup, fried or boiled and mixed with fermented bean sauce or red pepper sauce.

There is also Ttok-mandu kuk, rice cake soup with dumplings. This dish is quite special and is usually eaten to mark the Lunar New Year.

Soup is indeed a favorite among Koreans, especially during winter.

Among the dozens of different kinds of traditional soups that Koreans enjoy, chicken ginseng soup or samgye-t'ang is one of the most famous. This consists of young chicken meat boiled with ginseng, sticky rice, Chinese dates and garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Samgye-t'ang is also often eaten in summer as Koreans believe the ingredients in the soup strengthen the immune system, a belief also held by the Chinese.

Besides meat, rice and soup, Koreans also love noodles, which are popular among other Asians such as Japanese and Chinese.

Korean instant noodles are known for the generous size and unique large shape. A favorite among Korean food lovers is ramen with the spicy red soup and dried vegetables and seaweed that accompany it.

Naengmyon (cold noodles) is a refreshing summer favorite. The thin, chewy buckwheat noodles are served in a cold beef broth with chopped scallions, shredded radish, cucumber, sesame seeds and lean beef slices.

Many Koreans, including Cho, claim the dishes are healthy and low in calories and no one gets fat from eating a lot.

"People mostly get fat when they eat snacks, junk food and too much fried food. But (Korean) main meals do not contain much fat," Cho added.

So, go for it! (005)