True Taste Korea

Korean Food

  • CRAVITY Allen Recommends Samgyetang — Why Do Koreans Eat Hot Chicken Soup in Summer?

    Imagine a brutally hot summer day.

    The temperature is climbing, you’re already sweating—and someone puts a bowl of boiling-hot chicken soup in front of you.

    In Korea, that’s not unusual.

    It’s called samgyetang (삼계탕), and CRAVITY’s Allen chose it when asked which Korean food he would recommend to international fans.

    His reason was simple: he considers it a healthy food.

    But that raises a much more interesting question.

    Why do Koreans deliberately eat piping-hot chicken soup during the hottest days of summer?

    What Is Samgyetang?

    Samgyetang is a traditional Korean chicken soup.

    A small whole chicken is typically stuffed with glutinous rice and simmered with ingredients such as garlic, jujubes and ginseng.

    The result is very different from Korea’s fiery red stews.

    Samgyetang is generally mild.

    The chicken cooks until tender, while the rice inside absorbs the broth and becomes soft and comforting.

    And unlike fried chicken or Korean barbecue, samgyetang has long been associated with nourishment and restoring energy.

    Why Did Allen Recommend It?

    In a Soompi interview, CRAVITY members were asked which Korean foods they would recommend to international fans.

    Allen chose samgyetang, explaining that he thought it was good for your health.

    That’s actually a useful choice for someone trying Korean food for the first time.

    Many internationally famous Korean dishes are spicy, heavily seasoned or grilled.

    Samgyetang shows another side of Korean cuisine:

    simple ingredients, a mild broth and a focus on nourishment.

    Why Eat Hot Soup in Hot Weather?

    Here’s where samgyetang gets fascinating.

    Korea has an expression:

    이열치열 (以熱治熱)

    It roughly means “fight heat with heat.”

    Instead of cooling down with only cold food, the idea is to eat something hot and nourishing, sweat and restore the energy believed to be depleted during intense summer weather.

    Samgyetang is especially associated with Sambok, traditionally considered the three hottest periods of the Korean summer.

    On these days, samgyetang restaurants can become packed with customers.

    So while an icy bowl of naengmyeon makes perfect sense on a hot day, Koreans also have the exact opposite answer:

    boiling chicken soup.

    What Does Samgyetang Taste Like?

    If you expect the aggressive spice of Korean ramyeon or tteokbokki, you may be surprised.

    Samgyetang’s broth is usually subtle and savory.

    Garlic adds depth, while ingredients such as ginseng and jujube give the soup a distinctive herbal character.

    The chicken itself is tender enough to pull apart easily.

    Inside, you’ll find soft glutinous rice that has absorbed the chicken broth.

    Salt and pepper are often provided separately, allowing diners to season the meat and soup according to their own taste.

    Is There Really Ginseng Inside?

    Yes.

    The name explains the dish.

    Sam (삼) refers to ginseng, while gye (계) refers to chicken and tang (탕) means soup.

    Ginseng is one of the ingredients that gives samgyetang its reputation as a nourishing meal.

    That also makes the dish particularly interesting for international visitors.

    You’re not simply eating Korean chicken soup.

    You’re experiencing a food tied to Korea’s traditional ideas about season, heat and restoring the body.

    Should First-Time Visitors Try Samgyetang?

    Absolutely—especially if spicy Korean food isn’t your thing.

    Samgyetang provides a very different introduction to Korean cuisine from the dishes that tend to go viral overseas.

    There’s no flaming-red sauce.

    No tabletop grill.

    No extreme spice challenge.

    Just a whole chicken, rice, garlic, ginseng and a warm broth.

    And if you happen to visit Korea during the hottest part of summer, don’t be surprised to see people lining up for it.

    That’s the paradox that makes samgyetang memorable:

    The hotter the weather gets, the hotter the soup becomes.

    CRAVITY’s Allen recommends it.

    Koreans have been eating it through summer heat for generations.

    Maybe sweating over a bowl of chicken soup isn’t such a strange idea after all.

  • BTS Jin Loves Naengmyeon — Why Are Korean Noodles Served Ice-Cold?

    Most people expect noodles to be hot.

    BTS Jin has long been associated with a Korean noodle dish that does the exact opposite.

    Naengmyeon (냉면).

    These thin, chewy noodles are served in an icy-cold broth—sometimes with actual ice floating in the bowl.

    For anyone discovering Korean food for the first time, that can raise an obvious question:

    Why would you want your noodles freezing cold?

    What Is Naengmyeon?

    Naengmyeon literally means “cold noodles.”

    One of the best-known versions, mul-naengmyeon, combines chewy noodles with chilled broth traditionally made with ingredients such as beef and dongchimi, a Korean radish water kimchi.

    Typical toppings include sliced beef, cucumber, radish, pear and boiled egg.

    Korea Tourism Organization describes cold buckwheat noodles as noodles served in chilled beef broth and notes that they are especially popular during Korea’s hot summer months.

    There is also bibim-naengmyeon, which skips most or all of the broth and coats the noodles in a spicy red sauce.

    Same idea.

    Completely different experience.

    Jin and Naengmyeon Go Back Years

    Jin’s connection with naengmyeon isn’t difficult to understand if you’ve followed his food appearances.

    In a 2017 television appearance, Jin recalled going out for samgyeopsal with actor Lee Won-geun. The two ate 12 servings of pork belly and six bowls of rice.

    And what did they have for dessert?

    Naengmyeon.

    Yes—in Korea, cold noodles can come after Korean barbecue.

    That’s one of the first things international visitors may find surprising.

    Why Eat Cold Noodles After Hot Korean BBQ?

    Imagine you’ve just spent an hour eating fatty pork or beef straight from a hot grill.

    Then a bowl arrives filled with cold, refreshing broth and chewy noodles.

    The contrast works.

    In fact, the Korea Tourism Organization notes that eating naengmyeon instead of rice at the end of a galbi meal has become a common way to finish with something refreshing.

    So naengmyeon isn’t simply another noodle dish.

    It can also be the Korean answer to:

    “What should we eat after all that meat?”

    But Naengmyeon Wasn’t Originally a Summer Food

    Here’s the surprising part.

    Today, Koreans strongly associate naengmyeon with summer.

    Historically, however, it was also a winter food.

    Korea’s official government site explains that naengmyeon was traditionally enjoyed during winter, when dongchimi was available, and historical records describe people eating it around the winter solstice.

    Imagine sitting on a warm ondol floor during a freezing Korean winter while eating a bowl of cold noodles.

    That sounds strange today.

    Historically, it made perfect sense.

    What Does Naengmyeon Taste Like?

    Don’t expect the explosive flavor of tteokbokki or spicy ramyeon.

    Especially with Pyeongyang-style naengmyeon, the broth can be surprisingly delicate.

    Korea Tourism Organization describes its clear broth as subtle but addictive and notes that cold noodles may be unfamiliar to international visitors accustomed to hot noodle soups.

    That’s part of the appeal.

    The first bite might make you wonder:

    “Is that it?”

    Then you take another.

    And another.

    Suddenly the bowl is empty.

    Want to Eat Like Jin?

    If you’re already planning to try Korean barbecue in Korea, there’s an easy way.

    After the meat, don’t immediately ask for the bill.

    Look for 냉면 (naengmyeon) on the menu.

    Order a bowl.

    And when freezing-cold noodles arrive after a sizzling-hot barbecue dinner, you’ll understand one of the more unusual combinations in Korean food culture.

    Hot grill. Cold noodles.

    Somehow, it works.

  • Jay Park Misses Tteokbokki in America — What Makes It So Addictive?

    Jay Park has lived between two food cultures.

    When he’s in Korea, there are American and Mexican-style foods he misses.

    But what about when he’s in the United States?

    One Korean food comes to mind:

    Tteokbokki (떡볶이).

    During an interview with Soompi, Jay Park was asked which Korean foods he misses while in America.

    His answer was straightforward: tteokbokki.

    He even added that he loves it.

    So what makes this simple Korean street food so hard to forget?

    What Is Tteokbokki?

    Tteokbokki is one of Korea’s most famous street foods.

    The classic version combines chewy rice cakes with vegetables and a red, spicy-sweet sauce usually based on gochujang.

    Fish cake is another common addition.

    It doesn’t sound particularly complicated.

    But that’s part of its appeal.

    The rice cakes absorb the thick sauce while retaining their distinctive chewy texture.

    The result is spicy, sweet, savory and chewy at the same time.

    Tteokbokki Is More Than Just Street Food in Korea

    For many Koreans, tteokbokki is connected to childhood.

    The Korea Tourism Organization describes memories of students stopping at small snack shops after school to eat tteokbokki with friends, which helped make it a kind of Korean nostalgia food.

    That’s an important part of understanding the dish.

    Tteokbokki isn’t supposed to be fancy.

    It’s affordable comfort food—the kind of thing you can share with friends without planning a special dinner.

    That makes Jay Park’s answer particularly relatable.

    Of all the elaborate Korean dishes he could miss while overseas, he picked one of Korea’s simplest everyday foods.

    How Spicy Is Tteokbokki?

    That depends.

    The bright-red sauce can look intimidating, but different restaurants make it at very different heat levels.

    Traditional modern-style tteokbokki is generally both sweet and spicy, rather than simply hot.

    And today there are countless variations.

    You can find cheese tteokbokki, jjajang tteokbokki, rosé tteokbokki and even versions with ramen noodles. The classic gochujang version, however, remains at the center of Korean bunsik culture.

    What Should You Eat With Tteokbokki?

    Here’s where things get even better.

    A Korean bunsik shop usually doesn’t sell only tteokbokki.

    You might order:

    Tteokbokki + fried food + sundae + gimbap.

    The Korea Tourism Organization notes that tteokbokki, fried foods and Korean sundae are such a popular combination that Koreans even shorten the three names into “tteoktwisun.”

    And don’t waste the sauce.

    Dip a fried dumpling or another piece of fried food into the leftover tteokbokki sauce and you’ll understand why the combination works.

    Why Does Jay Park Miss It?

    Jay Park didn’t give a complicated explanation.

    He simply said that when he’s in the States, tteokbokki is one of the Korean foods he misses and that he loves it.

    Maybe that’s exactly the point.

    The foods people miss aren’t always expensive restaurant dishes.

    Sometimes they’re the cheap, familiar foods attached to everyday life.

    For Jay Park, one of those foods is a bowl of chewy rice cakes covered in spicy red sauce.

    And if you’re discovering Korean food through K-pop, tteokbokki might be one of the easiest places to start.

    Just have something cold to drink nearby.

  • SHINee Onew Loves Nakji-bokkeum — How Spicy Is Korean Stir-Fried Octopus?

    SHINee’s Onew has a surprisingly fiery taste in Korean food.

    When asked about his favorite Korean side dish in a Soompi interview, Onew said he was obsessed with nakji-bokkeum (낙지볶음).

    And he added one important detail:

    He likes it really spicy.

    That makes his choice especially interesting because nakji-bokkeum already has a reputation for bringing serious heat.

    So what exactly is this bright-red Korean octopus dish?

    What Is Nakji-bokkeum?

    Nakji-bokkeum is Korean spicy stir-fried octopus.

    Small octopus is cut into pieces and quickly stir-fried with a powerful seasoning usually built around Korean chili, garlic, soy sauce and other sweet and savory ingredients.

    The result is a dish with several things happening at once:

    Tender and chewy octopus, a savory sauce, a touch of sweetness—and plenty of heat.

    KBS World notes that the hot and spicy version became popular through restaurants in Seoul’s Mugyo-dong area in the early 1960s and eventually developed into a familiar Korean dish.

    Onew Wants It Even Spicier

    Here’s the fun part.

    Nakji-bokkeum isn’t normally considered mild food to begin with.

    Yet Onew specifically said he likes it “really spicy.”

    For anyone who associates K-pop idols with carefully prepared salads or trendy café food, that’s a rather different picture.

    Onew’s choice is a plate of octopus covered in red seasoning that can have you reaching for your water after a few bites.

    What Does Nakji-bokkeum Taste Like?

    The octopus itself has a mild seafood flavor and pleasantly chewy texture.

    Most of the personality comes from the seasoning.

    A typical version balances chili heat with garlic, soy sauce, sweetness and sesame oil. One well-known preparation from Korean food creator Maangchi uses both gochugaru and other savory-sweet seasonings and recommends serving the finished octopus immediately with rice.

    And rice is important.

    A spoonful of plain rice helps balance the fiery sauce while turning nakji-bokkeum into a filling meal.

    Is It Too Spicy for First-Time Visitors?

    That depends on your tolerance.

    Some traditional versions—particularly the Mugyo-dong style—are famous for being intensely spicy. Historically, restaurants have served milder foods or soups alongside the octopus to balance the heat.

    If you’re trying it for the first time, there’s no shame in asking whether the restaurant can reduce the spice.

    But if you want to follow Onew’s example?

    Go hot.

    Really hot.

    A Different Korean Food for SHINee Fans

    Many visitors to Korea begin with bulgogi, fried chicken, bibimbap or Korean barbecue.

    Nakji-bokkeum offers something different.

    It’s seafood rather than meat, its texture is distinctly Korean, and the chili-heavy sauce makes it a memorable introduction to Korea’s love of spicy food.

    And SHINee fans have one more reason to remember its name.

    Onew didn’t simply say he liked nakji-bokkeum.

    He wanted it extra spicy.

    So if you ever find yourself staring at a bright-red plate of octopus in Korea and wondering whether you can handle another bite, just ask yourself:

    Would Onew think this is spicy enough?

  • EXO D.O. Can Really Cook — What Is His Famous “D.O. Rice Soup”?

    Many K-pop stars talk about their favorite Korean foods.

    EXO’s D.O. goes one step further.

    He actually cooks them.

    D.O., also known as Doh Kyung-soo, holds a Korean cooking certification, and on an EXO reality show he prepared a special Korean rice soup for his fellow members.

    The dish became known simply as “D.O. Rice Soup.”

    So what did he put in it?

    D.O. Isn’t Just a K-pop Idol Who Likes Food

    Cooking has long been associated with D.O., but this particular dish shows that he knows how to build flavor from relatively simple ingredients.

    According to the Korea Tourism Organization, D.O. prepared his rice soup using dried seafood and mushrooms, creating a rich broth for the EXO members.

    D.O. himself described the idea very simply: rice goes into soup, followed by toppings such as green onions or mushrooms.

    The other EXO members apparently thought the result was anything but ordinary.

    They applauded and gave him thumbs up after tasting it.

    What Exactly Is Gukbap?

    The Korean word gukbap (국밥) combines two everyday words:

    Guk (국) = soup
    Bap (밥) = rice

    In its simplest form, it’s rice eaten together with hot soup.

    But there isn’t just one type of gukbap.

    Different regions and restaurants use beef, pork, seafood and other ingredients to create very different broths. The Korea Tourism Organization describes gukbap as a long-established Korean meal valued for being simple, satisfying and quick to eat—almost a traditional form of Korean fast food.

    That’s part of what makes D.O.’s version interesting.

    Instead of simply copying one famous restaurant-style gukbap, he created his own version around dried seafood and mushrooms.

    Why Is Rice in Soup Such a Big Deal in Korea?

    For someone unfamiliar with Korean food, putting rice into soup might not sound particularly special.

    In Korea, however, rice and soup are fundamental parts of the traditional meal.

    A typical Korean table places rice and soup directly in front of the diner, surrounded by various side dishes.

    Gukbap takes those two staples and brings them together in one comforting bowl.

    It’s hot.

    It’s filling.

    And it doesn’t need to look fancy to taste good.

    That makes it a very different side of Korean food from the colorful dishes tourists usually encounter first.

    Could You Make D.O. Rice Soup at Home?

    Probably more easily than you might expect.

    The version highlighted by the Korea Tourism Organization relies on a flavorful broth built with dried seafood and mushrooms, with rice and toppings such as green onions or mushrooms added to finish the dish.

    That means you don’t need a tabletop Korean barbecue grill or dozens of ingredients to understand the basic idea.

    Start with a deeply flavored soup.

    Add rice.

    Add your toppings.

    And suddenly one of Korea’s simplest comfort-food ideas becomes a complete meal.

    D.O. Shows Another Side of K-food

    There’s something fitting about ending a K-pop food journey with D.O.

    Lisa introduced us to gamjatang.

    Jungkook gave ramyeon his own twist.

    Jimin brought us to samgyeopsal.

    Key and Minho connected us to sundae-gukbap.

    Hwasa helped turn gopchang into a nationwide craze.

    And D.O. actually stepped into the kitchen and made his own Korean rice soup for his members.

    Sometimes the most interesting way to discover Korean food isn’t asking what a K-pop star eats.

    It’s asking:

    What would they cook for their friends?

  • MAMAMOO Hwasa Ate Gopchang on TV — Then Korea Started Selling Out

    Can a K-pop idol change what an entire country wants for dinner?

    MAMAMOO’s Hwasa practically did.

    In June 2018, Hwasa appeared on the Korean reality show I Live Alone and went to a restaurant by herself.

    Her meal?

    Gopchang (곱창), grilled beef intestines.

    It sounds like a simple TV moment. But what happened afterward became one of Korea’s most memorable celebrity food crazes.

    What Is Gopchang?

    Gopchang usually refers to the small intestines of cattle or pigs, although Korean gopchang restaurants often serve several different cuts of offal together.

    At a typical restaurant, beef intestines are grilled on a hot plate with vegetables.

    The outside becomes browned and slightly crisp, while the inside remains rich, fatty and chewy.

    It’s commonly eaten with dipping sauces and often followed by fried rice cooked directly on the same grill.

    For first-time visitors to Korea, the idea of eating intestines may sound adventurous.

    For many Koreans, however, gopchang is a familiar food—especially as a meal enjoyed with drinks.

    Hwasa Didn’t Just Taste It — She Loved It

    Hwasa’s appearance was memorable because she wasn’t delicately sampling a strange dish for television.

    She genuinely enjoyed it.

    During the episode, she explained that she likes organ meats including heart, liver, makchang and daechang. She ordered beef gopchang, then continued with gopchang hot pot and fried rice.

    She was also eating alone, outdoors, in the middle of the day.

    For viewers accustomed to polished idol appearances, the scene felt unusually casual and relatable.

    Then something unexpected happened.

    The “Hwasa Effect” Hit Korea

    People watching the program suddenly wanted gopchang too.

    MBC later reported that the broadcast triggered a nationwide “gopchang craze.” Some restaurants struggled to secure enough supply, while others sold out and closed early.

    By the end of 2018, MBC was still listing Hwasa’s gopchang appearance among the year’s standout entertainment moments, noting that customers had lined up outside restaurants and that shortages followed the broadcast.

    Hwasa’s influence became so closely associated with the food that she even received a plaque of appreciation from the industry.

    One idol eating lunch had turned into a food trend.

    You Can Still Find the Restaurant

    The story didn’t disappear when the TV episode ended.

    The Korea Tourism Organization currently includes Daehan Gopchang’s Jangan branch in its guide to restaurants associated with Hallyu stars, identifying it as the restaurant where Hwasa ate grilled beef intestines on I Live Alone.

    For K-pop fans visiting Korea, that makes gopchang more than another dish to check off a food list.

    It’s a chance to try the food behind a genuine piece of K-pop pop-culture history.

    Would You Try Hwasa’s Gopchang?

    Gopchang probably isn’t the first Korean food most tourists think about.

    Korean barbecue, fried chicken, bibimbap and tteokbokki are much more familiar internationally.

    But that’s exactly why Hwasa’s choice is interesting.

    She introduced millions of viewers to something less glamorous, ate it exactly the way she wanted—and made it look so good that people across Korea went looking for it.

    So if you’re ready to go beyond the usual Korean barbecue on your next trip, remember the dish that caused the Hwasa Effect.

    Just save some room for the fried rice at the end.

  • SHINee Key and Minho Love “Sundae” — But It’s Not Ice Cream

    If someone in America says “sundae,” you probably imagine ice cream covered with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

    But when SHINee’s Key and Minho talk about Korean sundae (순대), they mean something completely different.

    Think sausage, hot broth and rice.

    According to the Korea Tourism Organization, Key and Minho have a long connection to sundae-gukbap (순대국밥), a hearty Korean soup they enjoyed from their trainee days.

    What Is Korean Sundae?

    Korean sundae is not a dessert.

    It is a type of Korean blood sausage, traditionally made by stuffing ingredients such as glass noodles into a casing along with other fillings.

    It can be eaten on its own, but one of the most comforting ways to enjoy it is in sundae-gukbap.

    Gukbap literally combines the Korean words for soup (guk) and rice (bap).

    Put them together and you get a hot, filling meal built around broth, rice and sundae.

    Key and Minho Ate It During Their Trainee Days

    This is what makes their connection to the dish more interesting than a simple celebrity food recommendation.

    The Korea Tourism Organization introduces a sundae-gukbap restaurant associated with Key and Minho and describes the dish as a “soul food” they have enjoyed since their trainee days.

    That means the story goes back to before the polished performances, world tours and years of SHINee fame.

    For two young trainees working toward their debut, a steaming bowl of inexpensive, filling soup would have been a very different kind of meal from the glamorous food people might associate with celebrities today.

    What Does Sundae-Gukbap Taste Like?

    Don’t let the words “blood sausage” scare you away.

    The broth is warm, savory and rich, while the sundae has a soft texture. Depending on the restaurant, the soup may also contain different cuts of pork.

    Then comes the fun part.

    Korean diners can customize the bowl with ingredients such as salted shrimp, chili seasoning, green onions or perilla powder.

    Add rice and suddenly you have the kind of meal that can warm you up on a cold Korean day.

    And No, You Won’t Get Ice Cream

    This is one Korean word foreign visitors should remember.

    Order a sundae in Korea and you won’t receive dessert.

    Order sundae-gukbap, and you’ll get something even further from an American ice cream sundae—a steaming bowl of Korean comfort food.

    And for SHINee fans, it comes with another story:

    It’s a taste connected to Key and Minho’s trainee days.

    So if you’re exploring Korea through K-pop, perhaps your next stop shouldn’t be another trendy café.

    Try one of Korea’s humble bowls of comfort food instead.

    Just don’t expect a cherry on top.

  • BTS Jimin Loves Samgyeopsal — What Makes Korean Pork Belly So Special?

    What Korean food does BTS Jimin love?

    One answer has appeared more than once over the years:

    Samgyeopsal (삼겹살), Korean grilled pork belly.

    In an earlier interview, Jimin listed samgyeopsal among his favorite Korean dishes and explained that he loves meat in general. Years later, when asked about foods he enjoys with soju, he again mentioned samgyeopsal.

    So what exactly is samgyeopsal—and why is it one of Korea’s most popular meals?

    What Is Samgyeopsal?

    Samgyeopsal literally refers to pork belly, usually cut into thick slices and grilled at the table.

    Unlike heavily marinated Korean barbecue dishes, samgyeopsal is often cooked without a complicated marinade.

    That sounds simple.

    But the fun begins after it hits the grill.

    The pork becomes crispy and browned on the outside while staying juicy inside.

    Then you build your own perfect bite.

    How Do Koreans Eat Samgyeopsal?

    A typical bite might include grilled pork belly, lettuce, garlic, ssamjang and perhaps kimchi.

    Wrap everything together and eat it in one bite.

    That combination is called a ssam (쌈).

    But there isn’t just one correct way to eat samgyeopsal.

    Some people dip the meat in sesame oil and salt. Others prefer ssamjang. Some grill kimchi alongside the pork so it absorbs a little of the rendered pork fat.

    And, of course, many adults pair it with soju.

    Jimin himself mentioned samgyeopsal when discussing foods he enjoys as anju—food eaten while drinking alcohol.

    Jimin Has Loved Meat for Years

    This isn’t based on a single recent comment.

    In a 2014 interview, Jimin was asked about his favorite Korean dishes.

    His list included samgyeopsal, pork-and-rice soup, fried rice, kimchi stew, jokbal and sundae.

    He explained that he simply really likes meat and enjoys many foods containing it.

    Another Japanese magazine interview from the following period listed pork belly, kimchi fried rice and gimbap among his favorite foods.

    That makes samgyeopsal a particularly good dish to associate with Jimin: it keeps appearing in his food preferences across different interviews.

    Why Should First-Time Visitors Try It?

    Samgyeopsal isn’t only about the pork.

    It’s about the experience.

    The grill sits in the middle of the table. Everyone cooks together, shares side dishes and makes their own wraps.

    That makes Korean barbecue very different from simply ordering a cooked steak and waiting for it to arrive.

    And you don’t need to be a K-pop fan to understand why Jimin likes it.

    Once that first piece of pork belly comes sizzling off the grill, the appeal is pretty easy to understand.

    If you’re visiting Korea and want to try one of the foods BTS Jimin has repeatedly mentioned over the years, samgyeopsal is an easy place to start.

  • BTS Jungkook’s Favorite Food Is Ramyeon — But He Doesn’t Eat It the Usual Way

    BTS Jungkook can eat almost anything he wants.

    But one of his favorite foods is surprisingly simple: ramyeon.

    In a BTS interview, when the members were asked about their favorite foods, Jungkook’s answer was simply “ramen.”

    And over the years, his love of Korean instant noodles has become even more interesting.

    Jungkook doesn’t just eat ramyeon.

    He experiments with it.

    What Is Korean Ramyeon?

    Korean ramyeon (라면) is the Korean version of instant noodles.

    Unlike many mild instant noodle varieties, Korean ramyeon is often known for a stronger broth, bold seasoning and plenty of spice.

    It’s cheap, fast and found almost everywhere in Korea—from convenience stores to Korean homes.

    But Jungkook has taken this everyday food and created his own combinations.

    Jungkook Even Created His Own Ramyeon Recipe

    One of his best-known creations is Bulguri (불그리).

    Jungkook shared the recipe with fans on Weverse in 2023. It combines two famous Korean instant noodles: Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen and Neoguri.

    The result combines Buldak’s intense heat with Neoguri’s seafood-flavored seasoning.

    The Korea Tourism Organization later featured Jungkook’s Bulguri in its guide to special ramyeon recipes from Korean celebrities.

    He even gave specific cooking instructions rather than simply throwing the two noodle packets together.

    This is apparently serious business.

    There’s More Than Bulguri

    Jungkook’s noodle experiments didn’t end there.

    He also developed a spicy version of perilla-oil makguksu, a Korean buckwheat noodle dish.

    In a Weverse Magazine interview, Jungkook explained how he repeatedly experimented with the sauce, adding spicy Buldak sauce and eventually ingredients such as mayonnaise and egg yolk until he reached the flavor and texture he wanted.

    That tells us something interesting about Jungkook and food.

    He doesn’t necessarily want complicated food.

    He wants food to taste exactly the way he likes it.

    Want to Eat Like Jungkook?

    You don’t need an expensive Korean restaurant.

    Start with Korean ramyeon.

    And if ordinary instant noodles seem too easy, try Bulguri—Jungkook’s combination of Buldak and Neoguri.

    Sometimes the Korean food loved by one of the world’s biggest K-pop stars comes in a packet that takes only a few minutes to cook.

  • BLACKPINK Lisa Loves This Korean Stew — What Is Gamjatang?

    If you had to guess BLACKPINK Lisa’s favorite Korean food, what would you choose?

    Korean barbecue? Tteokbokki? Fried chicken?

    The answer is gamjatang (감자탕) — a hearty, spicy Korean pork-bone stew.

    In a YG interview, Lisa was asked which Korean food she liked the most. Her answer was simple: gamjatang. She explained that she had never tried it in Thailand and first discovered it after coming to Korea. It turned out to be exactly her kind of food.

    What Is Gamjatang?

    Gamjatang is made by simmering pork backbone in a rich, spicy broth.

    A typical pot includes potatoes, vegetables or kimchi cabbage, and perilla powder. The pork becomes tender after cooking, while the perilla gives the broth its distinctive nutty, savory flavor.

    Despite the word gamja meaning “potato” in modern Korean, this isn’t simply a potato soup. The star of the dish is the pork bone and its deeply flavored broth.

    What Does Gamjatang Taste Like?

    Think of it as something between a spicy stew and a slow-cooked pork soup.

    The broth is rich and savory, with noticeable spice, while the meat around the bones becomes soft and tender. Korea Tourism Organization also notes that gamjatang is popular as a hangover dish because of its hearty, spicy broth.

    And there’s something very Korean about eating it.

    You pick the tender meat from the bones, eat it with rice, and keep returning to the bubbling broth.

    It isn’t particularly glamorous.

    But it is serious comfort food.

    Lisa Discovered It in Korea

    That may be the most interesting part of Lisa’s answer.

    Lisa grew up in Thailand, but said she hadn’t encountered gamjatang there. She tried it only after arriving in Korea and found that it perfectly suited her taste.

    So if you’re exploring Korean food because of K-pop, don’t stop at barbecue and tteokbokki.

    Try a bubbling pot of gamjatang.

    You might discover the same Korean comfort food that won over Lisa.