Korea Tour Afterthoughts

Looking back at my Korean tour, I noticed that there was a great deal of involvement from the diners when cooking the food. Unlike the other tours I had where the food is already completely prepared when served, the local Korean restaurants, more often than not, serve you raw ingredients.

There are certain advantages to this kind of method. First, and most obvious of all, the food is guaranteed to be cooked fresh (unless you don't know the basics of cooking). Next is that you can customize your food from how much spices you want to add to how well-done you want the meat cooked. Finally, a hands-on experience is one of the best way to appreciate the culture of a country and its people. Food is one of the objects that best reflects a culture. You get to experience an activity the people do on a daily basis. You witness not only their eating habits but also the creativity people pour into their cooking processes. The spices and flavors you taste can even tell you a lot about their preferences, the crops they grow and their necessities from which their culinary ingenuity was born. Having this unique chance to be behind the grill made me more open to and appreciative of the culture of Korea.

Seafood Buffet

On the day of our departure, we had lunch buffet at a seafood restaurant. As I have mentioned before, we rarely had seafood since Korea doesn't have much aquatic resources. Our local tour guide claims that their they don't have plenty of fish farms or fishing grounds in their oceans. I guess that explains why seafood is not commonly involved in traditional Korean cuisines. So it was no surprise that the restaurant served lots of Japanese and Chinese dishes like sushi, tempura seafood fried rice and fish fillet in black bean sauce. They even served western-inspired dishes like the spicy spaghetti with shrimp and mussels.

But of course, you can always expect more in a buffet. It's not all about seafood. They also had Chinese dumplings, Japanese cold noodles, Miso soup, deep fried chili crab and the ever-popular Korean Bulgogi. This buffet was a great way to end our tour since I was able to experience a variety of dishes from different cultures all under one roof. It's just a shame that the restaurant ran out of certain dishes quickly since there was another tour group, which ate along with us. But even if it took the crew a long while to refill the food, the buffet still left me very satisfied.

Saving the Best for Last

This was the dinner we had on our last night in Korea. It's Beef Bulgogi and may I say that it is the best barbecue this tour has to offer. Notice that the pot is overflowing with mushrooms and vegetables. That is because the restaurant needed to add lots of extenders to the dish since they (or any restaurant for that matter) don't offer free beef refills. Unlike pork and chicken, beef is a very expensive commodity in Korea.

If look at the picture once more, you will see that there is more of those long , white, stringy mushrooms. Those are Golden Needle Mushrooms and here in the Philippines, it is a very expensive imported food. Since it grows abundantly in Korea, I was able to indulge until my craving was completely satisfied.

This was the best traditional barbecue I had in the entire tour. Not only did the sweet and spicy flavors of the beef barbecue win me over, but I was able to enjoy an abundant supply of the expensive Golden Needle Mushrooms.

Shabu Shabu Hot Pot

Shabu Shabu is a dish or style of cooking that is not Korean at all. It is actually an influence of Chinese and Japanese cultures. After all, Koreans are renowned for using the barbecue cooking method and not cooking mixed ingredients with a boiling bowl of soup. But even though we had a nontraditional lunch, the hot pot was terrific.

I liked the generous servings of pork, which were sliced to paper-thin portions so it would cook faster. The meat was of great quality since it had a very tender texture. Best part of the hotpot was the noodles. Judging by its yellowish color, I'd say it was egg noodles. I loved the firm texture and flavorful taste of every noodle strand. The entire hotpot lunch became even better when Korean side dishes, especially the Kimchi, were eaten along with the Shabu Shabu. Even though the concept of this meal was an influence of other cultures, the Koreans were able to create their own great version of the dish by adding a bit of their tradition. They really know their culinary stuff.

Pork Bulgogi and Bibimbap

This dinner was one of the best since I was able to try out two native dishes in one sitting. The first was Pork Bulgogi. Unlike the Osam Bulgogi, the pork slices are further soaked in a darker, richer and sweeter marinade, which gives it a more intense flavor. As an extender, a huge bowl of chopped cabbage was added while the meat was being cooked in the sauce. I'm not sure if that is the standard recipe or if it is a version of the restaurant but it was all great.

The next dish was the Hot Stone Bibimbap. It is a mix of rice, vegetables, seaweed, onions and spices all topped with a raw egg. Think of this Bibimbap as the Korean version of fried rice, only this time you are involved in the cooking process. The bowl is very hot like a sizzling plate so all the raw ingredients are cooked by the intense heat alone. It is important to thoroughly stir the contents around so that the heat will be distributed evenly before all the heat is gone. We don't want any salmonella remaining in the egg, do we?

Pork Barbecue

When we had lunch at the Korean country side, near the ski resort, we had pork barbecue cooked the traditional way. The raw meat was grilled on an open flame so constant attention is critical to keep the food from burning to a crisp. To be honest, the pork wasn't as flavorful as the previous barbecues I have eaten. Like the other dishes, the meat was also soaked in seasonings and spices. But because of the method of cooking, the marinade probably dripped through the grill and the open flame assisted in drying the pork and evaporating the flavors. Another possible explanation for the food's rather bland taste is that the pork slices were immediately placed on the grill when refilled and were not properly marinated. But given its taste, I'm not disappointed at all with this dining experience. The pork's texture was surprisingly very tender and the side dishes added some zest and flavor. I finished two bowls of rice after all. What more if I went crazy over the barbecue?

Ginseng Chicken

Ginseng is a popular product and export from Korea. They produce top-quality and expensive ginseng crops. It is normally used for teas, cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications. I never thought that such a prized plant will be used for something as simple as chicken porridge.

But don't get me wrong. There is nothing as simple about the taste of the Ginseng Chicken Porridge. In fact, it only had a mild ginseng essence and it didn't have the strong medicine-like taste that I hated. The flavors of the seasonings, spices and ginseng created a flavorful mixture that is difficult to describe. The overall taste is mild, yet it doesn't leave your taste buds deprived of flavor. Since ginseng is expensive, the restaurant only put a small piece of the crop, around two inches in length, which probably explains the mild ginseng essence.

Another notable characteristic of the dish is that it is extremely hot. The pot was sizzling and the soup was literally boiling when it was served. The scorching temperature was essential in tenderizing the chicken and further cooking the rice stuffing. This steaming hot dish is perfect for those harsh Korean winter nights.

Osam Bulgogi

Barbecued food is a main characteristic of Korean cuisine and there are several ways to prepare such dishes. Osam Bulgogi is a mixture of pork, squid, vegetables and spices all cooked in a wide wok. The fluid on the photo is not boiling water. It is the marinade or sauce of the barbecue. It looks like soup since all the ingredients are literally swimming in the liquid. The heat from the flame cooks the food and boils the marinade at the same time, which infuses the meat and vegetables with a sweet, salty and spicy taste. This is the secret behind the Bulgogi's intense flavor. Although Osam Bulgogi is not grilled with the traditional open-flame, it is still classified as a barbecued dish. The differences in the methods of preparation is just part of Korean culture and culinary creativity.

The Perfect Breakfast Food

I've been to a lot of tours before and the day is always started the same way. We have breakfast at the hotel and western breakfast is always served. But in Korea, I had a break from my usual plate of sausage and eggs. I was able to try out their waffles, jams and donuts. You may think that there is nothing unusual about that breakfast, right? Wrong! The hotel we stayed in serves the best waffles I have ever tasted. What won me over was their texture. It was the crispiest and crunchiest waffles I have eaten in my entire life. And they made it all without burning the pastry. I have tried making waffles before and they always turn out to be soft and soggy. I wonder how they do it? Is the secret in the waffle iron or the batter mix?

Waffles as perfect as these cannot be fully enjoyed with simple maple syrup. So I went over to the jam section and smothered my waffles with generous scoops of strawberry jam. It was difficult to pick the best jam since a lot of choices were available. They have strawberry, grape, marmalade, pineapple and raspberry. The grape jam was alright but it lacked sweetness. The raspberry, on the other hand, was too fruity. In the end, the strawberry jam exhibited the right balance of flavors. How I wish I could know the secret of the waffles and take home some of those berry jams as well.

Kimchi: The Red Cabbage

The most popular side dish in every Korean meal is the Kimchi. It is pickled cabbage with lots of red chili. It is perfect for those cold winter days to “heat-up” or possibly even burn your system. Locals admit that they can't survive a day without eating Kimchi. And they simply adore foreigners who get so fond of the side dish. They would gladly re-fill your bowls again.

I loved the red cabbage when I tried it for the first time. But like any other dish, Kimchi can be prepared in different ways. Some like it with a stronger picked flavor where the sour taste of vinegar is very noticeable. Some even like it extremely hot where you can feel the red chili biting your tongue. Personally, I like my Kimchi to have a mild vinegar taste. I don't mind if it is very spicy but only if the weather is below zero degrees Celsius. Kimchi is a proof just how flavorful Korean cuisine really is.

Strawberry Farm

I always love visiting farms when I'm on tour. I'm able to get in touch with the nature of a foreign land. And when the climate is cold, it's fun to see crops that don't normally grow in tropical climates. That's why I was so excited when we visited a Strawberry Farm in Korea. I've seen strawberries before in the supermarkets but not in the form when they are still attached to the vine. Since it was the winter season, I thought that the fruits won't be available or at least I won't get to see the fat, red strawberries. It turns out that the Korean farmers use greenhouses. They were able to grow the berries in a controlled environment.

We were allowed to pick five pieces of strawberries each. But it was challenging since the greenhouses were muddy and slippery. It was also difficult searching for the fat, red ones since it is not the harvesting season. The strawberries were surprisingly sweet and they have a different texture. Unlike the other ones I have eaten, which were crunchy and firm, the Korean strawberries were soft and gelatinous. It felt like I was eating jelly. Maybe that's how fresh strawberries really taste like. Either that or the Korean variety of the fruit is really that fantastic.

The strange thing about the place is that I didn't see any farmers or workers managing the property. I only saw a farm cat surveying and supervising the area.

Korea - Sparkling

Among all the countries I've visited, probably the most memorable and exciting is Korea. The tour of the place exceeded all my expectations. Aside from the flat-screen TV's, natural wonders and the local culture, the other thing that made the vacation great was the food. Korean locals claim that they do not have much natural resources like farm lands and fishing areas but I find that hard to believe since their food is always abundant. It was the only tour where all restaurants offered free refills on rice, side dishes and meat (except for beef since it is too expensive).

Korean cuisine revolves mainly around vegetables and barbecued meat. Seafood was rarely served. I'm not sure if it is because of the winter season (ponds are frozen over) or if it really isn't part of their regular diet. Seafood is more available in the form of dried, salted snacks like dried squid chips, octopus and shrimp. As for the vegetables and plants, they serve a variety of pickled cabbages, carrots and bean sprouts. But Korean soil is most suitable for producing ginseng and, not surprisingly, rice. They manufacture are a lot of ginseng products from tea to candies. And because of its abundance, Korean scientists even turned the plant into pharmaceutical products. Their rice is soft, moist and fragrant, which easily temps you to eat more and more bowls of it. The thing I like about Korean cuisine is their strong flavors. The sweetness, saltiness and spiciness of the food is always intense. I encountered more exciting dishes during my entire vacation and I'll blog about them in the days to come.

This tour is highly recommended to food critics and connoisseurs because not only will you taste their restaurant food, but also their local snacks, candies and pastries. We went crazy buying candies strawberries, chocolate-coated wafers and cream-filled bread rolls. It's a bit expensive but it is the best way to experience casual Korean snacks.