Korean menus without pictures can be intimidating. This glossary covers every major dish, cooking method, and food term you will encounter at Korean restaurants.
Korean food has a distinct vocabulary, and understanding the basic terminology transforms the restaurant experience from guesswork to confident ordering. This glossary covers dishes by category with honest descriptions of taste, spice level, and what to expect.
Rice Dishes (밥 – Bap)
Bibimbap (비빔밥): Mixed rice bowl with seasoned vegetables, gochujang paste, and usually a fried or raw egg. Mix everything before eating. The dolsot (hot stone bowl) version crisps the rice at the bottom.
Bokkumbap (볶음밥): Korean fried rice, typically with vegetables and egg. Kimchi bokkumbap uses kimchi for a spicy, tangy version.
Gimbap (김밥): Rice rolls in nori seaweed with various fillings. Similar in appearance to sushi but seasoned with sesame oil rather than vinegar. Not spicy.
Juk (죽): Korean porridge, slow-cooked until smooth and mild. Jeonbokjuk (abalone porridge) is Jeju’s signature dish.
Noodle Dishes (면 – Myeon)
Naengmyeon (냉면): Cold buckwheat noodles in a chilled broth. Either mul (water-based, mild) or bibim (spicy mixed). The classic Korean summer dish.
Japchae (잡채): Glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and meat in a sesame soy sauce. Mild and sweet. One of Korea’s most universally liked dishes.
Ramyeon (라면): Korean instant noodles, cooked rather than cup-style. Significantly spicier and more intense than Japanese ramen. Shin Ramyeon is the most famous brand.
Milmyeon (밀면): Wheat noodles in cold beef broth: a Busan specialty and the city’s signature dish.
Soups and Stews (국/찌개 – Guk/Jjigae)
Kimchi jjigae (김치찌개): Fermented kimchi simmered with tofu, pork, and gochugaru chilli in a bubbling red broth. Spicy, sour, savoury. One of the most widely eaten Korean home cooking dishes.
Doenjang jjigae (된장찌개): Fermented soybean paste stew with tofu, zucchini, and vegetables. Earthy, savoury, less spicy than kimchi jjigae. The Korean equivalent of miso soup, but much more substantial.
Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개): Soft tofu stew in a spicy seafood or meat broth with egg dropped into the bubbling surface. Silky, spicy, and deeply satisfying.
Galbitang (갈비탕): Clear beef short rib soup, slow-cooked. Mild, rich, and comforting. The opposite of spicy Korean cooking.
Seolleongtang (설렁탕): Milky white bone broth soup with rice and thin beef slices. Season at the table with salt and green onion. Mild and nourishing.
Samgyetang (삼계탕): Whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice and ginseng, slow-cooked in clear broth. Eaten especially in summer.
Grilled and BBQ (구이 – Gui)
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살): Thick-cut pork belly grilled at the table. The most popular Korean BBQ cut.
Galbi (갈비): Short ribs, often marinated in soy, garlic, and pear sauce. Beef or pork. More expensive and complex than samgyeopsal.
Bulgogi (불고기): Thinly sliced marinated beef, usually cooked in a shallow pan rather than directly on the grill. Sweet and tender.
Dakgalbi (닭갈비): Spicy stir-fried chicken with gochujang sauce and vegetables. A Chuncheon specialty popular throughout Korea.
Fermented and Side Dishes (반찬 – Banchan)
Kimchi (김치): Fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fermented fish sauce. The essential Korean accompaniment. Always refillable at restaurants.
Doenjang (된장): Fermented soybean paste. Used in soups, as a dipping sauce, and in the ssamjang mix for Korean BBQ wraps.
Gochujang (고추장): Fermented red chilli paste. The spicy-sweet base of many Korean dishes and BBQ dipping sauces.
Namul (나물): Seasoned and often blanched vegetable side dishes. Spinach, bean sprouts, fernbrake, and zucchini are common types.
Street Food
Tteokbokki (떡볶이): Chewy rice cakes in sweet spicy gochujang sauce with fish cakes. Spicy. Korea’s most iconic street food.
Hotteok (호떡): Sweet pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Crispy outside, molten inside.
Odeng/Eomuk (어묵/오뎅): Fish cake skewers simmered in savoury broth. Mild. Around 500-1,000 won per skewer.
Soondae (순대): Blood sausage made from pig intestine filled with glass noodles and blood. Served with dipping salt or spicy sauce.
Drinks
Soju (소주): Korea’s national spirit, around 16 to 25 percent alcohol. Clear, neutral flavour. Served in shot glasses at restaurants and bars.
Makgeolli (막걸리): Milky fermented rice wine, around 6 to 8 percent alcohol. Sweet, slightly fizzy, earthy. Traditional and beloved.
Sikhye (식혜): Sweet rice punch served cold. Non-alcoholic. A traditional Korean sweet drink.
