Korean cuisine is famous for its bold, complex flavours, often characterised by its emphasis on umami, the “fifth taste” described as rich, meaty and savoury.
The umami taste is present in meats, but it’s not restricted to animal-based ingredients. As Korean cooking will teach you, your technique can help you draw umami from plant-based ingredients. Think, doenjang, gochujang and sesame oil — and that’s just scratching the surface.
Indeed, Korean cuisine relies heavily on a range of crucial flavourings and umami-rich ingredients, so reliable and trustworthy food flavour suppliers are a definite requirement for anyone who wants to deliver Korean cooking’s robust flavours successfully.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the mainstays of Korean cooking and how they come together to create delicious, satisfying eats.
Umami-Rich Ingredients in Korean Cooking
Dried anchovies, kelp, and shiitake mushrooms are examples of the umami-rich ingredients essential to Korean cuisine. These not only add a savoury depth of flavour to dishes but also provide important nutrients like calcium and iodine.
Other umami-rich ingredients include fermented soybean paste (doenjang), fermented red pepper paste (gochujang) and fermented vegetables like kimchi. These all provide deep, complex flavours essential to many Korean dishes.
1. Dried Anchovies
They don’t look very appetising and smell worse than they look. However, dried anchovies (myeolchi) are a staple in Korean dashi (yuksu), an umami-packed broth or fish stock.
Yuksu is used as a base in many Korean soups and stews. For instance, you can use it as the base stock for doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) and tteokguk (rice cake soup).
To make yuksu, remove the guts in large anchovies (you don’t have to do this when using small- and medium-size anchovies). You can also stir-fry the anchovies in a dry, heated pan for a few minutes to get rid of the fishy taste.
Next, soak the anchoviest in water for at least 20 minutes (preferably overnight) before bringing them to a moderate boil in an uncovered pot. Boil for ten minutes or even shorter; do not over boil to preserve the delicate taste of yuksu.
2. Dried Kelp
Also known as dasima, dried kelp may be added to dried anchovies to make myeolchi dasima yuksu.
Kelp is a type of seaweed (it’s algae, actually) characterised by its long, flat and broad brownish-green blades and slightly chewy texture. It is also a great source of iodine, which is vital for thyroid health.
Aside from being a mainstay in yuksu, dried kelp may also be used as an ingredient in eomuk guk (fish cake soup). The dasima kelp used in making broth may also be sliced and seasoned and turned into a seasoned dasima side dish.
Note that dasima is not the same seaweed used in miyeok muchim (seaweed salad) and miyeok guk (seaweed soup, a.k.a. birthday soup).
3. Shiitake Mushrooms
This meaty, flavourful mushroom variety is used in various dishes, from stir-fries to soups to rice dishes. Shiitake mushrooms are particularly important in vegetarian and vegan Korean cooking, as they add a meaty flavour and texture without the use of animal products.
One popular dish that features shiitake mushrooms is japchae, a sweet potato noodle dish often served as a side dish.
Shiitake mushrooms are also used in Korean hot pots, galbi jjim (pot-braised short ribs) and jajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles). You can also add shiitake mushrooms to myeolchi yuksu or dried anchovy stock.
4. Doenjang
This thick, salty paste made from fermented soybeans has a flavour profile similar to miso. However, it’s more assertive — darker, more intense and earthier.
Doenjang is often used as a base for stews and soups and is a must in doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew).
5. Gochujang
Gochujang is a red, thick fermented chilli pepper paste. It is spicy, savoury, salty, peppery, and somewhat sweet.
You’ll probably need gochujang whenever you make a spicy Korean dish. You’ll find it in tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes) and gochujang jjigae (spicy stew), and it is a mainstay in spicy marinades (the marinade for jeyuk bokkeum or spicy pork bulgogi) and spicy dipping sauces (chogochujang).
6. Kimchi
Kimchi, the iconic Korean fermented dish, can be made with a variety of vegetables, including napa cabbage (tongbaechu kimchi), diced radish (kkakdugi kimchi), young summer radish greens (yeolmu kimchi), and cucumber (oi kimchi).
Kimchi is a vital component of Korean meals and a key ingredient in dishes like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), kimchi fried rice, and kimchi pancakes.
Key Flavouring Ingredients in Korean Cuisine
Korean cooking also leans heavily on key flavouring ingredients to create its signature taste.
1. Soy Sauce
Soy sauce (ganjang) adds saltiness and a depth of flavour to various dishes. There are different types of soy sauce used in Korean cuisine.
Guk-ganjang or soup soy sauce is for making soups and side dishes. It is a byproduct of the doenjang fermentation process. Jin-ganjang is darker but less salty and less assertive than guk-ganjang. It is also slightly sweeter.
Soy sauce is used in many dishes, from soups and stews to marinades and dipping sauces. One example is bulgogi, a marinated beef dish that uses soy sauce to create a rich, savoury flavour.
2. Rice Vinegar
Rice vinegar adds a tangy, acidic note to dishes. It’s made from fermented rice and is often used in marinades, dressings and dipping sauces.
Chogochujang, a dipping sauce served with bibimbap (Korean rice bowl) and fried food, is made with rice vinegar, gochujang, and sesame oil.
3. Sesame Oil
The flavourful and aromatic oil that is sesame is made from toasted sesame seeds and used to add a nutty, toasty flavour to dishes like bibimbap and noodle dishes. Naengmyeon, a cold noodle dish, is served with a sesame oil and vinegar dressing.
4. Garlic
Garlic adds a pungent, savoury note to many Korean dishes. It’s found in marinades and sauces, and you can’t really make kimchi without it.
Drawing Out Umami Flavours
Many umami-rich ingredients in Korean cooking are fermented, including soybean paste, red pepper paste, and kimchi. Fermentation adds flavour and helps break down the ingredients and make them easier to digest; it is fermentation that gives Korean staple ingredients their umami punch.
The layering of flavours is also an essential technique in Korean cooking. This involves building up different flavours in a dish by adding ingredients at various stages of cooking.
For example, a soup might start with a base of myeolchi dasima yuksu, enhanced with garlic and sesame oil and then finished with green onions or cilantro for freshness.
The Secret to Umami-Packed Cooking
Korean cuisine is a rich, complex culinary tradition beloved worldwide for its bold flavours.
Any Asian restaurant worth its salt knows this is only possible through carefully balancing umami-rich components and key flavouring ingredients.
The technique used to achieve umami is also an important factor, with fermentation and layering of flavours essential to drawing out its rich, multi-layered taste.
Also published on Medium.
