# Korean

Korean cooking is built around fermentation, rice, banchan, broth, grilling, and a particular kind of balance: bold but harmonized. Fermentation is central, but it is not the whole story.

## Flavor logic

The backbone is the _jang_: fermented pastes and sauces. **Gochujang** (fermented chile paste; sweet-savory heat with deep funk), **doenjang** (fermented soybean paste; earthy and pungent, related to but not the same as miso), and **ganjang** (soy sauce). These bring umami and funk that nothing else replicates. Around them, Korean food balances spicy, savory, sweet, sour, bitter, and the prized _gamchilmat_, a satisfying moreish savoriness. Garlic -- a lot of it -- sesame (oil and seeds), scallion, ginger, gochugaru (chile flakes), dried anchovy/kelp broths, jeotgal/fish sauce, and kimchi all matter. A meal is built around rice with an array of _banchan_, so balance is across the table: fermented, fresh, spicy, mild, rich, and clean dishes playing off each other. Kimchi is both a side and an ingredient (kimchi jjigae, kimchi fried rice).

## Core techniques

Fermentation is foundational, but be precise: kimchi and jang are fermented ingredients, not always literally "living" by the time they are cooked, pasteurized, or commercially stabilized. Marinating and grilling (_gui_): sweet-savory-garlicky marinades for bulgogi and galbi, then high-heat grilling for char. Soups and stews need distinctions: _guk_ is often a lighter soup and may be individually served; _jjigae_ is thicker, stronger, and often shared bubbling-hot; _tang_, _jeongol_, and _jjim_ have their own logic. Many are built on anchovy-kelp, beef, seafood, or rice-rinse broths, not just doenjang or gochujang. Other everyday techniques: _namul_ seasoned vegetables, _muchim_ dressed salads, _jeon_ pancakes, _jorim_ braises, _bokkeum_ stir-fries, _jjim_ steamed/braised dishes, noodles, porridges, rice cakes, and _ssam_ wrapping.

## Pantry backbone

Gochujang, doenjang, ganjang/soy sauce, gochugaru (coarse Korean chile flakes, not interchangeable with cayenne or generic chili powder), toasted sesame oil and seeds, lots of garlic, scallion, ginger, rice, kimchi, dried anchovies, kelp/dashima, fish sauce/aekjeot or jeotgal, Asian pear or apple for marinades, rice syrup/sugar/honey/maesil-cheong, and sometimes cooking wine or mirin. Gochujang is easier to find now, but ask about doenjang, gochugaru, kimchi, toasted sesame oil, and broth ingredients; without them the flavor gets generic fast.

## Common outsider mistakes

Generic chili powder won't behave like gochugaru; the flakes, fruitiness, and texture matter. Gochujang isn't just heat either: it's sweet, savory, fermented, and usually needs balancing rather than being smeared on neat. Garlic and sesame are not timid accents here. If doenjang, kimchi, anchovy-kelp stock, or jeotgal disappear, the fermented and marine depth goes with them, and a soy-sugar sauce won't replace it. Also keep the table in mind: rice and banchan are structure, not optional decoration. Korean food was not always red-chile hot; chiles arrived later, so don't make heat the only story.