Korean food 101: 30 dishes to know, with Korean names

This list covers the dishes you will see most often in Seoul. Show the Korean name to staff to order, and check the notes if you avoid spice, meat or seafood.

How to read the table

• Spice: Mild, Medium or Hot, for a typical version. Spice levels vary between restaurants.
• Usually contains: what the standard version normally includes. Many dishes use meat or fish stock even when you cannot see it.

Image coming soon korean-food-table.jpg

Rice and noodles

Dish	Korean	What it is	Spice	Usually contains
Bibimbap	비빔밥	Rice topped with vegetables, egg and chili paste, mixed together	Mild–Medium (sauce on the side)	Beef, egg
Gimbap	김밥	Rice and fillings rolled in seaweed, sliced	Mild	Egg, ham or fish cake
Kimchi fried rice	김치볶음밥	Rice fried with kimchi, often topped with an egg	Medium	Pork or ham, egg
Japchae	잡채	Sweet potato glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables	Mild	Often beef
Naengmyeon	냉면	Chewy cold noodles in icy broth or spicy sauce	Mild (broth) / Hot (bibim)	Beef broth, egg
Jjajangmyeon	짜장면	Noodles in a thick black bean sauce	Mild	Pork
Jjamppong	짬뽕	Spicy noodle soup with seafood	Hot	Seafood, sometimes pork
Ramyeon	라면	Korean instant noodles, often spicy	Medium–Hot	Beef or seafood flavoring

Grilled and meat dishes

Dish	Korean	What it is	Spice	Usually contains
Samgyeopsal	삼겹살	Grilled pork belly, wrapped in lettuce	Mild	Pork
Galbi	갈비	Grilled marinated short ribs	Mild	Beef or pork
Bulgogi	불고기	Thin slices of sweet marinated beef	Mild	Beef
Dakgalbi	닭갈비	Chicken stir-fried with chili sauce and vegetables	Hot	Chicken
Korean fried chicken	치킨	Crispy fried chicken, plain or glazed	Mild–Hot	Chicken
Bossam	보쌈	Boiled pork slices with kimchi and wraps	Mild	Pork
Jokbal	족발	Braised pig’s trotters, sliced	Mild	Pork

Soups and stews

Dish	Korean	What it is	Spice	Usually contains
Kimchi jjigae	김치찌개	Kimchi stew with tofu	Hot	Pork or tuna
Doenjang jjigae	된장찌개	Soybean paste stew with tofu and vegetables	Mild	Seafood or beef stock
Sundubu jjigae	순두부찌개	Silky soft tofu stew	Hot	Seafood or pork, egg
Samgyetang	삼계탕	Whole young chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng	Mild	Chicken
Seolleongtang	설렁탕	Milky beef bone soup, season it yourself	Mild	Beef
Gamjatang	감자탕	Pork backbone and potato stew	Hot	Pork

Pancakes, snacks and street food

Dish	Korean	What it is	Spice	Usually contains
Kimchi	김치	Fermented cabbage, served with almost every meal	Medium	Often fish sauce or salted shrimp
Haemul pajeon	해물파전	Savory pancake with green onion and seafood	Mild	Seafood, egg
Bindaetteok	빈대떡	Crispy mung bean pancake	Mild	Often pork
Tteokbokki	떡볶이	Chewy rice cakes in sweet chili sauce	Medium–Hot	Fish cake, anchovy stock
Eomuk (odeng)	어묵	Fish cake skewers in hot broth	Mild	Fish
Sundae	순대	Korean sausage with glass noodles	Mild	Pork, blood

Sweet things

Dish	Korean	What it is	Spice	Usually contains
Hotteok	호떡	Pan-fried pancake filled with brown sugar and nuts	—	Nuts, usually vegetarian
Bungeoppang	붕어빵	Fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean, a winter favorite	—	Usually vegetarian
Patbingsu	팥빙수	Shaved ice with sweet red beans and toppings	—	Milk

Useful phrases

Dietary needs

If you are vegetarian, vegan, halal or have allergies, ask every time. Stocks, sauces and kimchi often contain meat or seafood. Temple food restaurants and places that clearly label vegetarian or halal dishes are the safest choice.

Next: how to order at a Korean restaurant.

Prices, timetables and rules in Korea change often. We check this guide regularly, but please confirm details with the official sources linked above before you travel.