What am I looking at — 54 Korean dishes, read off the menu
Every dish here is one line from a printed book, quoted as printed. Each page gives the Korean, the romanisation, whether it is spicy, and which of the nineteen allergens Korean labelling law names actually appear in that sentence.
Meat you cook yourself
- 삼겹살samgyeopsal Thick, unseasoned pork belly. Not spicy
- 목살moksal Pork shoulder. Not spicy
- 갈비galbi Ribs in a sweet soy marinade, beef or pork. Not spicy
- 불고기bulgogi Thin beef in the same sweet soy marinade, cooked in a shallow domed pan with onion and mushroom. Not spicy
- 곱창gopchang Beef or pork intestine, grilled. Mild
The rest of the grill table
Stews: the pot in the middle
Soups you season yourself
- 설렁탕seolleongtang Milky beef-bone broth with brisket and thin noodles. Not spicy
- 갈비탕galbitang Clear beef-rib soup with glass noodles. Not spicy
- 감자탕gamjatang Pork spine simmered with potato and greens in a big red pot. Hot
- 해장국haejangguk Literally the soup for the morning after. Mild
- 삼계탕samgyetang A whole young chicken stuffed with rice in clear broth, one bird per person. Not spicy
Cold noodles, and the scissors
Hot noodles
- 칼국수kalguksu Flat wheat noodles cut with a knife, in a broth of clam, chicken or anchovy. Not spicy
- 잔치국수janchiguksu Thin noodles in a light anchovy broth with a few strips of egg and seaweed. Not spicy
- 수제비sujebi The same broth with torn sheets of dough instead of noodles. Not spicy
- 라면ramyeon Instant noodles, cooked to order and eaten in restaurants without apology. Hot
The black-noodle shops
- 짜장면jjajangmyeon Wheat noodles under a thick black sauce of fermented bean paste, pork and onion. Not spicy
- 짬뽕jjamppong The other half of the menu: the same noodles in a fiery red seafood broth with squid, mussels and cabbage. Hot
- 탕수육tangsuyuk Fried pork with a sweet-sour sauce, ordered alongside the noodles rather than instead of them. Not spicy
- 군만두gunmandu Fried dumplings. Not spicy
Snack shops
- 떡볶이tteokbokki Cylinders of rice cake in sweet red sauce. Hot
- 순대sundae A sausage of glass noodles and blood in an intestine casing, steamed and sliced. Not spicy
- 튀김twigim Battered and fried: squid, sweet potato, pepper, dumpling. Not spicy
- 김밥gimbap Rice and fillings rolled in seaweed and cut into rounds. Not spicy
- 어묵eomuk Fish cake on a skewer, standing in hot broth. Not spicy
Dumplings
Pancakes, and why they turn up when it rains
- 해물파전haemulpajeon Spring onion and seafood in a thin batter, fried the size of a plate. Not spicy
- 김치전gimchijeon Chopped kimchi in the batter, so the whole pancake is pink and sour. Mild
- 감자전gamjajeon Grated potato and nothing much else, fried until the edges are lace. Not spicy
- 빈대떡bindaetteok Thick, heavy, made from ground mung bean instead of flour. Not spicy
Fried chicken, and what else arrives late
- 후라이드huraideu Plain fried, no sauce. Not spicy
- 양념치킨yangnyeomchikin The same chicken coated in a sticky red sauce that is sweet before it is hot. Mild
- 반반banban Half plain and half sauced in one box. Mild
- 족발jokbal Pig trotter braised in soy and spices, sliced off the bone and served cold or warm with lettuce and salted shrimp sauce. Not spicy
- 보쌈bossam Boiled pork belly, sliced, eaten wrapped in cabbage leaves with a pile of seasoned radish. Not spicy
The free dishes, identified
- 배추김치baechugimchi The default kimchi: whole cabbage leaves in chili and salted seafood, cut into lengths. Hot
- 깍두기kkakdugi Radish cut into cubes and kimchied. Hot
- 콩나물무침kongnamulmuchim Soybean sprouts, blanched and dressed with sesame oil. Not spicy
- 계란말이gyeranmari Rolled omelette sliced into rounds, often with vegetables through it. Not spicy
- 멸치볶음myeolchibokkeum Tiny whole dried anchovies, stir-fried sweet. Mild
Sweet things, mostly bought standing up
- 호떡hotteok A yeasted pancake pressed flat on a griddle with brown sugar and nuts inside, which come out molten. Not spicy
- 붕어빵bungeoppang Fish-shaped cakes with sweet red bean inside, sold hot from a cart in winter. Not spicy
- 팥빙수patbingsu Shaved ice heaped over sweet red bean, with condensed milk and rice cake. Not spicy
- 약과yakgwa A fried honey cookie, dense and very sweet, sold in packets. Not spicy
The 19 the law names
- 알류 allyuEggs from poultry
- 우유 uyuMilk
- 메밀 memilBuckwheat, the noodle in naengmyeon and makguksu
- 땅콩 ttangkongPeanuts
- 대두 daeduSoybeans, and the sauces and pastes made from them
- 밀 milWheat
- 고등어 godeungeoMackerel, the only fish named on the list
- 게 geCrab
- 새우 saeuShrimp
- 돼지고기 dwaejigogiPork
- 복숭아 boksungaPeach
- 토마토 tomatoTomato
- 아황산류 ahwangsannyuSulfites, when enough of it stays in the finished product
- 호두 hoduWalnuts
- 닭고기 dakgogiChicken
- 쇠고기 soegogiBeef
- 오징어 ojingeoSquid
- 조개류 jogaeryuShellfish, oysters, abalone and mussels included
- 잣 jatPine nuts
This is only what the sentence above names. Korean stock is built before anything visible reaches the bowl — dried anchovy, clams and simmered bone are ordinary, and soy sauce is usually brewed from wheat as well as soybeans. Ask.