GLOSSARY

BAECHU
Napa cabbage. Baechu kimchi is probably the most widely-recognized style of kimchi, made by fermenting cabbage with dried chili and various seasonings that vary by region and household.

BAEK KIMCHI
Also referred to as “white kimchi”, baek kimchi is fermented without dried chili flakes. Cabbage is fermented in a brine infused with seaweed, alliums, pear, and ginger. The liquid is meant to be sipped as a refreshing condiment.

BANCHAN
Small, individual and multiple side dishes served along with rice and soup in a typical Korean meal. Banchan can be made with various vegetables (some of which are namul), meats, or seafood. Although banchan may vary between different households and restaurants, one banchan that is always included is kimchi.

BIBIMBAP
A rice dish that consists of various namul, usually served with a sauce made from gochujang. Namul is a term applied to a variety of wild and cultivated plants that are prepared by steaming or lightly sautéing, often seasoned with sesame oil.

BIBIMJANG
A gochujang-based sauce served alongside rice or noodle dishes.
 

BIJI JJIGAE
A stew made from the pressed soybeans used to make soymilk, usually cooked with pork and kimchi.

BINGSU
A Korean dessert traditionally made from shaved ice with various sweet toppings.

BINGTTEOK
Bingtteok is a traditional local food from Jeju Island. Thin buckwheat crepes cooked with lard are wrapped around braised daikon. Jeju is famous for its daikon as well as its buckwheat preparations, as rice was never grown there. Our version includes a filling made of pork and shrimp. 

BORICHA
Roasted barley tea, commonly served instead of water. It can be served hot or chilled and has a mild roasted, nutty flavor.

BOSSAM
Means “packaged”. A dish of steamed or boiled pork that is served with various lettuces and condiments used to make wraps.

BUDAE PAJEON
A griddled pancake (jeon) that's inspired by “budae jjigae”, or “army stew", a dish named for the ingredients that came from US military bases after the Korean War. Our budae pajeon includes sausage, kimchi, cheese, baked beans, cabbage and fried noodles.

BUGAK
A crispy chip made from seaweed or vegetables that are dried, covered in a glutinous rice coating, and fried.

BULGOGI
"Bul" means "fire" and "gogi" means "meat". A dish of marinated, thinly sliced meat (most commonly pork or beef) cooked quickly over high heat. We marinate our bulgogi in pear juice, alliums, soy sauce, rice wine and sesame seeds.

CHOJANG
“Cho” means “vinegar” and “jang” is an abbreviation of “gochujang”, a fermented chili paste. Ours is made with apple juice, gochujang, garlic, and white vinegar. 

CHONGGAK
A kimchi that gets its name from the elongated radishes that have the shape of a ponytail. Chonggak means “bachelor” and refers to the ponytails worn by young men in olden days. Ours is made with ponytail radish and seasoned with chili, anchovy, salted shrimp, alliums, and ginger. 

CHUNJANG
Chunjang is a Korean-style fermented black bean paste made with soybeans and wheat. It is a thick, smooth, dark brown, or black paste with a mild, savory, and sweet flavor. 

DOENJANG
Korean fermented soybean paste, made entirely of soybeans and brine. It is a byproduct of making soy sauce and is one of the most commonly used ingredients in Korean cuisine. It is dark brown in color with a pungent aroma and nutty earthy soy flavor.

DOLGIM
Seaweed harvested along rocks that are exposed to direct sunlight during low tide, developing complex flavors.

DONGCHIMI
A variety of kimchi fermented in a brine that is meant to be sipped. It is made with radish, cabbage, alliums, fresh chili, ginger, and pear.

DORAJI
Bellflower root, an edible root from the balloon flower. It is generally dried and rehydrated, or blanched and pan-fried prior to its final preparation. The flavor of the root itself is bitter and herbaceous, earthy with a subtle sweetness.

DOTORI
Korean for “acorn”. Korean cuisine is one of the few that still uses it as a common ingredient. In our Dotori Choux, we top a choux pastry with candied shortcrust made from acorn and fill it with chocolate pudding that has been naturally stabilized and thickened with ground acorn (rather than with modified starch used in commercial pudding). 

DURU-CHEESE
An original SAN HO WON dish of crispy tofu, cheese, and fried rice baked together in “durichigi,” a preparation of pork and kimchi cooked in broth. 

EOLGARI KIMCHI
A seasonal delicacy made from cabbage grown between winter and spring. The semi-frozen soil produces smaller but more densely flavored and tender cabbage.

GALBI
Rib, most often referring to beef short ribs. Galbi is one of the most popular Korean BBQ cuts and is served both marinated and fresh.

GALBIJJIM
A hearty, traditional beef short rib stew usually braised with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame. There are many regional and household variations, but it often includes chestnuts, jujubes, root vegetables, and pine nuts.

GALBITANG
A rich and comforting clear soup made by slowly simmering beef short ribs with radish. The broth is then seasoned with scallion, garlic, seaweed, and soy sauce. 

GAMASOT
A traditional Korean cast iron pot. 

GAMJATANG
A rustic stew made from pork back bones. There are many variations, but they usually include potatoes, dried radish leaves, and sesame leaves.

GANGDOENJANG
A thickened Korean soybean stew.

GANGJUNG
A traditional rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and fried to achieve a crispy, airy texture, usually served on holidays and special occasions. More broadly, the term is used to describe the technique of battering with starch and frying.

GEOTJEORI
Fresh kimchi that is made to be eaten quickly, prepared by lightly salting and seasoning the vegetables without any fermentation.

GOCHUJANG
Fermented chili paste, made by combining dried chili with soybeans that have been inoculated with the right bacteria from rice stalks, allowing for preservation and flavor development over time.

GOGUMA
Korean sweet potato.

GOMTANG
A rich beef soup made with various types of beef, usually a combination of bone and meat.

GOSUJANG
Our house cilantro and grilled scallion sauce, similar to a salsa verde.

GOTGAM
Dried persimmons. The fruits are harvested in the fall, peeled, and hung to air dry.

GUNGJUNG
Gungjung means “royal court”. Gungjung tteokbokki is a dish that includes beef, mushrooms, and soy sauce stir-fried with rice cakes. The red and spicy variation of this dish is widely sold in markets and street stalls throughout Korea, but is a more recent invention that came along with the mechanization of rice production and the use of wheat flour.

GWANGYANG
A city in one of Korea's southern provinces that is well-known for bulgogi. Unlike most versions that are cooked in a pan by simmering, Gwangyang-style bulgogi is grilled over charcoal.

GYERAN MARI
Jellyfish.

HAEPARI
Jellyfish.

HWE-DUPBAP
Raw fish bibimbap.

HWE MUCHIM
A salad-like dish of raw fish and assorted vegetables, usually dressed with a spicy sauce made from gochujang. 

JANG
The word itself refers to "sauce". In Korean cuisine, "jang" typically originates from soy and is used as a base for many sauces, with the most common being ganjang, doenjang, and gochujang. When combined with other ingredients (usually raw proteins), the meaning of "jang" changes to “marinated in a sauce”. For example, “abalone jang” refers to abalone that is marinated in a soy-based sauce, so that both the sauce and the abalone itself flavor each other.

JANGAJJI
A pickle served as a condiment or side dish. Jangajji is preserved not through fermentation but by storing in some kind of jang, whether soy sauce, soybean paste, or fermented chili paste.

JEBI CHURI
A small cut of meat that stretches from the upper rib to the neck. When viewed from the top down, it resembles a swallow (“jebi”) in flight. This cut of the meat is lean and tender with a rich beefy flavor.

JEON
A preparation that involves a wide range of ingredients being dredged in flour, washed with egg, and pan-fried.  Although eaten all year round, jeon is almost always a part of the meal during Jesa (a memorial), Chuseok (harvest festival), and New Year’s Day.

JEONGOL
Jeongol refers to a wide category of Korean-style hot pots consisting of assorted meat, seafood, and vegetables. The name is derived from the shape of the cooking vessel, which resembles the iron helmets worn by soldiers of the Joseon era.

JEOTGAL
Seafood that is cured in salt, originally developed as a way to preserve in the absence of refrigeration. Jeotgal has evolved into a large category of food that is salted, flavored with various seasonings, and aged to develop intense flavor. It can be used as a condiment or dip for barbeque meats or even plain rice.

JJIGAE
A Korean stew, a little heartier than tang. They can contain a variety of meat, seafood, and vegetables. The two most classic examples are kimchi jjigae and doenjang jjigae.  

JOOK
Porridge (also called congee), commonly made with rice. Jook is a mainstay comfort food, often eaten for breakfast or when ill.

JOCHUNG
Malted rice syrup.

JORIM
A cooking method of braising various ingredients in a stock flavored with soy sauce and other seasonings. The liquid is simmered until it has intensified, and also becomes the sauce that the ingredient is then stored in.

KIMCHI
One of the key staple foods in Korean cuisine, kimchi is a salted and fermented side dish that can be made with various vegetables. One of the most popular versions is baechu kimchi. While more commonly seasoned with Korean chili powder, there are also non-spicy versions, known as baek kimchi.

KKAKDUGI
A style of kimchi with several variations but generally containing radishes cut into cubes, salted, and seasoned with chili, ginger, and alliums before being fermented for several days.

KOCHI
Foods that are skewered and grilled.

MAESIL
Wild green plums harvested in spring.

MAKGEOLLI
Unfiltered Korean rice wine. It is off-white with a milky viscosity, and tastes mildly sweet and astringent.

MANDU
Dumplings.

MINARI
A plant grown in shady, wet areas, also known as water celery, water dropwort, or Japanese parsley. It has a bright, peppery flavor that is often marinated and eaten as a kind of namul or accompaniment to seafood dishes and tang.

MUCHIM
A kind of salad that is usually vegetable-based and served as a condiment or side dish. It is most often dressed with a spicy and/or vinegary sauce. 

MUGUNJI
Kimchi made using the whole head of cabbage intact, then aged for intensity and matureness. It is more commonly used for cooked preparations like stews and braises rather than as a condiment. 

MULHWE
A preparation of various raw seafood, served with cold broth.

NABAK KIMCHI
A style of water kimchi sipped as a refreshing side dish or condiment. Nabak, which means "cut into squares", describes the cabbage used in this preparation. Nabak kimchi is typically made in the spring and summer with fresh radishes, onion, and sometimes fruit. It can either be fermented or eaten fresh. Ours is made with apples and fermented for 24 hours to impart a subtle tanginess. 

NAENGCHAE
A chilled preparation of assorted vegetables.

NAMUL
A term applied to a variety of wild and cultivated plants that are prepared by steaming or lightly sautéing, often seasoned with sesame oil.

NURUNGJI
A toasty scorched layer of rice on the bottom of the rice pot (often at the bottom of gamasot). It is commonly made into sungnyung (a tea made from this layer of rice) or porridge.

OI-SOBAGI
Stuffed cucumber kimchi. Cucumbers (“oi”) are first salted and brined, then stuffed with various seasonings that usually include garlic chives and dried chili flake. Oi-sobagi can be eaten briefly marinated or lightly fermented.

O-SAM
O-Sam is a portmanteau of the two main ingredients, “o”jingeo (squid) and “sam”gyeopsal (pork belly), that are typically marinated in a blend of spicy seasoning and stir-fried. Ours is prepared by marinating and cooking it over our lychee charcoal.

PAJEON

A pancake made with scallions. “Pa” means "green onion" and “jeon” refers to “pancake”.

SAENGCHAE
A kind of salad that’s usually vegetable-based and served as a condiment or side dish.

SAMGYE
“Sam” means “ginseng” and “gye” means “chicken.” Samgyetang usually consists of a young chicken stuffed with rice and cooked in a soup flavored with ginseng and jujubes. This soup is widely eaten to promote health during the summer months while the body is battling heat.

SANMA
Korean for mountain yam.

SEOLLEONGTANG
A rich soup made from boiling a combination of beef bones, cartilage, and meat for many hours. The long-cooking extracts and emulsifies the protein, gelatin, and fats to produce a milky and slightly viscous broth.

SIKHYE
Rice punch made by soaking rice with fermented malt, converting starches into sugars for a sweet and refreshing drink.

SOJU
“So” means “burned” and “ju” means “alcohol”, meaning “burned alcohol”. A colorless distilled alcoholic beverage with a clean, neutral taste, soju is one of the most popular and well-known alcoholic beverages in South Korea. Traditionally made from grains such as rice, wheat, or barley, modern-day commercial soju is made from highly distilled alcohol made from potatoes or sweet potatoes. The alcohol content may vary from as low as 16.5 to 50+.

SONG-YI
Pine mushroom.

SOONDAE
A Korean blood sausage typically made with pork and rice.

SOONDUBU
“Soon” means “to be pure or mild” and “dubu” means “tofu”. Combined, “soondubu” refers to silken tofu. Soondubu is used in a variety of dishes in Korea, but the most popular dish is soondubu jjigae (spicy silken tofu stew). Ours is made with pork broth and our house kimchi.

SSAM
Meaning “wrap”, “ssam” refers to eating a dish, such as grilled meats, wrapped in various leafy greens like lettuce, cabbage, or sesame leaf. These wraps are generally eaten with rice, ssamjang, and various other condiments. 

SSAMJANG
A kind of Korean barbecue sauce made for food wrapped in a leaf or vegetable. In Korean, “ssam” means “wrap” and “jang” refers to “ganjang” (soy sauce). Jang can be applied to products that are derived from soy sauce, like doenjang or gochujang. This ssamjang is made from Benu’s homemade soy sauce and beans that are fermented for 5 years, flavored with garlic and chili, and sweetened with tomato jam. 

SUYUK
A dish of poached and thinly sliced meat, often served with leeks or chives.

TANG
A class of hearty Korean soups, tang is a brothy soup that has many variations, from an individual serve to communal fare that is shared between two or more people.

TANGPYEONG-CHAE
A chilled salad comprised of ingredients of multiple colors and associated with royal court cuisine.

TTEOK
Korean rice cakes. There are over 200 variations of tteok, ranging from sweet to savory, glutinous or non-glutinous, and sometimes also mixed with flours milled from other grains. Many have special meanings and are specific to certain occasions.

TTEOKBOKKI
Stir-fried rice cakes that are often served with a spicy gochujang-based sauce and widely sold in markets and street stalls throughout Korea. 

TTEOKGALBI
Meat, most commonly beef short rib, that is chopped, marinated, and then formed into patties to grill. Originating from royal court cuisine, it has since been popularized and there are now different variations in different regions of Korea.

YUKHWE
Chopped raw meat (usually beef), similar to tartare. Yukhwe can be marinated or unmarinated, and is often served with raw egg yolk, pine nuts, and Asian pear.