Korean cuisine highlights fermented foods like kimchi, noodles, rice, vegetables, and various meats (pork, beef, chicken, duck).
Meals typically include numerous side dishes, known as Banchan, reflecting the country's agricultural heritage and historical influences.
Key ingredients include rice, corn, potatoes, various vegetables (cabbage, radish), brown sauce made from fermented soybeans, red pepper paste (Gochujang), garlic, ginger, and fermented soybeans (Doenjang).
Flavors tend to be savory, spicy, and sometimes feature fermented or sweet notes. A balance of these elements shows up in most dishes.
You will typically have three main meals daily: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These meals are provided at your accommodation or at designated tourist restaurants as part of your tour package.
Cold buckwheat noodles dished up in a cold, tangy broth, often covered with sliced meat, egg, and vegetables.
A hallmark dish, available at designated tourist restaurants.
Fermented cabbage, a staple side dish, accompanies almost every meal.
You will experience various types of kimchi.
Bibimbap offers rice with seasoned greens and meat; Bulgogi provides marinated grilled meat.
Commonly served to showcase Korean flavors.
Sweet rice cakes and various local snacks are available in gift shops. Desserts often include fresh fruit or simple sweet items.
Street food is not typically reachable by tourists due to independent wandering restrictions. Any "street food" experience happens as a section of a curated tour stop.
Designated eateries within main hotels, like the revolving restaurant at the Yanggakdo Hotel, offer higher-end dining experiences.
Nearly all meals provided on tours fall into this category. These restaurants offer a mix of Korean dishes.
Budget eateries and street food are not accessible for independent tourists.
Some hotels and designated restaurants may offer limited international options.
This covers Chinese, Russian, or occasionally even pizza on menus.
The availability of international foods helps accommodate diverse palates among foreign visitors.
Mainly, the focus remains on Korean cuisine.
Certain foods may be prepared for national holidays.
If your visit coincides with a holiday, you you may find these special dishes.
These are typically included as an element of your structured tour experience.
Your tour guides will coordinate these culinary experiences.
Inform your tour provider well in advance of any dietary restrictions.
This practice offers the best chance of accommodation.
Be prepared for limited options.
Bringing some personal snacks that match your dietary requirements is advisable as a backup.
Limited communication and resources can make accommodating special diets difficult.
No particular Halal, Kosher, or entirely gluten-free restaurants exist for tourists.
Culinary experiences integrate into the broader tour itinerary.
Certain tours could include visits to cooperative farms.
Food festivals, as found elsewhere, are not a common tourist offering.
The revolving restaurant at the Yanggakdo Hotel offers panoramic city views while you dine.
This encounter offers an unique ambiance.
Some designated restaurants could offer traditional Korean dining rooms.
This experience makes for a culturally immersive meal.
All dining experiences happen as part of your guided tour. No independent food exploration.
Your tour itinerary includes all meals at approved locations, showing traditional and sometimes international options.
Meals are generally included in your tour package, limiting the necessity of separate meal budgeting.
While options are curated, you can experience traditional flavors. Embrace the structured dining experience as an aspect of your journey.
