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TangsuyukSweet and sour pork

Tangsuyuk is the star of Korean-Chinese restaurants, ordered with jajangmyeon for graduations and family celebrations since Chinese cooks settled in Incheon's Chinatown over a century ago. Strips of pork are coated in a thick potato-starch batter and fried twice until they shatter, then served with a glossy sweet-and-sour sauce full of vegetables and fruit. The pork marinade uses a spoonful of rice wine, which cooks off in the frying; leave it out or use extra ginger juice for an alcohol-free version. Koreans argue happily over pouring the sauce on (bumeok) or dipping (jjikmeok). The common mistake is pouring the sauce over too early: the crust softens in minutes. Chef's tip: soak the potato starch in water for an hour and pour off the water; the wet starch left behind gives the crunchiest batter.

105 minKoreanMeat
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Beoseot jeongolMushroom hot pot

Beoseot jeongol is the mushroom hot pot that Korean temple kitchens and mountain restaurants around Odaesan and Songnisan serve in autumn, when wild mushrooms come down from the slopes. Fans of shiitake, oyster, enoki and king oyster mushrooms are arranged with tofu, cabbage and greens in a shallow pot and cooked at the table in a clear kelp and shiitake broth. It tastes deep, clean and woodsy, with no garlic or onion in the temple way. The common mistake is boiling it hard from the start, which turns the broth cloudy and the enoki stringy. Chef's tip: save the shiitake soaking water and add it to the broth; it doubles the savoury depth without any seasoning.

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Dubu jorimBraised tofu in spicy soy

Dubu jorim is the tofu side dish Korean mothers pack into school lunchboxes and set out at home dinners from Busan to Seoul, because it is cheap, filling and even better the next day. Thick slices of firm tofu are fried golden, then simmered in a garlicky soy and chilli sauce until they soak it up and turn glossy. Eat it warm with rice or cold from the fridge. The common mistake is moving the tofu too soon in the pan: it tears and never forms the golden skin that holds the sauce. Chef's tip: salt the tofu slices lightly and leave them on kitchen paper for 10 minutes before frying; drier tofu browns faster and spits less.

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Yeongeun jorimSoy-braised lotus root

Yeongeun jorim is a winter banchan from the lotus ponds of South Jeolla, where Muan county is famous for its lotus fields, and it is now made in homes all over Korea for lunchboxes and holiday tables. Slices of lotus root are blanched in vinegared water, then simmered in soy and syrup until they turn dark, glossy and chewy with a lingering crunch. The holes make every slice look like lace. The common mistake is skipping the vinegar blanch, which leaves the slices grey and starchy. Chef's tip: stop cooking while there are still a couple of spoonfuls of sauce in the pan; the glaze thickens as it cools and turns sticky rather than hard.

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Doraji muchimBellflower root salad

Doraji muchim comes from Korea's mountain provinces, where bellflower root has been dug for centuries and sung about in the Gyeonggi folk song 'Doraji taryeong'. Today it is a festive banchan for Seollal and a spring side dish across the country: shredded roots, rubbed with salt to tame their bitterness, are dressed with gochujang, vinegar and sugar until crunchy, sweet, sour and gently hot. The common mistake is skipping the salt scrub, which leaves the roots harsh and bitter enough to put people off. Chef's tip: after scrubbing and rinsing, taste a strand; if it still bites, soak it in cold water for another 15 minutes.

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Gosari namulBraised bracken fern

Gosari namul is the earthy brown namul on every Korean holiday table, from Jeju, where families still pick young bracken on the island's hills in April, to Seoul, where it is bought dried for Seollal and Chuseok. Rehydrated fern stems are simmered soft, then stir-fried in perilla oil with soy and garlic until they are tender and meaty with a smoky, woodsy taste. It is also a core topping for bibimbap and yukgaejang. Always cook bracken thoroughly; never eat it raw. The common mistake is under-boiling the stems, which leaves them tough and slightly bitter. Chef's tip: after boiling, leave the stems soaking in fresh water for an hour, changing it once; it draws out the last bitterness and leaves a cleaner flavour.

105 minKoreanSidesVegan
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SundaeKorean blood sausage

Sundae is the steamed sausage sold sliced from big steaming trays in every Korean market, from Seoul's Sillim-dong sundae town to the Byeongcheon market in Cheonan, and eaten with salt and pepper, tteokbokki sauce or a bowl of soup. This home version fills cleaned pork casings with pork blood, glass noodles, sticky rice, cabbage and bean sprouts, then poaches them gently until firm, giving soft, savoury, slightly springy slices. It is pork through and through: pork blood and pork casings. Buy the blood fresh from a butcher, keep it chilled and use it the same day. The common mistake is boiling the water hard, which bursts the casings; keep it at a lazy simmer and prick any air bubbles. Chef's tip: fill the casings only about three-quarters full; the rice swells as it cooks and an overfilled sausage splits.

140 minKoreanMeat
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Oi muchimSpicy cucumber salad

When Korean summers turn sticky, from Daegu's heat to Seoul's monsoon, oi muchim is the ten-minute side dish families make to cool down a hot bowl of rice or a plate of grilled meat. Thin cucumber coins are salted briefly, then tossed with chilli flakes, vinegar, a touch of sugar and sesame, so they stay snappy and bright. It is best made just before eating. The common mistake is skipping the quick salting: unsalted cucumber leaks water into the dressing within minutes and the bowl turns soupy. Chef's tip: a few slivers of onion soaked in cold water for five minutes add sweetness and crunch without any harsh bite.

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Eomuk bokkeumStir-fried fish cake

Busan's fish cake makers on the old docks near Bupyeong market made eomuk famous, and eomuk bokkeum is how Korean homes everywhere turn a pack of fish cake sheets into a quick side dish for school lunchboxes. Strips of fish cake are stir-fried with onion, carrot and pepper in a sweet soy glaze, staying soft and bouncy with crisp vegetable bites. Most children love it, and a pinch of chilli flakes makes a grown-up version. The common mistake is frying the fish cake straight from the packet: its frying oil turns the dish greasy and dulls the sauce. Chef's tip: pour boiling water over the strips and drain before cooking; they soak up the glaze much better.

18 minKoreanFish
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TteokgukRice cake soup

On the morning of Seollal, the Lunar New Year, families across Korea eat a bowl of tteokguk, and the saying goes that you only turn a year older once you have finished it. Thin ovals of white rice cake are simmered in a clear beef broth seasoned with soup soy sauce, then topped with strips of egg, shredded beef, spring onion and toasted laver. It is mild, comforting and chewy. Rice cakes are very sticky: cut pieces small and supervise young children and older people closely, as they can be a choking risk. The common mistake is boiling the rice cakes too long, until they turn mushy and the soup thick and gluey. Chef's tip: soak dried rice cake slices in cold water for 20 minutes before cooking; they cook evenly in 3 minutes and stay chewy.

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Dotorimuk muchimAcorn jelly salad

Dotorimuk is a jelly made from acorn starch, gathered in Korea's oak-covered mountains, and dotorimuk muchim is the salad hikers eat at the little restaurants at the foot of Bukhansan and Gwanaksan after a weekend climb. Wobbly, nutty-bitter cubes of jelly are tossed gently with lettuce, cucumber, carrot and a soy, chilli and sesame dressing. Temple cooks make it exactly like this, without garlic or onion. The common mistake is tossing it hard like a green salad: the jelly breaks into crumbs, so fold it with your fingertips. Chef's tip: if the jelly has firmed up in the fridge, blanch the block in boiling water for 30 seconds and cool it; it turns soft and bouncy again.

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Sukju namulSeasoned bean sprouts

Sukju namul is the most delicate of Korea's sprout dishes, set out on every ancestral-rite table at Chuseok and on everyday trays in Seoul homes because it takes five minutes and costs very little. Mung bean sprouts are blanched for barely a minute, then dressed with salt, a little garlic and sesame oil, so they stay juicy and crunchy with a clean, nutty taste. It belongs in bibimbap too. The common mistake is overcooking: mung bean sprouts go limp and stringy within seconds of being done, so pull them while they still squeak. Chef's tip: plunge them straight into iced water after blanching and squeeze gently; they keep their snap for a whole day.

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DongeurangttaengPork and tofu patties

Dongeurangttaeng are the coin-sized pork patties that Korean families fry by the hundred in the days before Chuseok and Seollal, the whole kitchen floor in Seoul flats covered with newspaper and pans. Minced pork is mixed with mashed tofu, onion, carrot and spring onion, dipped in flour and egg and pan-fried until golden, tender and juicy. They are eaten warm or at room temperature with a soy-vinegar dip, and children love them. The common mistake is frying over high heat: the egg coating browns long before the pork is cooked through to the middle. Chef's tip: squeeze the tofu bone-dry in a cloth; wet tofu makes the patties fall apart and spit.

55 minKoreanMeat
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Gaji namulSeasoned steamed aubergine

In late summer, when aubergines pile up at Seoul's Gyeongdong market for next to nothing, gaji namul turns up beside the rice at almost every home dinner. Long strips of aubergine are steamed until silky, then torn and dressed with soy, garlic, spring onion and toasted sesame, so they taste mellow, savoury and faintly sweet. It is one of the gentlest banchan, good for anyone who finds kimchi too fierce. The usual mistake is dressing the aubergine while it is still hot and dripping: the seasoning slides off and the dish turns watery, so let it steam dry and cool first. Chef's tip: tear the strips by hand along the grain rather than slicing them; the rough edges hold far more dressing.

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SujeonggwaCinnamon persimmon punch

After a big Seollal feast in Seoul, sujeonggwa comes out ice-cold in small bowls, dark red-brown and fragrant with cinnamon and ginger, with a soft dried persimmon and a few pine nuts floating in each one. It is the punch of the New Year season, made a day or two ahead and kept on a cold balcony. The cinnamon and ginger are boiled separately and then combined, which keeps each flavour clean. The common mistake is boiling the cinnamon too long or too hard: it turns bitter and cloudy, so keep it to a gentle simmer. Contains pine nuts. Chef's tip: soak the dried persimmons in the cooled punch only a few hours before serving, so they soften without falling apart.

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Saengseon jeonEgg-battered fish slices

Saengseon jeon is one of the golden jeon laid out on ancestral rite tables at Chuseok and Seollal, especially in coastal homes along the East Sea, where pollock and cod are the holiday fish. Thin slices of white fish are seasoned, floured, dipped in egg and fried gently, giving delicate, tender fish inside a soft yellow coat. They are eaten with a soy-vinegar dip. The common mistake is cutting the fish too thick, so the egg browns before the centre is cooked. Chef's tip: slice the fillets while they are still half-frozen; you can cut neat 7 mm slices that cook in the time it takes the egg to set.

35 minKoreanFish
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KkultteokHoney-filled rice cakes

Kkultteok, 'honey rice cake', are the bite-sized coloured balls lined up in the windows of Korean tteok shops and on every Chuseok and birthday tray; bite one and a sweet, runny syrup of brown sugar and sesame bursts out. Despite the name, the filling is usually sugar, which melts into a honey-like syrup as the dumplings cook. The cakes are boiled, cooled in water and glossed with sesame oil. The common mistake is using too much filling or a thin dough, so the balls burst in the pot; keep the wall about 5 mm thick and seal well. Rice cakes are chewy and sticky, a known choking risk: cut them into small pieces for young children and older people and eat them sitting down. The filling is very hot straight from the pot, so let them cool before giving them to children. Chef's tip: let the boiled balls sit 1 minute in ice water; the shell firms up and the syrup inside turns fully liquid.

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Myeolchi bokkeumSweet stir-fried anchovies

Myeolchi bokkeum is the lunchbox banchan of Korea, made with tiny dried anchovies landed and sun-dried on the southern coast around Tongyeong and Namhae, the country's anchovy heartland. The little fish are toasted in a dry pan, then tossed in garlic oil and a quick soy and rice-syrup glaze, so they end up crunchy, sweet, salty and deeply savoury. A small dish goes alongside rice at almost every Korean meal. The common mistake is adding the syrup over a high heat: it caramelises into a hard sheet that welds the anchovies into a brick. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before the syrup goes in and toss; the pan's leftover warmth is enough to glaze without hardening.

15 minKoreanFish
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Yeonnip bapLotus leaf sticky rice

Yeonnip bap is a Buddhist temple dish from South Jeolla, where monasteries near the lotus ponds of Muan and the old temples of Jangseong wrap sticky rice in lotus leaves for festival days and visiting guests. Glutinous rice studded with chestnuts, jujubes, black beans and pine nuts is folded into a leaf parcel and steamed, so it comes out chewy, faintly sweet and scented with the green, tea-like aroma of lotus. Like all temple cooking, it uses no garlic, onion or other pungent alliums. Pine nuts are a tree-nut allergen. The common mistake is under-soaking the rice: it steams up hard in the middle however long you cook it. Chef's tip: sprinkle the rice with salted water halfway through steaming; it seasons every grain evenly and keeps the top layer from drying out.

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Gyeran jjimSteamed egg

At Korean barbecue restaurants in Seoul and Busan, a bubbling stone pot of gyeran jjim arrives puffed high above the rim to soothe mouths burned by grilled meat and kimchi. At home it is a soft, savoury egg custard eaten with rice, especially by children. This vegetarian version uses kelp water instead of the usual salted shrimp or anchovy stock. The common mistake is keeping the heat high once the egg starts to set, which scorches the bottom and makes the top tough and full of holes. Chef's tip: stir constantly for the first minute as it heats, then cover with an upturned bowl over the lowest flame; trapped steam is what makes it rise like a soufflé.

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Tteok kkochiRice cake skewers

Tteok kkochi is the after-school snack of Korea, sold for a few hundred won from carts outside primary schools, where children cluster round the vendor painting glaze onto the skewers. Cylinders of rice cake are fried until blistered and crisp outside but soft and chewy inside, then brushed with a sticky sauce of gochujang, ketchup and rice syrup. The usual mistake is frying rice cakes that are cold and hard from the fridge: they spit and stay tough in the middle, so soften them in hot water first. Rice cakes are dense and sticky, so cut them small for young children and older people and make sure they eat sitting down: they are a known choking risk. Chef's tip: dry the softened rice cakes very well before frying; water makes the oil spit.

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SikhyeSweet rice punch

Every Korean jjimjilbang (bathhouse) sells sikhye in little cans, and every grandmother makes a big pot of it before Seollal and Chuseok to sip after the heavy holiday meal, because it is believed to help digestion. Barley malt water and cooked rice are kept warm for several hours until enzymes turn the rice starch into sugar and the grains float up to the top, then the drink is boiled with ginger and chilled until icy. It is mild, lightly sweet and nutty, with soft rice grains to slurp. The usual mistake is letting it get too hot while it ferments: above about 65 °C the enzymes stop working and the grains never float. Contains barley (gluten). Chef's tip: use the rice cooker's 'keep warm' setting; it holds the perfect temperature on its own.

320 minKoreanDrinksVegan
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DalgonaHoneycomb toffee

Dalgona, or ppopgi, was the 1970s and 80s snack of Seoul alleyways, where an old man with a little stove melted sugar in a ladle and stamped a star or umbrella into it; if you could break the shape out without cracking it you won a free one. It is just sugar and a pinch of baking soda, puffed into a crisp, toffee-brown honeycomb that tastes faintly bitter-sweet. The common mistake is adding too much baking soda, which leaves the candy bitter and soapy; a tiny pinch on the tip of a chopstick is all it needs. Melted sugar reaches about 160 °C and burns badly, so children should watch while an adult does the melting, and should only press shapes once the candy has set a little. Chef's tip: use a stainless-steel ladle or small pan, not non-stick, and keep the flame low; the moment the sugar is clear and amber, take it off.

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MusaengchaeSpicy radish salad

Musaengchae is the quick radish salad Korean cooks make when the big autumn radishes from Gyeonggi farms come in, and it appears on the side of bibimbap bowls and pork platters all winter. Fine matchsticks of radish are reddened with gochugaru, then seasoned sweet, sour and salty, so every forkful is cold, crisp and lively. This version leaves out the fish sauce, so it is fully vegan. The common mistake is salting the radish before the chilli: the salt draws out water first and the colour ends up pale and patchy. Chef's tip: toss the radish with the chilli flakes on their own first and leave it for 5 minutes; it takes on a deep, even red before anything else goes in.

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