Korean cuisine often is based on rice and noodles in common with Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine, although indigenous ingredients such as fermented spicy cabbage (kimchi — 김치), rice cakes (떡 'duk') and various fermented bean sauces produce many dishes quite distinct from typical Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

Regional variations and specialities inside Korea do certainly exist, although typically 'the basics' can be found everywhere.

Barbecue

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Many may consider Korean marinated barbecue meat of beef, pork and chicken to be the canonical Korean food. In fact, visits to these restaurants are typically reserved for special occasions. You typically visit in a large group and order large amounts of raw meat which you cut yourself with large scissors and cook yourself on a gas (or charcoal) cookers in the middle of the table. When cooked, the meat should be dipped in chilli sauce and wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves. A high strength air vent is positioned above the cooker to avoid too much smoke landing on you.

Others

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Koreans often snack on kimbap (김밥, the name is a portmanteau of "seaweed" and "rice") which looks like large pieces of Japanese sushi but is usually filled with pickled vegetables, fish cake, sesame oil and sometimes cooked meat. It is always wrapped in dry seaweed.

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Map of Korean cuisine

The following destinations may be of interest for authentic regional dishes. Many of these are also available in some form in specialized restaurants in South Korean cities (and to a somewhat lesser extent Korean restaurants around the world).

• Naengmyeon (S) / Raengmyeon (N) (냉면 / 랭면). This ice cold noodle dish originates in the North Korean cities of 39.019444125.7380561 Pyongyang and 39.9125127.5355562 Hamhung, with each city having its own distinctive style. A famous restaurant called Okryugwan (옥류관) in the North Korean capital is one place there that serves this. In South Korea, the city of 35.2128.0833333 Jinju also has a famous version (and somewhat easier to visit). In China, a famous variant of the dish is made by the ethnic Korean community in 42.9129.54 Yanji. (updated Oct 2018)

• 38.206128.595 Squid Sundae (오징어 순대). A local variation of squid sausage is found in Sokcho, along with an annual Squid Festival. (updated Oct 2018)

• 35.85129.21676 Hwangnam-ppang (황남빵, 경주빵). Famous pastry from Gyeongju, baked and filled with a slightly sweet red bean paste. It is customary to visit the historical sights of the city, and then buy a box of these on the way home. (updated Oct 2018)

• 35.096129.037 Jagalchi Fish Market (자갈치시장). Busan is South Korea's main seaport, and that is reflected in the large amount of seafood traded here. You can easily spend a day here both looking through the market and then eating at the many restaurants around it. The market opens very early in the morning, so a spicy dish at 5AM in the morning can be the perfect end to a hard night out. (updated Oct 2018)

• 35.265256129.20598 Gijang Crab Market (부산 기장시장). Somewhat off the beaten track outside Busan, this is nevertheless a top regional destination for crab specialities. Large and small crabs, cooked and raw (marinated in soy sauce) available. (updated Oct 2018)

• 37.5130.86679 Honghap Jjim - Mussel stew (홍합찜). It takes a while to get to the island of Ulleungdo, east of the Korean mainland, but there are many unique Korean foods to be found here including this spicy mussel stew. (updated Oct 2018)

• 37.748611127.03888910 Uijeongbu. Known for budae jjigae, literally "military unit stew", a dish made of sausage, spam, instant noodles, kimchi and other ingredients. The dish traces its origin to the U.S. military presence in South Korea during the Korean War, when the then-impoverished Koreans put together a dish from the scraps that were thrown out by the American soldiers, but also combining them with some cheap and widely-available traditional Korean ingredients. (updated Jan 2023)

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• Western food in Asia