Book: Korean Food, the Originality and Korean Food, the Impression
Susan Jung
and
Korean Food, the Impression
This two-volume set is both interesting and annoying. Interesting because it's as much about Korean culture as it is about the cuisine, in particular .
The book tells us about the importance of rice and other grains; describes different cooking methods; talks about Korean table etiquette; and goes into great detail about the various fermented bean products, such as soy sauce ( ), soya bean paste () and spicy soya bean paste (), that are integral to Korean cuisine.
There's a fascinating chapter on the significance of - the "five colours" (black, red, blue/green, white and yellow) used in a Korean meal - that explains how they aren't just there to look pretty (although they do). The colours describe the five energies and directions of the universe and infuse "the forces of the cosmos in a single dish". Readers are told, "Eating such food means to internalise these forces and become a part of the universe in a sacred experience."
And, of course, it goes into detail about the many varieties of kimchi.
is where things gets frustrating. Within are mouth-watering close-up shots of the food and descriptions of the dishes. But instead of putting each recipe next to a photo of the dish, they are spread across both volumes, and you have to search for them because they aren't listed in the contents pages and there isn't an index.
Still, it's a good set of books for those interested in all things Korean. Some of the recipe instructions are rather cursory but anyone who knows how to cook can fill in the blanks. There are recipes for mung bean jelly with vegetables and meat; royal hot pot; dolsot bibimbap; soy sauce marinated crab; soft bean curd stew; summer dumplings; and royal court-style stir-fried rice cakes.
