{"id":54864,"date":"2024-01-31T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/?p=54864"},"modified":"2024-08-29T16:22:34","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T07:22:34","slug":"7-seollal-foods-you-should-try-in-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/7-seollal-foods-you-should-try-in-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Seollal foods you should try\u00a0in Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even in modern Korean culture, Seollal<\/strong> (\uc124\ub0a0, Korean New Year<\/strong>)<\/a> is one of the most important traditional festivals in Korea, commemorating the first day of the lunar calendar. The origin of Seollal has a long history, which also consists of a variety of traditional Seollal food. Let\u2019s read on to find out what some Seollal foods are and where you can try them out in Seoul! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food for the King<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In historical Korean culture, the earliest Seollal celebrations were recorded during the old kingdom, Silla<\/strong> (\uc2e0\ub77c) dynasty, and subsequently in the period of Goryeo<\/strong> (\uace0\ub824) and Joseon<\/strong> (\uc870\uc120) dynasty. Do you know that there are specific meals only catered to the Royal family and aristocrats? Hanjeongsik<\/strong> (\ud55c\uc815\uc2dd) is a traditional Korean-style full course meal consisting of up to 30 dishes each time. This royal cuisine is largely made up of rice, seafood and vegetables, though meat such as beef and chicken is prepared as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main dishes usually have raw fish, shelled crabs, Bulgogi <\/strong>(\ubd88\uace0\uae30, grilled meat), and Jeon<\/strong> (\uc804, Korean pancake). The rice served is called the Patbab<\/strong> (\ud325\ubc25, a mixture of rice, beans and nuts), which has many nutritional properties. Along with the main dishes, Guk <\/strong>(\uad6d, soup) will also be included, or sometimes Jjigae<\/strong> (\ucc0c\uac1c, stew). The broth of Jjigae is much thicker than that of a soup. On the side, Banchan<\/strong> (\ubc18\ucc2c, side dishes) come in a wide variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Banchan<\/strong>, although placed on the side to complement the main dishes, they are prepared and presented in accordance with a strict rule referred to as the philosophy of the Yin, Yang and the primary 5 elements. The importance of the harmony between the 5 preparation methods (grilled, boiled, steamed, fried, or salted) as well as 5 presentation colors (red, blue, green, white, or black) is highly valued in Hanjeongsik<\/strong>. No doubt that the long history of Hanjeongsik played an influence over how Koreans prepare festive Seollal food in modern days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iconic Seollal food <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s see some Seollal food that has been passed down from history!    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tteokguk (\ub5a1\uad6d, Rice cake soup)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tteokguk<\/strong> (\ub5a1\uad6d) is a traditional Korean soup that is made with a meat broth, usually beef or anchovy, that consists of tteok<\/strong> (\ub5a1, rice cakes). You can also add eggs, meat, or seaweed to elevate the taste. The whiteness of the soup symbolizes a clean, fresh start to the new year and the round, oval shape of the tteok resembles coins which bring good luck in the new year. In recent years, Manduguk<\/strong> (\ub9cc\ub450\uad6d, dumplings soup) also became another soup option when preparing Seollal food. Following a similar recipe, Mandu <\/strong>(\ub9cc\ub450, dumplings) are later added to the soup. Below are some restaurants we recommend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n