Korean food is probably some of the healthiest cuisine of any culture globally. Around the world and here in America, Korean people are known, of course, for their famous kimchi. Why is traditional Korean food so healthy? Korean culture values personal health immensely. They also have a strong belief in the supremacy of natural remedies. Anyone familiar with the work of Weston A. Price is aware that many traditional cultures shared common categories of natural healthy food eaten for centuries. Because of their intense reverence for elders and tradition, Korean cuisine has remained relatively intact for hundreds of years; this despite the fact that many indigenous diets of succumbed to the rise of global agribusiness and processed food manufacturing. This article describes seven healthy Korean dishes (I've also included a couple of teas) that most Americans will at least find palatable and, will with time grow to love.
1. Ginseng- Chicken Soup (samgyetang) is affectionately known as medicine soup. Forget Campbell's canned soup, Korean Ginseng Soup will "cure what ails you!" It couldn't be easier to make. Stuff your chicken with pearl rice, dried red dates (jujubes), raw peeled chestnuts, raw peeled ginkgo nuts, and garlic. Tie or sew the cavity shut, cover with water and cook with some ginseng. I've cooked it over night in a crock pot and it turned out great. Traditionally no salt is used; when eating one tears bits of chicken and dabs them lightly in a plate of salt. Don't eat the jujubes, their purpose is to sweeten the broth and pull toxins from the chicken.
2. Beef Bone broth really can't be beat for the amount of minerals and amino acids you can consume at an extremely small price. I like to buy my bones at Butcher Boys near Tacoma, WA because everything they sell is antibiotic and hormone free. First, parboil the bones for about ten minutes and pour of that water. Rinse the bones and then boil again on medium. It takes a few hours before the bones really release the calcium, magnesium phospherus two very benificial amino acids: proline and glycine. Adding a little organic apple cider vinigar will help draw out the minerals. Using both round and flat bones will give you a combination of read and yellow marrow. The traditional Korean way to eat bone soup is by sprinkling some salt and pepper then topping with sliced green onions. Use chopsticks (or a fork) to pick out bits of meat and marrow to dip in soy sauce and wasabi. Start eating bone soup today for your health and your budget! Beef brith is cheaper and healthier than milk. Don't hold back- I drank more than 2 gallons last week (go easy on the salt if consuming a lot.)
3. Ginger Tea is tasty and inexpensive. Ginger is good for the stomach and cinnamon increases circulation and blood flow. Simply slice fresh ginger root in one inch pieces and then boil with cinnamon sticks broken in 1-2 inch pieces. Make a big pot and then put it in the fridge to use on an as needed basis.
4. Fermented Soybean Soup (chung gook-jang) may take some getting used to for a westerner. Although similar to Japanese miso, Korean chung gook-jang is more nutritious. If functionality motivates your food choices more than pleasure though this soup is for you. It is a powerhouse of vitimans and medicine to detox the body and strengthen the liver. It probably even heals cancer. Koreans often say that soup made from "chung gook-jang" smells like dirty wet socks. If you want to start with a more palatable version try the less smelly soybean paste "doenjang." See wikipedia for a thorough explanation of the differences.
5. Korean hot and spicy soft tofu stew (Sondubu Jjigae) is a very common Korean comfort food. Many resturaunts will specialize in this and serve 10-20 varieties. The stew is served in a super hot stone bowl which is fun. Seafood is a popular addition, as well as mushrooms, but the possibilities are limitless. I used to love eating Vietnamese Pho at restaurants but have since stopped because I think those places really load on the MSG. Find a good tofu stew place for a hot, quick, tasty nutritious meal.
6. Reishi Mushroom tea. In Traditional Chinese Medicine mushrooms are considered the real powerhouses of healthful properties, and the Reishi (genus ganoderma) is often considered the granddaddy of them all. A very informative Wikipedia article outlines many of the purported benefits of this mushroom which include anti-cancer, heal the liver, and strengthen the immune system. I buy I 10.5 oz (300g) box at Paldo (the Korean supermarket in Lakewood, WA) and prepare it the traditional Korean way. I usually take a couple of handfuls of sliced mushrooms and cut them up with kitchen shears. Combine with red dates (for sweetness) and boil in my big Korean kettle with built in strainer for herbs. Tea is ready in 15 or 20 minutes. I usually reboil with more water so as not to waste any of the beneficial polysaccharides, terpenes or bioactive compounds. You could also grow your own Reishi mushrooms with a kit from Fungi Pefecti.
7. Bibimbap is perhaps the most common Korean dish known to Americans. When I flew on Korean Air 2 years ago we were served Bibimbap. It is basically a hot bowl of white rice covered vegetables, meat and a raw egg. Before eating all the ingredients are stirred together with fermented red pepper paste (gochajang.) Traditionally Bibimbap is prepared with wild vegetables and fungi such as fiddlehead ferns and shitake mushrooms. Wild harvested food often contains much more nutrients than farmed food. I recommend organic rice though as that is one crop that is notorious for pesticides.
I hope you were blessed by this article, please inform me of any mistakes you may see! Healthy eating!
