By Irfan Redzwan
Gujeolpan actually refers to a platter with nine sections that’s used to serve traditional delicacies. “Gu” means number 9, “jeol” sectioned, and “pan” a tray or a platter. In Asian culture, the number nine holds a symbolic meaning of fullness and harmony. Gujeolpan as a dish carries that meaning by offering a harmony of colors, textures, and nutrients. The dish usually contains different vegetables, meat and seafood. As with many Korean dishes, gujeolpan reflects 5 Korean traditional colors, obangsaek (오방색), — white, black, red, yellow, and blue, which represent hope and longevity. In cooking, blue is substituted for green.
This shrimp dish, called kkanpung saeu. It’s a deep-fried shrimp dish glazed in a sweet and spicy sauce. Kkanpung saeu is a popular Korean-Chinese dish, which is a Chinese dish that’s adapted for the Korean palate by Chinese immigrants in Korea. Kkanpung is a Korean pronunciation of the Chinese word that refers to stir-frying until the sauce is all absorbed, and saeu (also spelled saewu or saewoo) means shrimp in Korean. When the dish is made with chicken, it’s called kkanpunggi .
Pajeon is a Korean savory pancake made with scallions. Pa means scallion, and jeon means pan-fried battered food. A popular variation of pajeon is haemul pajeon, which is made with seafood. Pajeon is one of Koreans’ all-time favorite snacks or appetizers to share when gathered around the table with friends and family.
Commercially available pancake mix (buchim garu) is a pantry staple in Korean homes. It is seasoned and typically includes flour and other ingredients such as corn starch, rice flour and baking powder for a crispy texture. Sometimes, Korean home cooks combine pancake mix with frying mix (twuigim garu) for extra crispy pancakes.
This slow cooker chicken recipe is adapted from my dakjjim (also called jjimdak) recipe. Chicken dish that is cooked in a spicy red sauce, this dakjjim recipe is braised in a sweet and savory sauce. It gets the spicy kick from fresh or dried hot peppers.
Doraji refers to the bellflower plant and its root. It’s also known as balloon flower or platycodon, which is native to Korea and other East Asian countries. To Koreans, doraji is much more than a common root vegetable. It’s long been used in herbal medicine and as a home remedy for treating common colds, coughs, congestion, and other respiratory diseases. The tough, fibrous roots somewhat resemble ginseng in shape and size. If you’re in Korea, you can easily find them pre-peeled and shredded in markets or from street vendors. For the rest of us, the option generally is dried doraji packages that are available in Korean markets. Good doraji can be expensive, but it’s totally worth it!
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