South Korean Traditional Food

KIMCHEE

Kimchee is the most famous side dish among the Koreans or even foreigners. It is a must-served dish in every Korean meal. Kimchee is widely refered to Korean traditional fermented vegetables. At the very begining, kimchee is prepared for the winter season since they can't cultivate crops during winter. Therefore, they preserved the vegetables for consuming during the winter.

There are actually various types of kimchee in Korea such as cucumber kimchee, green chilies kimchee, chinese cabbage kimchee, radish kimchee and so on but the word Kimchee is commonly refered to chinese cabbage kimchee. During different season, different kind of kimchee will be served. For example during summer, cucumber kimchee and radish kimchee will be served. During spring, leafy vegetable will be the main ingredient for making kimchee and the kimchee in spring sometimes are not even fermented for a long period but seasoned for a short period. During winter, most of the kimchee are available since it is the most suitable time to consume kimchee.

The ingredients for making kimchee usually includes galic, ginger, spring onion, salt, vinegar, chilies, chilies pepper, salted fishes sauce etc. Combination of these ingredients give a special taste for the kimchee and it stands the name of "Aroma of Korea".

South Korea's Tour Place Information

Kyongju
Known as Korea’s ‘museum without walls’, Kyongju is a repository of ancient Korean history and Buddhist culture and has been designated by UNESCO as one of the world’s 10 most historically significant sites. Capital of the Shilla Kingdom from 57 BC to AD 935, many traces of the temples, palaces and monuments of that era still remain. The most impressive structure to survive is undoubtedly the seventh-century Chomsongdae, an observatory that ranks amongst the oldest in Asia. Nearby Tumuli Park contains 20 tomb mounds of Shilla Royalty, one of which, the Heavenly Horse Tomb, can be entered. Many treasures of the area, including golden crowns excavated from the tombs, can be seen in the Kyongju National Museum. The Anapji Pond and Gardens are a reconstructed pleasure garden complete with pavilions. The surrounding hills are dotted with ancient monuments and temples and laced with scenic hiking trails.

Excursions
Within easy reach of Kyongju is the Pomun Lake Resort, a complex of hotels, a convention center, golf courses, sports facilities, a casino, marina and shopping centers. Nearby Pulguksa Temple is one of the country’s most famous and a major tourist draw. This large wooden temple is beautifully painted and very atmospheric and the stone foundations and pagodas date back to the eighth century. High on the mountain above Pulguksa is the fascinating Sokkuram Grotto, an ancient and highly complex cave-like structure containing a large granite Buddha and wall carvings of guardian deities, all of great artistic importance.
50km west of Taegu City is the Kayasan National Park, at the center of which is Haeinsa, Korea’s best-known temple. Built in AD 802, it houses the extraordinary Tripitaka Koreana, a set of over 80,000 wooden printing blocks engraved with the complete Buddhist scriptures. Completed in 1252 after 16 years of work, they are still in perfect condition.