Even though Seoul is an extremely globalized city with hundreds of cuisines to choose from for any given meal, Korean food is by far the most popular and cheapest option around! Popular Korean foods include samgyeopsal (pork belly), bibimbap (mixed vegetables with rice and red chili paste) and jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce). In general, I think that Korean food can be a shock to the Western palate if you're trying it for the first time. Many dishes are naturally red because of the abundant use of hot chili paste. Even dishes that look harmless will leave you asking for a glass of milk if you don't have a high tolerance for spicy foods! We also can't talk about Korean food without mentioning kimchi: cabbage fermented in various spices such as garlic, ginger, salt and of course, red chili paste. Kimchi is eaten as a side dish to almost every meal. Many restaurants will actually have a self-serve station where you can grab as much kimchi as you want. It tastes, spicy, salty and sour all at once. It might not be for everyone, but it has a longstanding role in Korean food history and culture. Did you know that Korean families often have a separate refrigerator at home just for kimchi?
