30/30/30 Food Challenge - Day 20: KOREA & VIETNAM

    Althought  I have a fondness for Vietnamese cuisine, I readily admit that my knowledge of it is minimal; I know even less about Korean cooking.  Fortunately, with the magic of the internet at my fingertips, you will be forgiven if you come away from this post thinking I'm an expert in Southeast Asian cuisine.

    Josée decided to tackle these two countries in one meal. Rightly or wrongly and from a foreigner's point of view, these two cuisines have a lot in common. 

    Korean cuisine is largely based upon rice, vegetables and meat. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes (banchan) that accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Kimchi is served often, sometimes at every meal. Commonly used ingredients include sesame oil, doenjang (fermented bean paste), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and gochujang (fermented red chili paste).

    A side note:  The consumption of dog meat in what is now Korea dates back to antiquity. Today, the primary dog breed raised for meat, the nureongi, differs from those breeds raised for pets, which Koreans may keep in their homes.  Dog meat is usually eaten during the summer months, in either roasted form or prepared in soups. No dog meat was served in this meal.

    In Vietnamese cuisine, regular ingredients include fish sauce,  shrimp paste,soy sauce,  rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes utilize lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, coriander and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. Vietnamese food is often ranked as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.  The most common meats used in Vietnamese cuisine are fish, chicken, pork, beef and various kinds of seafood. The Vietnamese also have a strong vegetarian tradition influenced by Buddhist values.

    A word on dining etiquette:  In Korea, unlike in China, Japan and Vietnam, the rice or soup bowl is not lifted from the table when eating from it. This is due to the fact that each diner is given a metal spoon along with the chopsticks known collectively as sujeo. The use of the spoon for eating rice and soups is expected.  One of our guests, Michael, is well travelled in the region and utilized this technique like an habitué.

    Josée's combined Korean and Vietnamese menu:

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

with Chili Dipping Sauce

Bindae Duk 

Vietnamese Beef and Spinach Soup

Kimchi (Mild and Hot)

Lemon Grass Chicken

Shrimps in Red Curry Paste

Spicy Vegetables

Jasmine Rice

Xoi Nuoc Dir A

    

 

     The Vietnamese summer rolls were made with rice paper and filled with cucumber, carrots, cabbage, rice noodles, shrimps and coriander.

 

    Bindae Duk is served in Korea and is a mung bean pancake.  The mung bean, also known as green gram or golden gram, is the seed of Vigna radiata, native to the Indian Subcontinent.  It is used as a foodstuff in both savoury and sweet dishes.

 

    The Vietnamese Beef and Spinach Soup is just that and is delicious.

 

    Kimchi refers to often fermented vegetable dishes usually made with napa cabbage, Korean radish, or sometimes cucumber, commonly fermented in a brine of ginger, garlic, scallions, and chili pepper.  There are endless varieties with regional variations, and it is served as a side dish or cooked into soups and rice dishes. Koreans traditionally make enough kimchi to last for the entire winter season, as fermented foods can keep for several years.

 

    The Lemon Grass Chicken is typically Vietnamese.  Chicken legs are marinated in lemongrass before baking.

 

    The Shrimps in Red Curry Sauce and the Spicy Vegetables are Korean specialities.

 

    The Xoi Nuoc Dir A is a typical Vietnamese dessert consisting of steamed sticky rIce in coconut cream.  Interesting.

    Wines are always difficult to choose for a meal like these.  Here is whar we drank:

 

         Weingut Bründlmayer, Stewinmassel, Riesling, 2008, Austria

         Clos des Capucins, Gewurztraminer Reserve, Domaine Weinbach, 2008, France

 

    I'm starting to get worried. I woke up in a sweat last night; I had a nightmare that I was about to start eating Smalahove, that Norwegian sheep head, when the thing started winking at me. Today, I was speaking to a friend when suddenly I started to use words neither of us could understand.  Turns out I was speaking Polish!  My morning yogurt tasted cumin.  Only ten days to go...don't know if I'll make it.

 

    Joseph Froncioni

Comments

[Liz]

This looked like a superhuman task. Unbelievable Josée!!! Hats off to you.