K-Soc Publications:
History of the Korean LGBTQ+ Community
Asian Week Cookbook
Food:
삼겹살 - Samgyupsal
고구마 - Goguma
떡볶이 - Tteokbokki
White Rabbit Asian Food
Music:
Playlist: pov: you're in Korea
Playlist: Summer
Playlist: K-retro
Playlist: K-rock
The most popular staple at a Korean barbeque is none other than pork belly or 삼겹살 (sam gyup sal). Picture a piece of bacon, with no salt. Then make that bacon about 15 times thicker. That’s your sam gyup sal. Sam gyup sal is the most commonly ordered meat at Korean barbeques, mostly because it’s cheaper than buying beef. But don’t let that deter you. Many people often prefer sam gyup sal over beef. It’s thick and scrumptious, and you’ll be addicted to that umami taste after your first bite. The way sam gyup sal is usually eaten in Korea is wrapped in a lettuce leaf (상추: sang chu) along with Korean bean paste (된장: dweng jang), cloves of garlic, and if you’re really feeling it, peppers. Then you just stuff the whole thing in your mouth.
Ever wish you had a snack that satisfied your sweet craving but wasn’t full of toxic ingredients and unnecessary added sugar while still making you feel full for the next couple of hours? What a dream that would be. Well guess what? Your dream has come true with Korean sweet potato or 고구마 (Goguma). Baked Goguma has been a childhood snack for who-knows-how-many centuries in Korea. The way you cook it is simple: pop it in the oven, or toaster oven if you got one, for 10 minutes or so, and then peel away the skin. Underneath is a steaming, golden potato that tastes as sweet as your favourite junk food. Only this snack is all-natural, and when you’re finished eating you’ll feel like you just had a three-course meal.
There are also many expressions in Korean that use the word Goguma. When you eat Goguma, your throat often feels stiff and dry if you don’t eat it with a drink. So Goguma is often used to express stifling or annoying situations. For example, if you’re watching your favourite Kdrama and you’re at the part where all the main character seems to do is fall further into the trap set up by the antagonists, you may say ‘완전 고구마다' (wanjeon gogumada), which would translate into you being so frustrated from the failings of the protagonist. But then, you reach that moment when the main character wins in and grinds their foes into the ground. As you feel the refreshing satisfaction, you may say ‘고구마 사이다 (goguma saida). 사이다 is the word in Korean for clear soda water. So after your throat is dry from goguma, you take a refreshing swig of saida to clear it up. It’s the same satisfactory feeling we’ve all felt many times in life.
Where to find goguma: Asia Market on Drury St, Dublin 2
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is a must have Korean street food! This tasty dish is made from rice cakes (떡), in Korean soup stock (육수) and Korean chili paste (고추장), along with fish cakes (어묵). It hits the spot covering sweet, salty, and spicy! You can get some 떡볶이 in Arisu, or you can give it a go yourself with the recipe down below!
1. Rinse rice cakes (500g) under water.
2. In a pot, add 300ml stock and stir in gochujang and sugar (to taste).
3. Bring to medium-high heat, add in the rinsed rice cakes and allow it simmer for approx. 5 minutes.
4. Add in any other ingredients (like fish cakes or boiled eggs).
5. Optionally, top with some chopped scallions and some shredded mozzarella cheese.
If you haven’t been here to eat yet, this is a MUST go. From perfectly cooked Korean Fried Chicken to Korean corn dogs, there is something for everyone there.
White Rabbit Asian Food has two branches; Moore Street and Capel Street (perhaps you remember the Capel Street branch from our Walking Food Tour last year). They opened up back in 2021 and have been bringing authentic Asian foods to the heart of Dublin!
Our personal recommendations? The 닭강정 and the potato corn dog!