A little taste of
Galbi - Korean Barbeque
by Sophie Davies
An
indication of its past 'hermit' like state, which insulated the nation from
the globalisation of food culture, Korean cuisine has retained much of its
original form.
Famous predominately for Korean Barbecue in many other parts of the world, Korea also offers other spicy delights, which can catch the foreigner off guard with their intensity of flavour. A fermented dish normally made with chilli, cabbage, garlic and fish sauce called 'Kimchi' was thought to have kept the SARS invasion at bay in this tiny peninsula country.
Korean Cuisine is built from the sea, the field and the mountain and centres around nine basics, namely red pepper, green onion, soy sauce, soy bean paste, garlic, ginger, sesame, mustard and vinegar. You would be challenged to find a single dish not featuring at least three of these.
A true favourite in South Korea today and ever increasing in popularity in Hong Kong, Japan and even in Australia is 'galbi' – Korean Barbecue.
Directly translated from Korean "galbi" means "fire meat" and this is exactly what it is. Your choice of raw beef, pork, duck, offal and chicken is presented along with a basket of hot coals, over which you can cook the meat to your liking. Sometimes marinated, the cooked meat is then wrapped in lettuce with rice, garlic and kimchi and swallowed, often in one hit!
Fond memories abound of laughter, story telling and good times enjoyed over the hotplate, shot glass of Korean liquor (called So-ju) in hand, in restaurants filled with patrons squatting on stools around smoking barbecues relaying the day's events, doing business deals and catching up with friends and family.
Try a plate of meat and a glass of So-ju at the Korean Restaurant at 133 Goodwood Road, Good-wood (Phone 08 8272 0066).