![Various North Korean foods](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Various_North_Korean_foods.jpg)
Some dishes are shared by the two Koreas; however, availability and quality of Northern cuisine is much more significantly affected by sociopolitical class divides.
Historically,
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient
agricultural and nomadic traditions in southern
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
and the Korean Peninsula, it has gone through a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends.
Rice dish This is a list of rice dishes from all over the world, arranged alphabetically. Rice is the seed of the monocot plants ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple fo ...
es and
kimchi
''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), sprin ...
are
staple Korean foods. In a traditional meal, they accompany both side dishes (''
panch'an'') and main courses like ''
chuk
Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit alpha (IKK-α) also known as IKK1 or conserved helix-loop-helix ubiquitous kinase (CHUK) is a protein kinase that in humans is encoded by the ''CHUK'' gene. IKK-α is part of the IκB kinase co ...
'' (porridge), ''
pulgogi'' (grilled meat) or ''myŏn'' (
noodles
Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, Indo ...
). ''
Soju
(; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...
'' liquor is the best-known traditional Korean spirit.
North Korean cuisine
![Cold Noodles at Famous Okryu Restaurant (10108835864)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Cold_Noodles_at_Famous_Okryu_Restaurant_%2810108835864%29.jpg)
Some
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n dishes and foods are also prepared in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and many dishes that originated in North Korea were brought to South Korea by migrating families after the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
.
Many of these imported dishes became staples in the South Korean diet.
In North Korea, some dishes vary in flavor compared to South Korean versions, with some North Korean dishes being less spicy and more varied in composition compared to South Korean preparations.
North Korean dishes have been described as having a specific tanginess that is derived from using ingredients with flavors of sweet, sour, pungent and spicy, in combinations that create this effect.
Some
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
s, particularly in
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
, have expensive pricing relative to average worker wages in North Korea.
Accessibility to restaurants is not always available to average North Korean citizens, with tourists and rich citizens being the primary patrons at some of them, particularly upscale ones.
Per their pricing, upscale restaurants are typically available only to well-paid leaders of the North Korean government, tourists visiting the country, and the emerging affluent middle class of ''donju'' in the country.
''Donju'' means "masters of money", and the ''donju'' typically hold positions in the government, positions operating state-owned businesses outside of the country, and positions involving bringing investments and the importation of products into the country.
Some
street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
s exist in North Korea, such as in Pyongyang, where vendors operate
food stall A food kiosk or food booth (also food stand, temporary food service facility) is generally a temporary structure used to prepare and sell food to the general public, usually where large groups of people are situated outdoors in a park, at a parade ...
s.
North Korea's first
pizzeria
A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta.
Many pizzerias offer take-away, where the customer orders their food either in advance or at the restaurant and then take ...
opened in 2009.
Alcoholic beverages
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The cons ...
are produced and consumed in North Korea, and the country's legal drinking age is 18.
North Korean dishes and foods
![Gajamisikhae (fermented righteye flounders)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Gajamisikhae_%28fermented_righteye_flounders%29.jpg)
*
Barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
*
Beef rib
A rib steak (known as côte de boeuf or tomahawk steak in the UK) is a beefsteak sliced from the rib primal of a beef animal, with rib bone attached. In the United States, the term rib eye steak is used for a rib steak with the bone removed; h ...
soup
*
Bellflower
*
Chapch'ae
*
Chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
* Chinese
cabbage stew
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nbs ...
*
Chokbal – consists of
pig's trotters
A pig's trotter, also known as a pettitoe, or sometimes known as a pig's foot, is the culinary term for the foot of a Domestic pig, pig. The cuts are used in various dishes around the world, and experienced a resurgence in the late 2000s.
Descri ...
cooked with
soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
and various spices.
Additional ingredients can include onion, leeks, garlic, cinnamon and black pepper.
*
Cookie
A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, n ...
s
*
Corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
– it is not uncommon for North Koreans to grind corn, often including the corn cobs and husks to extend the mixture
*
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi (fungi which bear fruiting structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye). They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground ...
s – such as wild pine mushrooms
![Gimbap 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Gimbap_3.jpg)
*
Herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s and
greens – used as an ingredient and in salads
*
Hot pot
Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...
![Korean cuisine-Jokbal-02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Korean_cuisine-Jokbal-02.jpg)
*
Kajami shik'ae – a fermented and salted food prepared in North Korea using
flounder
Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuaries.
Taxonomy
The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related species, thou ...
and additional ingredients such as quinoa, garlic, ginger and chili flakes.
*
Kimbap
''Gimbap'' (), also romanized as kimbap, is a Korean cuisine, Korean dish made from Bap (food), cooked rice and ingredients such as vegetables, fish, and meats that are rolled in ''gim (food), gim''—dried sheets of seaweed—and served in bi ...
*
Kimchi
''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), sprin ...
– very common in North Korea, it is consumed as both a condiment and as a side dish, and often accompanies every meal.
Kimchi is relied upon by North Koreans during the winter months when fresh vegetables are unavailable.
**
Kkaktuki – diced radish kimchi
*
Kogi bap – a rice dish with
artificial meat, it is a popular North Korean
street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
**
Injo kogi – sausages prepared using soybeans and other ingredients.
**
Injo kogi bap - cooked rice wrapped in a skin of leftover soybean paste.
*
Korean chestnut
*
Mandu – various
dumpling
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...
s, mandu styles vary in different regions of North Korea
**
P'yŏnsu – square-shaped mandu popular in
Kaesong
Kaesong (, ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close t ...
*
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...
s – meat consumption tends to be rare in North Korea, and most citizens only have access to meats during the public holidays of the birthdays of
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...
and
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...
, when extra meat is included in government rations provided to North Koreans.
Meats that are consumed include mostly pork, rabbit and occasionally goat.
Beef consumption is essentially not allowed in North Korea, but very limited consumption of small amounts of beef is permitted, which is sometimes used in stews or soups.
*
Millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...
*
Miyŏk-kuk – a nutritious vegetable soup prepared with seaweed
![Okryugwan rengmyun1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Okryugwan_rengmyun1.jpg)
*
Noodle
Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, Indo ...
s and noodle dishes
– in North Korean culture, long noodles represent a long life or a long marriage, and long noodles are served to people at weddings.
**
Beef noodle soup
Beef noodle soup is a noodle soup made of stewed or braised beef, beef broth, vegetables and noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East and Southeast Asia.
One of the oldest beef noodle soups is the Lanzhou lamian (兰州拉面) or L ...
**
Corn noodles
**
Raengmyŏn – referred to as "naengmyeon" in South Korea, it is a traditional Korean cold noodle dish that is prepared using
buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...
noodles in North Korea.
In North Korea, additional ingredients in the dish typically include some slices of meat, dried egg and hot sauce.
The noodles are prepared using the flour and starch from ingredients such as buckwheat, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Some variations of the dish in North Korea is to include raw fish, cucumber, radish and Asian pear.
Some North Koreans state that raengmyŏn originated in North Korea, and that it was introduced to South Korea by North Koreans who emigrated to South Korea after the Korean War occurred.
**
Ramyŏn – referred to as "curly noodles" in North Korea.
Shin Ramyun
Shin Ramyun is a brand of instant noodle (including Instant noodle#Korea, cup ramyeon) that has been produced by the South Korean food company Nongshim since 1 October 1986. It is now exported to over 100 countries, and is the best-selling insta ...
is a brand of
instant noodle
Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash frying cooked noodles, and this is ...
s produced in South Korea that is nicknamed "money ramen" in North Korea, due to its relatively expensive pricing in North Korea at around 800
won per unit.
In 2009, boxes of Shin Ramyun that contain twenty packages of ramen per box costed around 30,000 North Korean won, which in North Korea is expensive, and therefore not available to most North Korean citizens at this price.
**
Rice noodle
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
s
![Haemulpajeon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Haemulpajeon.jpg)
*
P'ajǒn
*
Panch'an –
side dish
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
, which adds flavor.
Restaurants in North Korea typically charge for these accompaniments
*
Pheasant
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...
*
Pibimpap – white rice with vegetables and other ingredients
**
Tolsot pibimpap – hot stone pot pibimpap
*
Pickled cucumber
A pickled cucumber (commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and a gherkin in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or ...
*
Pindae-ttŏk – a fried green bean pancake prepared using
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
s, green onion and kimchi.
Pindae-ttŏk first appears under the name ''binjatteok'' in the ''
Umsik timipang'', a cooking encyclopedia written in the 1670s by
Chang Kye-hyang, the wife of a public officer.
*
Porridge
Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...
– a
staple food
A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and ...
in North Korea
*
Potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
es and potato dishes.
See also:
potato production in North Korea
In North Korea, the cultivation of potatoes is important to the livelihood of the country's people. The crop was introduced into the country in the early 1800s. Since the North Korean famine, famine of the 1990s, a potato revolution has taken place ...
.
*
Pulgogi – marinated and grilled beef
*
Quail egg
Quail eggs are eaten and considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. In Japanese cuisine, they are sometimes used raw or cooked as ''tamago'' in sushi and often found in ''bento'' lunches.
In ...
s and quail egg jelly
*
Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
– short-grain rice is a staple food in North Korea.
*
Rice cake
A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly preval ...
s
*
Seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
– seafood dishes and
raw seafood are a part of the cuisine, and seafood is a staple food in North Korea
**
Alaska pollock
The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') is a marine fish species of the cod genus ''Gadus'' and family Gadidae.
It is a semi-pelagic Shoaling and schooling, schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean, N ...
**
Clam
Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two she ...
s
**
Cod
Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
**
Kimbap
''Gimbap'' (), also romanized as kimbap, is a Korean cuisine, Korean dish made from Bap (food), cooked rice and ingredients such as vegetables, fish, and meats that are rolled in ''gim (food), gim''—dried sheets of seaweed—and served in bi ...
sushi
**
Gray mullet fish soup
**
Octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
** Salmon and raw salmon
*
Seaweed
Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...
*
Shinsŏllo
![KOCIS rice puff yeotgangjeong (4646381787)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/KOCIS_rice_puff_yeotgangjeong_%284646381787%29.jpg)
*
Snack food
A snack is a small portion of food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home.
Traditionally, snack ...
s – examples of snack foods produced within North Korea include
kangjǒng, cookies, puffy snacks and cotton candy pieces.
*
Sundae
A sundae () is an ice cream dessert of American origin that typically consists of one or more scoops of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup and in some cases other toppings such as: sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallows, peanuts, maraschino ...
– traditional Korean sausages that are a popular street food
*
Sungŏ-kuk
*
Tangogikuk – traditional soup with dog meat as a primary ingredient
*
Tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...
– a staple food in North Korea
**
Tofu bap
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super fir ...
– a tofu and rice dish that is a common street food in North Korea.
*
Tot'ori-muk – acorn jelly
*
Ttŏk – sticky rice cakes, sometimes with fillings
*
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
*
Yakpap – a traditional sweet dish prepared using steamed glutinous rice, chestnuts, dates, honey and other ingredients
File:보신탕.jpg, Tangogikuk
File:Korean cuisine-Bibimbap-08.jpg, Tolsot pibimpap
File:Korean acorn jelly-Dotorimuk-05A.jpg, Unseasoned tot'orimuk
File:Authentic Mapo Tofu.jpg, Mapo tofu
Mapo tofu () is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan province. It consists of tofu set in a spicy sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, based on douban (fermented broad bean and chili paste), and douchi (fermented black bean ...
originated in China, and is consumed in North Korea
File:Tteok in Pyongyang, North Korea.jpg, Ttŏk in Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
, North Korea
File:Yaksik.jpg, Yakpap
File:North Korea (5015223141).jpg, Some typical foods in North Korea
File:Pyongyang Street Food Vendors (15170855368).jpg, Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
vendors in Pyongyang, North Korea
File:Typical North Korean snack (안주) at the Rakwon Paradise Microbrewery (11416187434).jpg, Dried pollock
Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. ''Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...
at the Rakwon Paradise Microbrewery. Dried pollock is a typical bar snack in some areas of North Korea.
File:North Korea-Pyongyang-Lunch-01.jpg, Lunch at a restaurant in Pyongyang
File:Lunch in Gaeseong 02.JPG, Lunch at a restaurant in Kaesong
Kaesong (, ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close t ...
File:Cuisine of North Korea 04.jpg, North Korean foods
File:North Korea — Pyongyang (1026358083).jpg, Foods at a restaurant in Pyongyang
File:North Korea-Kaesong-Tongil restaurant-01.jpg, Covered dishes at Tongil restaurant in Kaesong
File:North Korea-Kaesong-Tongil restaurant-02.jpg, Dishes at Tongil restaurant in Kaesong
File:North Korean propaganda poster - Breed more rabbits and let our soldiers enjoy plentiful food!.jpg, A North Korean propaganda
Propaganda is widely used and produced by the government of North Korea (DPRK). Most propaganda is based on the ''Juche'' ideology and on the promotion of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The first syllable of ''Juche'', "ju", means the man; th ...
poster stating, "Breed more rabbits and let our soldiers enjoy plentiful food!"
Condiments
![Gochujang (chilli paste)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Gochujang_%28chilli_paste%29.jpg)
Some
condiment
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific Flavoring, flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is serv ...
s used in North Korea to add flavor to foods are listed below.
*
Bean paste
* Garlic
* Ginger
*
Koch'ujang – prepared as a sauce and as a
red pepper paste
Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers.
Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces. ...
*
Pepper flakes
Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes is a condiment or spice consisting of dried and crushed (as opposed to ground) red chili peppers. This condiment is most often produced from cayenne-type peppers, although commercial producers may use a vari ...
*
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. O ...
*
Soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
Beverages
![Korean](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Korean.tea-Daechucha-01.jpg)
*
Bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to large car ...
is imported from China, and is typically consumed by the ''donju'', "the new affluent middle class" in North Korea.
"Shindŏk' Saemmul" is a
spring water
A spring is a point of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of Earth's crust (pedosphere) and becomes surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fresh w ...
produced in North Korea, but it is exported to countries in Southeast Asia, and is typically not available in the North Korean market.
*
Coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
**
Instant coffee
Instant coffee is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans that enables people to quickly prepare hot coffee by adding hot water or milk to coffee solids in powdered or crystallized form and stirring. Instant coffee solids (also called sol ...
– some instant coffee in North Korea is produced within the country
*
Ginseng tea
Ginseng tea, or ''insam-cha'' ( insam means ginseng and cha means tea in Korean), is a traditional Korean tea made with ginseng. While it is called a tea, ginseng tea does not contain tea leaves. It is a herbal tea infusion made out of the ginse ...
– a common beverage in North Korea
*
Soft drink
A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...
s – soft drink bottlers exist in North Korea, such as the Wonbong Trading Co. in Pyongyang.
Soft drink products produced within North Korea are sometimes labeled as "carbonated sweet water".
Sometime in 2017,
Air Koryo
Air Koryo () is the state-owned national airline of North Korea, headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang. Based at Pyongyang International Airport (IATA: FNJ), it operates international scheduled and charter services to points in Asia.
Histo ...
, North Korea's flagship airline, began offering its own brand of soft drinks on flights to and from Beijing, China.
Air Koryo soft drinks are also purveyed at some North Korean grocery stores.
Coca-Cola bottled in China is available in upscale grocery stores in Pyongyang, and Pepsi bottled in China is also available, although it is rare compared to Coca-Cola's availability.
* Ryongjin Cocoa - a North Korean own brand cola made and canned in the country
*
Taech'u-ch'a – a traditional Korean tea prepared with
jujube
Jujube (), sometimes jujuba, known by the scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'' and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus ''Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae.
Description
It is a smal ...
and a
pine nut
Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), pignoli or chilgoza (), are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are trade ...
garnish
File:Pyongyang Hotel Cafe (10194462015).jpg, Coffee beans and an espresso machine at a coffee shop located next to the Pyongyang Hotel in Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
, North Korea
File:Helmut Sachers Coffee Shop in Pyongyang North Korea (11418016964).jpg, A coffee drink at Helmut Sachers Kaffee in Pyongyang, North Korea
Alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic beverages are consumed in North Korea, and drinking is a part of the
culture of North Korea
The contemporary culture of North Korea is based on traditional Korean culture, but has developed since the division of Korea in 1945. ''Juche'' ideology formed by Kim Il-sung (1948–1994) asserts Korea's cultural distinctiveness and creativity ...
.
North Korea's
legal drinking age
The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...
is 18, but minors are sometimes allowed to consume alcoholic beverages, and some shop keepers readily sell them alcoholic drinks.
Some North Koreans brew and distill alcoholic beverages at home, despite such home alcohol production being forbidden in North Korea, and some sell these beverages to markets, although this is also illegal.
Home brewed liquor is made using ingredients such as potatoes and corn.
Some North Korean consumers purchase alcoholic beverages directly from alcohol-producing factories in the country, using cash.
In recent times, imported Chinese liquor has been allowed to be sold in markets, and a well-known Chinese liquor purveyed in North Korea is Kaoliang Liquor, which has a 46-50% alcohol content.
North Korea has some bars and other drinking establishments, and in recent times,
beer hall
A beer hall () is a large pub that specializes in beer.
Germany
Beer halls are a traditional part of Bavarian culture, and feature prominently in Oktoberfest. Bosch notes that the beer halls of Oktoberfest, known in German as ''Festzelte'', ...
s have become popular in Pyongyang.
![A glass of Taedonggang pilsner beer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/A_glass_of_Taedonggang_pilsner_beer.jpg)
*
Beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
is produced in North Korea, and
craft beer
Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
production has increased in recent times.
The major breweries in the country are
Taedonggang Brewing Company
The Taedonggang Brewing Company (Taedonggang, Chosongul: 대동강 맥주) is a state-owned North Korean beer brewery company that brews the Taedonggang beer. The brewery is located in East Pyongyang and has facilities of tens of thousands of sq ...
, Paradise Microbrewery and the Yanggakdo Hotel Microbrewery.
In August 2016, the Taedonggang Brewing Company held the country's first
beer festival
A beer festival is an event at which a variety of beers are available for purchase. There may be a theme, for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales.
Asia
* Singapore holds an annual Beer Festiva ...
, which included several Taedonggang varieties and other local beers.
Local beers at the festival included rice beer and dark beers.
**Beer brands produced in North Korea
*** Pohak
*** Ponghak
*** Pyongyang
*** Rakwon ("Paradise")
*** Ryongsong
*** Samgak ("Delta")
***
Taedonggang
Taedonggang is a brand of North Korean beer brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company based in Pyongyang. There are four brands of beer marketed as Taedonggang, though the brand known simply as "Taedonggang Beer" is that described b ...
– brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company based in
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
In 2017, Taedonggang was the most popular beer in North Korea.
*
Makkŏlli – a specialty
rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Microbes are the so ...
with a milky appearance, it is common in the countryside of North Korea
Makgeolli is produced using the same process used for the production of soju, and typically has a lower alcohol content compared to soju.
It is considered by some to be inferior compared to soju.
*
Rice liquor – rice-based liquor is consumed by more North Koreans compared to beer.
*
Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Microbes are the so ...
–
glutinous rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
wine is a specialty alcoholic beverage in North Korea
*
Soju
(; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...
– referred to as ''nongtaegi'' in North Korea, soju is a clear specialty spirit prepared from sweet potato or barley in North Korea.
It is similar to
sake
Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
.
In North Korea, soju's alcohol content ranges from 18 to 25 percent.
*
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
- in 2019 North Korea created its first batch of homemade whisky. Samilpo Whisky has been designed to resemble
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended ...
to aid brand recognition for North Koreans
File:Masik Pass Ski Resort in North Korea (11945354994).jpg, The karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
room bar in the Masikryong Hotel, located at the Masikryong Ski Resort
Masikryong Ski Resort ( ko, 마식령 스키장) is a ski resort at the summit of the Taehwa Peak ( ko, 대황산) some outside Wonsan City in Kangwon Province, North Korea.
According to the official project plan, the first stage of the dev ...
in North Korea
File:10th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair (15171044887).jpg, Street food vendors selling draft beer
Draught beer, also spelt draft, is beer served from a cask or keg rather than from a bottle or can. Draught beer served from a pressurised keg is also known as
Name
Until Joseph Bramah patented the beer engine in 1785, beer was served dire ...
at the 10th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair
File:Craft Beer at the Taedonggang Microbrewery No. 3 (12329931855).jpg, Craft beer
Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
at the Taedonggang Microbrewery No. 3 in Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
, North Korea
File:Makgeolri.jpg, An example of makkŏlli
See also
*
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
**
Korean regional cuisine
Korean regional cuisines () are characterized by local specialties and distinctive styles within Korean cuisine. The divisions reflected historical boundaries of the provinces where these food and culinary traditions were preserved until modern ...
***
Pyongyang#Cuisine
*
List of Korean dishes
Below is a list of dishes found in Korean cuisine.
Korean dishes by type Royal court dishes
* Gujeolpan (구절판): literally "nine-sectioned plate", this elaborate dish consists of a number of different vegetables and meats served with thin p ...
*
List of Korean desserts
This is a list of Korean desserts. Korean cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in southern Manchuria and the Korean peninsula, Korean cuisi ...
*
List of Korean drinks
This list of Korean drinks includes drinks, traditional or modern, which are distinctive to or closely identified with Korea. Brands and companies are South Korean unless noted.
Alcoholic drinks
* Baekseju
*Beolddeokju, herbal rice wine believ ...
*
North Korean famine
The North Korean Famine (), also known as the Arduous March or the March of Suffering (), was a period of mass starvation together with a general economic crisis from 1994 to 1998 in North Korea. During this time there was an increase in defec ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
External links
"Table the Politics and Bite Into North Korean Cuisine at 'Pyongyang Okryu'" Khaosod English. December 11, 2015.
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*
{{Lists of prepared foods
East Asian cuisine
Korean cuisine-related lists
fr:Culture de la Corée du Nord#Cuisine(s)