Although other East Asian cuisines – such as Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese – had long been popular in the United States, Korean food has recently risen in popularity. And astronomically so. Where 20 to 30 years ago Korean restaurants in the US mainly catered to Korean-Americans, nowadays you can find Korean food even on menus of popular US fast food chains. KBBQ, bulgogi, and fried chicken restaurants are popping up everywhere, whilst fusion dishes – such as kimchi fries or Korean tacos – are becoming mainstream. Let’s have a look at the most popular Korean food in America!
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Korean Food in the USA
Many Koreans immigrated to the United States in the 1960s and afterward, but, unlike Thai food or Japanese, Korean cuisine in the US remained focused on the Korean population. Restaurants catered to Korean palettes, and the food was not marketed to non-Koreans as much.
This started changing with the rise in popularity of Korean culture. K-pop, K-drama’s, K-beauty, and more parts of Korean culture became well-known around the world. Korean cuisine followed quickly. It was not long before dishes like Korean barbecue and Korean fried chicken started becoming popular in the US. Also, more traditional Korean dishes, such as Andong Jjimdak and Soondubu Jjigae, became favorites.
Koreans in the USA
The history of Korean migration to the USA is shorter than you might think. The first group of Korean laborers came to Hawaii in 1903 on January 3rd, a day which is now known as Korean-American day. After the Second World War and the Korean war in 1950-1953, Koreans started immigrating to the US in hope of a better life. Many Koreans started small enterprises, such as dry cleaners or convenience stores, and Korean churches started popping up everywhere.
The largest Korean population in the United States is in Los Angeles, where there is also a very famous Korea Town. A lot of Korean live together in this neighborhood in LA, but interestingly, there are also a lot of Latinos living in Korea Town. There are also large Korean populations in New York, Washington, and Hawaii. There have also been Korean-American politicians, such as Michelle Steel, Young Kim, and Marilyn Strickland.
Most Popular Korean Food in the USA
Of course, it is very hard to say what exactly is the most popular Korean food in America, but we have compiled a list with some dishes that we think are favorites in the US.
1. Korean Barbecue (KBBQ)
We have to start this list with Korean barbecue. There are KBBQ restaurants in every major town, and often in smaller towns as well. And no wonder this dish is so popular. KBBQ is basically the most delicious cuts of meat (pork or beef), fried directly at your table on your own, personal barbecue. Usually, you fry the meats yourself but sometimes the restaurant staff comes and helps you. You then dip the perfectly cooked meats in some Korean sauces, like soy sauce and Ssamjang – a sauce made of fermented soy beans and spicy peppers. Then the meat is wrapped in lettuce, perilla leave, or radish and eaten as a little wrap. KBBQ is served with side dishes such as kimchi, garlic, tofu, and stews.
In particular, ‘sapgyeopsal’ which means pork belly, has become a specific special menu item in the KBBQ.
2. Korean Corn Dog
The ultimate street food, Korean corn dogs are hot dog sausages coated in a thick batter, deep fried, and covered with sugar and tomato ketchup. It might sound weird, but the sugar pairs perfectly with the thick, fluffy bread. Korean corn dogs can also contain mozzarella cheese, rice cakes, and fish cakes. In Korea, corn dogs are sold in little stands outside subway stations, where students and office workers enjoy them after a long day.
3. Korean Fried Chicken
Competing with KBBQ for the most well-known Korean dish, Korean fried chicken is something you must try. It is very crispy but juicy and never dry, and the chicken is often coated in a delicious sauce(called ‘Yang Nyeom Chicken). You can choose from sticky soy, sweet-spicy sauce, garlic soy, garlic butter, cheese, and basically anything else you can imagne. Korea fried chicken is often had together with beer, which has led to the name Chimaek (치맥). Chi comes from the Korean word for fried chicken: chickin (치킨). The maek comes from maekju (맥주), which means beer.
4. Dakgalbi
Another chicken dish, but this time stir-fried and very spicy. Dakgalbi (닭갈비) is made by stir-frying small pieces of chicken in a sweet and spicy sauce. The sauce is made of gochujang – Korean red pepper paste. Together with the chicken, cabbage, onions, sweet potatoes, and rice cakes are also stir-fried. The dakgalbi is wrapped in lettuce and perilla leaves, just like Korean barbecue, and eaten as a little wraps. In Korean restaurants, dakgalbi is often cooked at the table on a round grill. Cheese can be added as well, to help mitigate the spicy flavors.
5. Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki (떡볶이), or stir-fried rice cakes, is perfect for spice lovers. The rice cakes are chewy, long, and cylinder-shaped and they are typically stir-fried in a spicy gochujang (chili paste) sauce, together with scallions, boiled eggs, and Eomuk (fish cakes). This makes for the perfect combination between chewy rice cakes and the spicy sauce. Depending on the restaurant, tteokbokki can be extremely spicy, so cheese is often on the menu as an add-on. You can also add ramen to the tteokbokki to create rabokki (라볶이).
6. Ramyeon
Ramen was already popular in the United States, but mainly as a Japanese dish. These days Korean instant ramen, called ramyeon, is the dish everyone talks about. You can buy ramyeon packets in the supermarket and they are super easy to make. You simply add the noodles to boiling water, and the flavor packets, boil, and serve. You can add an egg, some scallions, or cheese to spice the dish up a little. Be careful what you buy though, some ramyeon – like Samyang Buldak Bokkeum Myeon (삼양불닭볶음면) – is so spicy that it inspired a YouTube challenge!
7. Kimchi Jjigae
Kimchi – fermented spicy cabbage – is a side dish you will get with every single Korean meal. It is also made into a delicious, hearty stew: kimchi jjigae (김치찌개). It is one of the easiest Korean dishes to make at home. All you need is some (older) kimchi, onions, a little bit of broth, and perhaps some pork, tuna, or tofu for protein. You boil it all together in a pot and you get a spicy, salty stew, perfect for winter.
8. Soondubu
Soondubu (순두부) is a super soft silky tofu with a high water content. You can literally eat it straight from the fridge, just adding some soy sauce for flavoring. You can also turn it into a stew, soondubu jjigae! Simply add some broth, kimchi, red pepper, and optionally pork to create a warm stew. The soondubu is very soft and jiggly and soaks up all of the stew’s flavors. There is a nickname called ricotta tofu.
9. Andong Jjimdak
Literally meaning “steamed chicken from Andong”, Andong Jjimdak (안동찜닭) is made by braising chicken in a soy-based sauce. Typically, the dish contains vegetables such as carrots, leeks, and potatoes, as well as chewy cellophane noodles. Often, the sauce is made spicy by adding Korean red pepper. In Korea, Andong Jjimdak is often eaten by students, as the portions are huge but the dish itself is quite cheap, around 20 dollars for 2 people. As the chicken is braised, the dish is also not very greasy. Andong Jjimdak is known as a traditional Korean food, but it is not. This is because it was developed for students with light pockets. A single chicken with various vegetables costs about $20, but many western culinary experts who have visited Korea say that it is undervalued compared to great dishes.
10. Kimchi Mackerel Jjim
Kimchi Mackerel Jjim (고등어김치찜) is a dish made by braising kimchi together with canned or fresh mackerel. Compared to kimchi jjigae, kimchi jjim has a lot less liquid and is less a stew. The salty mackerel brings out the flavors of the kimchi really well. You can add some onions and cabbage as well for some extra vegetables. This dish is most often found in traditional Korean restaurants.
11. Soju
Technically not a food, but soju had to make the list. Traditional Soju is Korean distilled alcohol made from rice It has a high alcohol content, around 20%, sometime over 45% till 71%, and is usually enjoyed as a shot. You can also buy flavored soju, with fruity or flower flavors like grapes, tangerine and chrythensanum. You can find at fancy restaurant or liquor shop in US.
However, sometimes ‘soju’ (in green bottles in Korea) as you know is made from not only rice, but also tapioca and sweet potatoes which is diluted soju you can easily find in the Korean Restaurant in US. Soju pairs perfectly with KBBQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
That is very hard to say, but we can probably guess that KBBQ or Korean fried chicken are the most popular Korean dishes in the United States. Ramyeon is also popular, but is usually eaten at home rather than in a restaurant.
Nowadays, there are good Korean restaurants in most cities. For the most authentic Korean food, you should go to Korea Towns in the bigger cities. LA, Manhattan, Flushing, Chicago and Seattle, Korea Town has some great traditional restaurants. You can also try good Korean food on Hawaii, where they also make some delicious Korean fushion dishes. Of course, you can find some Korean-inspired Fine Dining Restaurants in Manhattan as well.