Aussie vs South Korean food & cuisine

Charcoal grilling and stone-pot cooking are common, contrasting with China’s wok-centered stir-frying and Japan’s frequent raw or lightly handled seafood; grilling at the table is especially characteristic in Korea.

Quinoa has gained traction as health-conscious grain alongside other trendy ancient grains like farro or freekeh.

What’s interesting is that grains are a basis for that multicultural fusion, like rice bowls topped with Korean-spiced proteins, or sourdough bread, which Aussies are pretty obsessed with.

Grains are supporting and they are there when you need them, but they’re not going to steal the spotlight from the barbie or the flat white.

Traditional cooking used cast-iron pots, leaving a toasted crust called nurungji, which is eaten as a snack or brewed into sungnyung, a roasted rice water drunk after meals to refresh the palate.  In everyday meals, the default white rice is plain. But Korea also has a tradition of various mixed baps.

In Korea, noodles (guksu) are popular but secondary to rice. Unlike China or Japan, where noodles hold deep cultural weight, in Korea they remain complementary.

Rice noodles are rare; buckwheat, wheat, and sweet potato starch dominate. Sweet potato starch gave rise to japchae’s glass noodles. Noodles appear as hot soups, cold broths, or stir-fried dishes, served hot or at room temperature.

Barley often substituted rice, and many households still mix it into rice. Barley tea (bori-cha) is the default table drink. Corn, more common in the north, was eaten roasted, boiled, ground for porridge (oksusu-juk), or mixed with rice; corn tea (oksusu-cha) is also standard.

Wheat was historically scarce, but became central in knife-cut noodles, buckwheat blends and dumplings mandu.

Multicultural influence shows up here too – Asian bok choy is mainstream, avocados are super popular, and Mediterranean zucchini and eggplants show up grilled or in pasta dishes. The café culture has elevated vegetables with things like roasted vegetable salads, sweet potato everything, and Instagram-worthy veggie bowls.

There’s a growing awareness of native plants like saltbush, samphire, warrigal greens (native spinach), bush tomatoes, native yams, and desert lime, but they’re honestly more in the ‘chef’s special’ category than everyday cooking.

Classic fruits are central: mangoes, stone fruits, and berries, bananas are year-round staples; oranges and lemons are kitchen essentials. Native fruits are having their trendy moment too, with finger limes, Davidson plums, and kakadu plums popping up in high-end restaurants, though they’re still more of a novelty.

Kimchi began as salted vegetables; chili peppers from the Americas transformed it into the spicy red napa cabbage style by the 18th century. Garlic, ginger, scallions, chili, and fish sauce give depth. Koreans eat 36–40 kg of kimchi per person yearly, though consumption has declined in recent decades due to lifestyle shifts, sodium concerns, and changing habits.

Meals also include namul (seasoned greens), braised roots, and pickles. Popular dishes: jeon (zucchini, scallion, or kimchi pancakes), japchae (sweet potato noodles with vegetables), and ssam (greens used as wrappers for rice, condiments, or meat).

Legumes are central: soybeans for tofu, soybean sprouts (kongnamul), soy milk for kongguksu noodles, and fermented condiments (doenjang, ganjang, gochujang). Mung beans appear in bindaetteok (pancakes) and nokdumuk (starch jelly). Azuki beans are used in rice cakes, breads, and patjuk porridge.

The sea contributes fish, algae, and seaweeds – another essential plant-based element of Korean cuisine.

Asian pears, persimmons, apples, citrus, melons, and berries are popular in South Korea. Asian pears and persimmons were especially important, as gifts, in ceremonies, in traditional medicine, as meat marinades, and all over art and poetry.

Poultry is the most consumed meat, chicken is everywhere, from the Thai-spiced chicken parmi to simple grilled pieces alongside salads. Beef has a more special role: classic meat pies, premium steaks from Australia’s cattle industry.

Lamb is loved: roasts with rosemary and garlic, or chops on the barbie. Pork shows up as bacon in café brunches and as those essential snags that are basically mandatory at any outdoor gathering.

Kangaroo meat is authentically Australian, and it’s actually quite good – lean and gamey, one of the healthiest red meats (low-fat, high-protein). You’ll find it in supermarkets and definitely in trendy restaurants, often prepared with native peppers or bush spices. Ironically, most kangaroo meat is exported.

Crocodile is even more niche – mainly found in the northern parts and served as an experience. It’s surprisingly mild, tasting like a cross between chicken and fish.

Koreans were historically farmers; rice and grains anchored meals, and meat was secondary. Buddhism discouraged slaughter, keeping meat less central, but beef held symbolic weight in Confucian rituals.

Pork surged in popularity after the Korean War, becoming the most common meat in South Korea’s growing economy. Chicken was traditionally valued in soups and stews for nourishment, but in the late 20th century, fried chicken became a national phenomenon. Today, crispy twice-fried chicken with sweet or spicy sauces is a leading export, paired with beer in “chimaek” culture.

Korean meat dishes avoid large roasts or steaks. Meat is cut thin, bite-sized, or ground – once to stretch scarce meat, and also to ease marination, grilling, and sharing. No knives appear at the table; food is served ready for chopsticks and spoons.

Korean barbecue stems from older grilling but took shape in the 20th century. Bulgogi dates back over 1,000 years, yet grilling was not a daily fare. By the 1970s–80s, with rising incomes, restaurants popularized table-top grilling. Today, Korean BBQ – especially pork belly (samgyeopsal) – is central in South Korea and globalized across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Salmon is everywhere thanks to Tasmania’s aquaculture industry.  Snapper, flathead, and whiting are the reliable local catches.

Bugs are absolutely a thing. Moreton Bay bugs and Balmain bugs are lobster-like crustaceans,  Australia’s answer to langostines or small lobsters. They’ve got that sweet, delicate meat and are a real treat.

Beyond bugs, Australia’s got this incredible range of crustaceans – mud crabs from Queensland, rock lobsters (what the rest of the world calls spiny lobsters), and tiny school prawns that are perfect for fritters or just eating by the handful.

Koreans eat raw fish quite often, but also differently from Japanese sashimi. Seafood is sliced thicker and chewier, hoe is almost always eaten with sauces, as a part of the bigger spread, often eaten on social occasions and followed by beer.

A very important to Korean flavor identity is jeotgal,  a category of salted, fermented seafood. Tiny shrimp, anchovies, oysters, roe, or crab are preserved into condiments that power kimchi, appear as punchy side dishes, or become fish sauces aekjeot.

Butter is sacred in the baking of lamingtons, Anzac biscuits, classic Australian cakes, and slices.

Cream gets its moment in pavlovas and in various pasta sauces.

Yogurt has become huge thanks to the health-conscious culture.

You’ll find everything from elaborate brunch-style pancakes with berries and mascarpone to açai bowls, carrot cakes, banana bread, and various slices have become staples.

Seasonal fruit drives dessert culture – summer stone fruit tarts, berry pavlovas, and mango everything during the warmer months. Ice cream is almost a year-round obsession, with local brands like Golden Gaytime and Magnum becoming part of the cultural fabric, plus artisanal gelato shops in every trendy suburb.

Korean desserts are subtle and light, made of rice, beans, grains, nuts, honey, and fruits. The sweetness is delicate, just enough to balance bitterness. Chewy texture is very preferred, also crunchiness, or soft pressed sweets that dissolve on the tongue. Visually, many are shaped with molds, decorated with patterns, or colored naturally with plants.  Tea-culture roots and ritual/seasonal usage keep portions small.