How does korean food taste like?

Question

i'm a chinese and planning to head for south korea to study at seoul national university next year. i just want to ask, what exactly does korean food taste like? is it spicy? and can most foreigners adapt to it well? i would just like a brief idea so i can get myself used to it before i leave. thanks! oh, and if anyone can tell me what are the main differences between korean and chinese food, that will be great! thanks again in advance! (:

Answer 1

Spicy and Sour!

Answer 2

I have found many similarities between Korean and Chinese food, but Korean food has a distinct flavor,  that being mostly of gojuchang, or red pepper paste.

Kimchi is very spicy, but there are versions that are much milder.  It is an acquired taste, even I find myself craving it after going without it for a while, so I have learned to keep a jar in my fridge.  Jjajangmyun is a noodle dish with a savory black bean sauce that is not to be missed, I believe many Koreans refer to this dish as "Chinese noodles".  

I don't want to make my answer too long so I'll sum it up like this:  even an American like me adapted to it well, so to the point that I have Korean food nearly every day.  And don't say I didn't warn you about kimchi being addictive.

Answer 3

I am a former chef and agree with the first person, I fell in love with Korean foods years ago, and here in Toronto Canada we have very large Korean community and shopping area.

I agree with the parts of the first persons statement that there are similarities and the basic ingredients are very much alike, and like Sichuan and Hunan foods can be spice and very well seasoned, the pepper paste he speaks of is a lot like chili-garlic sauce in Chinese cuisine but finer more like Vietnamese and Thai chili sauces.

Loads of fresh veg, stir fry dishes, steamed, BBQ and they love dumpling and dim sum like dishes. The meats are very much the same pork, beef, chicken seafood near the coast and they tend to use a rice like the Japanese, more sticky and small grained.

Answer 4

its a mix of sweet and spicy.  and they tend to overcook their meat.