My Food Bag brings delicious Korean flavour into Kiwi homes.
It’s fair to say that Korean food is having a bit of a moment in Western culture right now. With the popularity of K-Pop and Korean shows on streaming apps at a peak, Korean food has also rapidly gained new fans as more restaurants open to celebrate this delicious cuisine. Now, you can cook mouth-watering, authentic food from the comfort of your own home with My Food Bag’s Taste of Korea, which joins My Food Bag’s offering of 25 deliciously easy recipes to choose from each week.
My Food Bag chef Danny Cho is excited to bring a slice of his upbringing into New Zealand kitchens. He’s worked hard to create easy-to-make recipes that appeal to a Kiwi palate, while also remaining authentic to Korean flavours. “For me, Korean food is very traditional but it was also influenced by American cuisine, especially after the Korean war,” says Danny. “There were a lot of Americans in Korea, so I guess these days the cuisine has evolved to be more fusion.” One example of this on the My Food Bag menu is Dak-Galbi – Danny has given this popular dish of stir-fried chicken in a gochujang-based sauce a twist, with the addition of cheese to “balance the spiciness,” he says.
The four dishes Danny created as easy-to-make My Food Bag recipes all represent a key slice of Korean food culture – and are also personal to him, conjuring fond memories of his mother’s cooking in Korea or the comforting food his mother-in-law serves here in New Zealand. Some of the recipes come with cultural stories behind them too. For example, the Prawn Pageon (pancakes) with Bok Choy Kimchi: “On rainy days, we make this special pancake because the sizzling sound on the pan is similar to the rain,” says Danny.
Danny also showcases cooking methods that may be less familiar to us, such as in his egg drop soup where a whisked egg is mixed through veges cooked in stock for a deliciously comforting supper. And, of course, Korean ingredients are highlighted too. Chilli and chilli pastes are ubiquitous in Korean food but kimchi is perhaps the most common ingredient – though it can take a while to make at home because of the fermentation process. “There are more than 100 types of kimchi in Korea, and some of them are fresh, like lettuce kimchi. So, I’ve focused on what can be prepared quick and easy at home while still tasting authentic,” says Danny. There are three delicious versions included in the Taste of Korea options to get Kiwis more familiar with this staple, two as sides and a Kimchi & Bacon Fried Rice with that silky Egg Drop Soup. Rounding out the offerings is a perennially popular Korean-Style Beef Bulgogi Jeogol (a type of beef stew) with Glass Noodles.
Staying true to the Korean style of eating, Danny’s recipes follow the sharing format, with a main dish designed for the centre of the table for everyone to tuck into. In Korea, nobody starts eating until the oldest person at the table begins. “If I have dinner with my parents, I’m not allowed to pick up my spoon first. I just look at my father and wait for him – as soon as he picks up his spoon, I can get stuck in,” explains Danny. “It’s a symbol of love and respect”. If you really want to get into the Korean spirit of things, the phrase Jal meok-ge-sseum-ni-da, translated as “I will eat well”, is said at the beginning of the meal to give thanks to your host, and after the meal Jal meo-geo-sseum-ni-da (I have eaten well), shows the host you have enjoyed and appreciated what you’ve just experienced.
Danny’s four recipes are joined by a Korean fried chicken dish – Honey Garlic Butter Chicken with Pickled Radish Salad & Bibimbap Dressing – in collaboration with Korean restaurant Pocha. Their garlic butter chicken is incredibly popular at the moment, which makes it all the more exciting to recreate at home.
The Taste of Korea recipes are just the beginning – My Food Bag now offers a whopping 25 recipes per week, allowing you to pick your perfect menu – whether that be family-friendly, plant-based, quick & easy, or gourmet. Trying different types of cuisine in the simple-to-follow, perfectly portioned My Food Bag format means the answer to “What’s for dinner?” is a deliciously easy one every time. To experience one of My Food Bag’s Taste of Korea recipes, make sure to place your order no later than Sunday 21 May. No doubt you’ll soon be declaring “I have eaten well” too.
Order now at myfoodbag.co.nz