You joined the BTS Army and are riding that hallyu wave while making Korean Finger Hearts at all your friends! Why not further the obsession by cooking with BTS and making some of their favorite foods? Luckily the Orem Library has the Korean cookbooks you need to make your stomach sing.
Korean ingredients are becoming much easier to obtain in America. In Utah Valley you can find many Asian fruits and vegetables at Harmons and other grocery stores. A lot of other ingredients can be found at Asian markets in the valley including First Oriental Market, a Korean market in Orem Utah.
Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from my Home
By Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee
Adult Nonfiction
Let’s start with my two favorite BTS members J-Hope and Jimin. For all you J-Hope fans, one of his favorite foods is kimchi and not “chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side.” Perhaps the most important and iconic Korean food, kimchi is eaten at most meals. The common and well known version today is a fermented napa cabbage dish that is spicy and delicious. Pickling and fermenting vegetables has been a part of Korean cuisine for over 2000 years, but it was during the Silla dynasty (57 BC – AD 935) that kimchi grew in popularity. The popular cabbage version is only a few hundred years old. Kimchi can be made of many different vegetables including radishes and cucumbers.
Find a great kimchi recipe and some history of the dish in Eating Korean: from barbecue to kimchi, recipes from my home. (Call Number 641.5951 L5106)
My Korea : Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes
By Hooni Kim
Adult Nonfiction
After you make (or buy) your kimchi you’ll be ready for one of Jimin’s favorite foods, kimchi jjigae. A staple at my house, kimchi jjigae is a stew made from kimchi and broth. Popular versions include ingredients like tubu (tofu) and tuna. You can find a kimchi jjigae recipe in My Korea: traditional flavors, modern recipes.
Sugga has made it clear he loves meat, especially Korean barbeque. When you hear “Korean BBQ” it usually refers to bulgogi and galbi. Bulgogi or “fire meat” refers to thin marinated slices of beef or pork. Galbi is a delicious braised beef short rib. Find a great galbi recipe also in My Korea: traditional flavors, modern recipes.
Growing Up In a Korean Kitchen : A Cookbook
By Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall
Adult Nonfiction
BTS loves their noodles! RM’s favorite is a noodle dish called kalguksu which literally means knife cut noodles. This is a very popular Korean dish and also one of my favorites. You can buy the noodles at a Korean store or make the noodles with a recipe in Growing Up In A Korean Kitchen: A Cookbook.
Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking : From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine
By Maangchi
Adult Nonfiction
One of V’s favorite foods is japchae. The western world often refers to these sweet potato noodles as glass noodles. Japchae is a popular holiday dish and easy to make. Maangchi, lovingly called the Korean Julia Child has a traditional recipe in Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking.
Korean Food Made Simple
By Judy Joo
Adult Nonfiction
Jin loves a summer noodle dish called naengmyeon. This dish is often considered North Korean, and these noodles are served cold. My family loves to eat a version of this called bibim-naengmyeon. Naengmyeon requires buckwheat noodles easily found in Asian stores. Find a recipe under “Ice-cold noodles” in Korean Food Made Simple.
Jungkook loves steak and anything with flour. He is all about breads. One of the best Korean treats is a filled pancake called hotteok. Maanchi has a great recipe and video on how to make them on her website.
Written by Melissa