Korean Food - North vs South cuisines

North vs South
Korean cuisines

Food tips you can trust

How the
North Korea
and South Korea
cuisines differ

Though they share
the same peninsula ...

The climates and economic wealth of the two nations are dissimilar. This affects what goes on the table.

North Korea

Being farther north, it has a longer winter and shorter summer. This negatively impacts agricultural production.

South Korea

Its longer growing season assures a greater bounty of fresh vegetables and better-nourished livestock. South Korea is also appreciably higher on the quality-food scale in terms of chefs and restaurants because of its significantly higher per capita income.

Influences on
Korean cuisine

Asian neighbors

Korean cuisine was heavily influenced in the distant past by its Japanese and northern Chinese neighbors. Korean cuisine evolved into a distinctive cooking style with unique, interesting dishes.

Portuguese

The now entrenched chili pepper is not native. It arrived from the New World through Europe to Korea in the 16th century via Portuguese traders and missionaries.

Despite the
above influences ...

Korean cuisine evolved into a distinctive cooking style with unique, interesting dishes.