Best eats in Korea: A healthy appetite

There are many exciting aspects to the food available in South Korea - and many that sadly aren't gluten free. But while eating gluten free in Korea can be tricky at times, there's no need to miss out on all the deliciousness that Korean cuisine has to offer. 

During the next few posts, Il'll take you through what I consider to be the best aspects of the cuisine we tried in Korea - which you can enjoy without all the gluten. 

And here's the first.

So. Many. Vegetables. 

Korean cuisine offers a vast array of wholesome, healthy dishes. The meals are - in my completely non-expert opinion - quite balanced, with delicious proteins and a variety of fresh vegetables. Sure, there's a lot of white rice, but the serving sizes are always quite modest. 

Sometimes we had to have vegetarian meals to avoid marinated meat, so I did have to be careful to ensure I was getting enough iron. But, apart from that, I was really impressed by how nutritious the authentic Korean dishes seemed.

Our favourite lunch choice was Bibimbap, which literally means 'mixed rice'. The dish consists of a range of vegetables and seaweed, served with rice in a big bowl then topped off with an egg (and sometimes meat). 

Hot stone Bibimbap.

Everything is then stirred together just before eating. 

Mixing the rice without flinging it all over the table - an acquired skill.

Bibimbap comes hot or cold, but we liked the hot one especially. The sizzling hot stone pot makes the rice caramalize so that it is deliciously chewy and the warmth gives the dish a real homely feel. 

Traditionally the dish comes with spicy gochujang sauce, which isn't gluten free - so we had to give that a miss. Now, given this omission, the dish might sound simple and maybe a bit boring. But the seaweed and egg yolk add a tasty, salty edge that really brings out the blend of flavours in the dish. Making it simple, healthy - and incredibly tasty. 

So tasty.