There’s a lot to love about Korean food. It’s loud, a little messy and never shy when it comes to flavour – whether it’s the fire of fermented chilli paste or the umami punch of soy and sesame. It’s food designed to be eaten with both hands, ideally while drinking something that’ll take the edge off all that spice.
And it’s everywhere right now. Waitrose reports that sales of gochujang – Korea’s deep, spicy, slightly sweet answer to hot sauce – are up 71 per cent compared to last year, while searches for Korean chicken and Korean BBQ have soared by 454 per cent and 246 per cent respectively. Korean food has long been on the brink of mainstream popularity but now it’s comfortably made itself at home, helped by a new wave of restaurants, pop-ups and the rise of “multi-dimensional heat” – spice that’s layered with tang, umami and just a hint of sweetness.
