A traditional Korean meal is not a simple affair; the table is jam-packed with a main (often meat or fish), rice, several banchan (sides) and a soup or a stew.
There’s a long list of Korean stews, or jjigae, and as many ways to make each of them. “It’s one of the things that Koreans never get sick of,” says Kenny Yong Soo Son from Sydney’s Sáng by Mabasa. Some jjigae are named after their main ingredient, like kimchi jjigae or sundubu (soft tofu) jjigae, and others by their broth or main seasoning, like gochujang (fermented chilli paste) jjigae and doenjang (fermented soybean paste) jjigae.
