Korean Cuisine: An Illustrated History

by Michael J. Pettid

The spicy tang of kimchi, the richness of Korean barbecue, the hearty flavors of bibimbap: Korean cuisine is savored the world over for its diversity of ingredients and flavors. Michael Pettid offers here a lushly illustrated historical account of Korean food and its intricate relationship with the nation’s culture.

Over the last twelve centuries, Korean food dishes and their complex preparations have evolved along with the larger cultural and political upheaval experienced by the nation. Pettid charts this historical development of the cuisine, exploring the ways that regional distinctions and historical transformations played out in the Korean diet—including the effects of wartime food shortages and preparation techniques. Underlying all these dishes are complicated philosophical and aesthetic considerations, and Pettid delves into their impact on everything from the rituals associated with group meals or drinks with friends to the strict rules governing combinations of dishes and ingredients according to temperature, texture, spices, color, and consistency.

Featuring a batch of mouthwatering recipes and over a hundred vivid photographs of a striking array of dishes, Korean Cuisine is an incisive and engaging investigation into the relationship between Korean culture and food that will spice up the bookshelves of foodies and scholars alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Food History, Food, Food and Drink, Asia, Cookbooks

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 2008

Reviews

[Yuanita Intan]

I quite enjoyed it. The book gave me enough basic information to go further at learning Korean cuisine. I wish there were more information, though. I was hoping to find more information about Korean 'namul' (greens/herbs) but couldn't get more than their names and several recipes for them in this book, although maybe I was just looking at the wrong place.

The book started with explanation about Korean food history, from the stone age, bronze age, the three kingdom period, Koryo, Joseon, and finally pre-modern Korea. The following chapters are about the food in the common household, the food in celebration, the food in royal family, and the food in contemporary Korea. It quite complete for basic information.

I didn't get bored while reading this. Maybe the use of many pictures helped. Also, the writer incorporated a lot of folk songs and some folklore in the book. I loved it.

[John]

a bit dry, especially for a book about korean food, but in the end a pretty well-researched and informative (for a banana like me) anthropological study of one of my favorite cuisines. now to make some haemul p'ajon!

[Nicki Markus]

Korean Cuisine was a comprehensive overview of the history of Korean food cultivation and preparation. Clearly well researched, it covered a wide range of topics including ritual foods and royal banquets, with plenty of photographs throughout the pages showing different dishes. For the readers who are also keen cooks, the author even included a few recipes to try out at the back. The only downside to this book was the use of the annoying, older romanisation system for the Korean terms, but other than the irritation that gave me, I found this book an interesting and informative read. I am giving it four stars.

[Anita]

* Read for the '2020 Book Riot Read Harder Reading Challenge' task: Read a food book about a cuisine you've never tried before

[Ji Hea Kim]

Bit dry. Anthropological more than historical. Was hoping for something more like 'Salt' in tone.

[thistle]

Popular history is a difficult genre--this is not a scholarly book. For my part I wish it were, but Pettid does a fairly good job (if not a particularly engaging one) of striking a balance.

One sour point: for a literary scholar he's oddly credulous re: the Tangun myth. A little more history, Prof. Pettid, eh?

[Pancha]

This book doesn't go into a lot of detail, but it does give you a basic idea and there are some recipes at the back.

[Gail]

Enjoyed it as a preparation to visiting Korea. Great for foodies who want to learn about another culture