Why Do Koreans Love Garlic So Much? A Garlicky Love Affair 🍴🧄

Garlic in Korea is not only added in food to add flavor—it is a lifestyle. With pungency in aroma and sharpness in taste, coupled with its versatility for cooking, it has pride of place in the cuisine and culture, and even in mythology in Korean Society.

Whether you savor a sizzling plate of samgyeopsal, snip into the crunch of a freshly made kimchi slice, garlic will more or less be a common important ingredient. But why do Koreans love garlic so much?

Let’s delve into some of the cultural, historical, and culinary roots of Korea’s abiding love for this pungent bulb.

The Mythical Origins of Korean Garlic Love

In Korea, garlic is much more than an ingredient; it is a symbol of transformation and resilience. According to the Dangun Creation Myth, there lived a bear and a tiger who wanted to become human.

Hwanung, the son of the Lord of Heaven, challenged them to survive on garlic and mugwort while living in a cave for 100 days. The bear succeeded, turned into a woman, and gave birth to Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea’s first kingdom, Gojoseon.

This foundational myth enshrines garlic as a magical and transformative substance, a divine gift linked to the very origin of Korean culture.

Garlic in Korean Cuisine

1. Crucial Ingredient in Popular Foods

Could one ever imagine Korean cuisine without the use of garlic? Too good to be true! Garlic contributes that pungency and smell, which just goes well with Korea’s love for spice and savory. Here are some occasions in food where you can have its powerful taste:

• Kimchi: Not only does garlic provide it with a seasoning paste that gives a sour kick, but the idea without it is unimaginable as it provides consistency too, due to which it’s impossible not to add it.
• Commonly, roasted garlic cloves from garlic are served as a side dish with samgyeopsal.
• Jjigae and Tteokbokki: From bubbling stews to spicy rice cakes, garlic is the backbone of flavor.

2. A Natural Preservative

Traditionally in Korean cooking, garlic often works with salt and chili pepper for preservation. In kimchi, for instance, besides adding a kick, it helps extend the shelf life. This was a very practical use before refrigeration.

3. Cooking Techniques That Elevate Garlic

Koreans employ all kinds of techniques to showcase the versatility of garlic:

• Raw: Used together with ssam (lettuce wraps) in Korean barbecue.
• Minced or Crushed: Added to marinades, soups, and stir-fries.
• Roasted or Pickled: As a mild side dish.

The Health Benefits Koreans Love

Korean society has long put forth the idea of food as medicine, and garlic fits right into that philosophy. Traditional Korean medicine extols garlic as a remedy for many ailments. Modern science backs these beliefs:

• Boosts Immunity: Allicin, the compound responsible for garlic’s pungent aroma, has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
• Improves Circulation: Garlic is believed to lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
• A Natural Energy Booster: Combined with vitamin B1, garlic becomes allithiamine, which enhances energy levels.

With the health benefits it brings, no wonder it has earned the nickname “ilhaebaekri” in Korea, meaning “100 benefits with only one drawback: its smell.”

Cultural Significance of Garlic

1. A Symbol of Strength

The association of garlic with strength has its roots in the Dangun myth, wherein the god Hwanung made a concoction of garlic to save his people from evil spirits. Today, it symbolizes vitality, a quality Koreans cherish so much.

2. Hospitality at Its Best

There is hardly any banchan or side dish in a Korean meal without garlic. Garlic represents abundance and the generosity of a Korean host who will never stint on serving flavorous amounts of food.

3. A Shared Culinary Experience

In Korean dining culture, meals are shared. The versatility of garlic allows it to appear in several dishes on the table, reinforcing the idea of a shared meal in Korean dining culture.

Garlic in Modern Korean Life

1. Trends and Innovations in Garlic

• Black Garlic: Fermented garlic is sweet and has an umami flavor, hence becoming very popular due to its health benefits.
• Garlic Festivals: Places like Namhae hold festivals in the name of garlic, which attract locals and tourists alike.
• Garlic in Global Cuisine: Korean dishes, such as bulgogi and bibimbap, with a strong use of garlic, are stealing hearts across the globe.

2. Garlic in Pop Culture

Recently, memes humorously pointed out Koreans’ obsession with garlic. One went viral where a chef said, “In Korea, ‘a little garlic’ means at least ten cloves.” This went viral among Koreans and garlic lovers worldwide.

Fun Facts About Korean Garlic

• Koreans consume an average of 7.4 kg of garlic per person per year, far exceeding that of the U.S. and Italy.
• In Korea, the main types of garlic plants grown are hardneck or hanji-type and softneck or nanji-type garlic. Each type has unique culinary and nutritional aspects.
• In foreign markets, Korean garlic is known for its excellence and scrupulous processing standards.

How to Enjoy Garlic like a Korean

Tips for Cooking with Garlic

• Let crushed or minced garlic sit for 10 minutes before cooking to maximize its health benefits.
• For a subtler flavor, roast garlic till it caramelizes.
• Peeled garlic is best kept in the freezer for longer freshness.

Garlic Recipes to Try:

• Pickled Garlic (Maneul Jangajji): A tangy and sweet accompaniment to rice dishes.
• Garlic Chips: Perfect for sprucing up salads or stews.
• Garlic Confit: Slow-cooked cloves in olive oil for an almost buttery spread.

Conclusion

From ancient mythology to everyday meals, garlic is an integral part of Korean culture. The strong flavor and health benefits of garlic, along with its rich symbolism, make it more than just a staple ingredient.

Garlic to Koreans is tradition, medicine, and flavor all rolled into one. And when you go to that favorite Korean BBQ or slurp over a bowl of kimchi jjigae, think about the mighty garlic clove—a small yet dynamic ingredient that Koreans just could not live without.

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