As in Japan , rice, pickles and fish are the basis of the diet. Dejan paste, fermented soybean paste, and gochu Jang , a hot, fermented chile paste are much like Japanese miso . Rice is sometimes mixed with barley or soybeans for flavor and nutrition. Both grain and rice are often made into noodles , which play a central role in Korean cooking. Soups, which come in a wondrous variety, are often noodle-based, and buckwheat noodles are distinctively local.
Much Korean cooking is done in a clay stewing pot known as a tukbaege .
Street carts and restaurants all over Korea serve up pancakes made on a griddle and fritters made from scallions, oysters, buckwheat, meat, and most anything else. The wok , too, is common. At dinner time, a Korean family sits on the floor around a low table. A meal is built around a mound of plain, steamed rice, which is eaten with thin chopsticks. Korea Chopsticks Map of South East Asia A grilled or stir-fried main course is supplemented by a soup and perhaps a salad, along with an array of sauces, pickles, and other condiments.