Do not miss these food when travelling to North Korea

North Korea has a rich culinary heritage shared with the South Korea. Dishes originating during ancient Korea remain heavily influential to modern cuisine in both preparation and presentation. You can count on a diet heavy on rice, vegetables and meats, it is not just kimchi! Here are seven popular and delicious foods in North Korea!

Naengmyeon

Naengmyeon, or simply known as “Pyongyang Cold Noodle Soup”, is a must-try dish made all throughout Korea but most famously (and in this writer’s humble opinion) best made in Pyongyang. Do not forget to add the essential ingredients of vinegar, soy sauce and hot mustard to make the mild broth exactly to your tastes. The more hot-mustard-induced nostril burnage the better.

Maize Porridge

North Koreans often eat maize porridge, also known as juk, for breakfast and snacks according to The Daily Meal. Do not think oatmeal when you are picturing it, though, because typically the North Korean porridge is savory, not full of brown sugar and raisins. Porridge is easy to make, you just boil rice or another grain and add basically whatever else strikes your fancy, like veggies or seafood. It is also easy to digest, and provides a satisfying hot meal with which to start the day.

Dolsot Bibimbap

Dolsot in Korean means ‘stone pot’ and bibimbap literally translates to ‘mixed rice’. It is a simple yet classic example of Korean cuisine where white rice is topped by assorted vegetables, meats, and fried egg, which are then seasoned. The dish arrives at the table still cooking, sizzling away and ready to garnish with red bean paste and soy. Soup is then added to the stone pot and it is stirred thoroughly before eating. Dolsot bibimbap is easily altered into a vegetarian option. Be sure to also ask your Korean guides to share the fable of how bibimbap originated!

Boiled Rice

North Koreans eat a lot of rice, according to the Los Angeles Times, much like South Koreans. When they can get it, that is. Because of the cold temperatures in North Korea, it is difficult to grow rice, so many opt for millet and potatoes, which are more plentiful, as a daily staple.

Korean BBQ

Do not have a penchant for clams with an aftertaste of gasoline? Never fear! Korean BBQ over a smoky charcoal grill is still very much available. Most commonly found are BBQ joints serving up lamb, duck and seafood.

Hotpot

Perfect for those cold winter nights in North Korea, especially Pyongyang, let your hot-pot broth marinate in the flavours of pork, tofu and an assortment of vegetables. When eating at the famous ‘Hot Pot Restaurant’ in Pyongyang, you can add salt, pepper, chili and piles of straight-up powdered MSG (looks like salt but more crystal-y) to your own tastes.

Sinseollo

Sinseollo is another dish that North Koreans generally order when they are out to dinner, according to The Daily Meal. They might pay anywhere from $7 to $40 for a hot pot filled with vegetables, dumplings, and possibly meat in a rich broth. Diners cook the dish themselves, over a pan of water on top of a coal fire, or in a vessel that looks like a Bundt pan with hot embers in the middle to keep the meal hot.

See more: Things to know before traveling to North Korea

Source Internet

Top spiciest dishes in Chongqing you should know

Chongqing is known as one of the famous cites for its spicy dishes. Chongqing dishes often include lots of peppers, garlic, and ginger. If you love spicy and hot dishes, don't forget to visit Chongqing.

Mapo Tofu

This is a big favorite when it comes to Sichuan cuisine. Translated literally as “pock-marked woman’s tofu,” the dish was created in the 19th century by a lady with a pock-marked face, to sell from her family-owned tavern. The principal behind her creativity was to make a tasty and soulful staple from simple and inexpensive ingredients – silken tofu, ground beef or pork, fermented chili bean paste, Sichuan peppercorns, and lots of hot chili oil.

Hongshao Rou

Lots of regions in China have pork dishes similar to this that tend to be sweet in flavour. But the Hunanese version features their love of chillies. Hongshao rou translates as red braised pork, and the Máo shì hóngshāoròu version was reputed to be the favourite of Mao Tse-tung, so much so that the authorities have codified what it should be made from and how it should be made.

Dandan Noodles

This dish gets its name from the long pole people use to carry two baskets, one containing the noodles, and the other the sauce. The latter is made from preserved vegetables, mushroom stems, chilli oil, sichuan pepper, minced pork and spring onions.

Cold Mung Bean Noodles

A refreshing dish in Chongqing’s sometimes oppressive heat and humidity, noodles are strips of cold cornstarch-based strips resembling noodles. Topped with seasonings like soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, the dish can be found throughout China, especially in Lanzhou where it’s sometimes served stir-fried.

Chongqing Hotpot

A crock pot with clear broth or spicy broth is kept simmering on the table when varied food and ingredients are added according to personal preference. For social gatherings in Chongqing, a pot with two chambers is often used. This contains a mild broth on one side, and a spicy broth traditionally made from pepper oil sauce and chilies on the other. The pot is placed in the middle of a table on a gas burner and heated, after which the guest boils the food according to taste. Other combinations of savory and sweet sauces are possible, but the locals often ignore the normal broth.

Deep-fried Spicy Chicken

A very delicious delicacy is the deep-fried spicy chicken. In this dish, chicken pieces are deep-fried together with many chilies and finished with pepper. This pepper has a special flavor that is reminiscent of lemon, and the gives the dish a fresh note. A plate of crispy chicken smothered in chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and tons of aromatics to create an electrifyingly hot numbing sensation that’s so addictive. Take the challenge if you can handle the heat.

Read more: Having breakfast like a local in Shanghai, China

Source Internet