Festival information
Japanese and Korean street food: 15 dishes explained
Japanese and Korean street food ranges from noodle soups and dumplings to grilled meat, rice dishes and sweets. This overview explains 15 typical dishes in a few sentences each. It describes the cuisines in general: which dishes are actually served at the Japan & Korea Food Festival depends on the confirmed vendors.
What is ramen?
Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup of wheat noodles in a rich broth. The best-known styles are shoyu (soy sauce), miso, shio (salt) and tonkotsu (pork bone). Typical toppings are chashu (braised pork), a marinated egg, spring onion and nori. Vegetarian ramen usually uses a vegetable or miso broth.
What is the difference between sushi and sashimi?
Sushi is seasoned vinegared rice combined with fish, vegetables or egg, for example as nigiri or maki rolls. Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish without rice. Both are among Japan's best-known dishes. With raw fish it is worth asking about origin and freshness.
What are gyoza?
Gyoza are Japanese dumplings, usually filled with minced meat, cabbage, garlic and ginger. They are pan-fried and then steamed, so they are crispy underneath and soft on top. They are eaten with a dip of soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil. Vegetarian fillings are common too.
What is takoyaki?
Takoyaki are round batter balls from Osaka with a piece of octopus in the centre. They are cooked in a special pan with half-round moulds and served with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes and seaweed powder. Inside they stay soft and very hot.
What is okonomiyaki?
Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake made of batter and plenty of cabbage, often with pork belly, seafood or cheese. The name roughly means 'grilled as you like it'. It is served with a sweet-savoury sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes.
What is yakitori?
Yakitori are small chicken skewers grilled over charcoal. They are seasoned either with salt (shio) or with a sweet soy glaze (tare). Besides breast and thigh there are skewers with chicken meatballs (tsukune) or leek.
What is onigiri?
Onigiri are Japanese rice balls or triangles, often wrapped in a sheet of nori. Typical fillings are salmon, tuna mayonnaise or pickled plum (umeboshi). They are a classic snack on the go and are good to eat cold.
What are mochi and taiyaki?
Mochi is a soft, chewy cake made from glutinous rice, often filled with sweet red bean paste or ice cream. Taiyaki is a fish-shaped waffle cake, traditionally filled with red bean paste and nowadays also with custard or chocolate. Both are popular Japanese sweets.
What is Korean BBQ?
Korean BBQ means Korean grilled meat. Well-known examples are bulgogi, thinly sliced beef in a sweet-salty marinade, and galbi, marinated beef short rib. It comes with rice, lettuce leaves for wrapping and small side dishes (banchan) such as kimchi.
What is bibimbap?
Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl with assorted vegetables, often with meat and a fried egg. Before eating, everything is mixed with gochujang, a spicy chilli paste. Dolsot bibimbap is served in a hot stone bowl so the rice at the bottom turns crispy.
What is kimchi?
Kimchi is fermented vegetables, usually napa cabbage with chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onion. It tastes sour, spicy and savoury and is the most important side dish in Korean cuisine. Traditional kimchi often contains fish sauce or fermented shrimp and is then not vegan.
What is tteokbokki?
Tteokbokki are cylinder-shaped Korean rice cakes in a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. Fish cakes (eomuk), a boiled egg or cheese are often added. It is one of Korea's best-known street food dishes and is fairly spicy.
What is gimbap?
Gimbap is a Korean seaweed rice roll, similar to maki sushi but made with sesame-seasoned rice instead of vinegared rice. Typical fillings are vegetables, egg, pickled radish, beef or tuna. Gimbap is cut into slices and usually eaten cold.
What is Korean fried chicken?
Korean fried chicken is chicken fried twice, giving it a particularly thin, crunchy crust. It is served plain or glazed, for example yangnyeom (sweet and spicy) or soy garlic. In Korea it is often eaten with pickled radish.
What is hotteok?
Hotteok is a sweet Korean pancake made from yeast dough and filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts. While it fries, the filling melts into a syrup. Hotteok is a typical winter snack and is eaten warm.
Allergens and dietary notes
Many Japanese and Korean dishes contain soy, wheat, sesame, fish, shellfish or egg. Even dishes that look vegetarian can contain fish sauce, dashi (fish stock) or bonito flakes. Always ask the vendor about ingredients, allergens and cross-contact before ordering.