Korean Recipes To Try Right Now

It's getting pretty hard to ignore: bibimbap restaurants popping up everywhere, Korean tacos (they even exist at T.G.I.Friday's now), there is even a kimchi cheesesteak hovering around New York City. Korean food is taking over, and we couldn't be happier.

Most commonly associated with kimchi, Korean BBQ and the eponymous fried chicken, we are really excited to see this cuisine finally get its due. What's kept us from embracing Korean cuisine earlier in America? Maybe it's the liberal use of bright red chiles (not always spicy, but they always look spicy). Maybe it's our general nervousness surrounding the process of fermentation -- from kimchi to fish sauce to shrimp paste, Korean cuisine loves to ferment things. Maybe it's the language -- since Chinese cuisine is so well-integrated into the American diet, we've figured out what to call things in English, but that process is still sometimes getting sorted out with Korean food (Kimchi/kimchee? Kalbi/galbi?). Whatever it is, we think this summer is the perfect time to start experimenting with these delicious flavors, and we've pulled together 15 recipes for you to try right now.

Here you'll find soups, noodles, meat dishes, vegetarian dishes, even a few easy kimchis that are sure to impress your friends ("Oh yes, the kimchi is homemade. I'll give you the recipe, it's so easy!").