A Guide To Korean Food and Drink
Korean cooking has captured hearts and kitchens worldwide, and these cookbooks prove there’s so much more to explore beyond the basics. Whether you’re craving the comfort of a steaming bowl of kimchi jjigae, planning an epic Korean BBQ spread, or curious about plant-based takes on traditional dishes, this collection has you covered.
From accessible weeknight dinners to ambitious fusion experiments, these authors share not just recipes but stories of family, immigration, identity, and the profound ways food connects us across generations and cultures. You’ll find traditional techniques passed down from Korean grandmothers alongside bold modern interpretations that blend Korean flavors with American, Japanese, Chinese, and Italian influences.
Some books focus on mastering the fundamentals with minimal ingredients and streamlined methods. Others dive deep into the cultural context, exploring everything from drinking traditions and street food to the emotional resonance of cooking with family. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned home cook, these cookbooks will expand your repertoire and deepen your appreciation for Korean cuisine’s incredible depth and versatility.
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Add to BookshelfSimply Korean
by Aaron Huh
If you’ve always wanted to make your favorite Korean dishes at home, Simply Korean is for you. With streamlined techniques, minimal ingredients, and clear instructions, you’ll learn the easiest methods to make fried rice, bulgogi, kimchi, and more without sacrificing taste. Master the art of banchan and impress your guests with an epic K-BBQ party. Can’t travel to Seoul? Recipes for tteokbokki and hotteok bring these street food favorites to your kitchen.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Korean Vegan Cookbook
by Joanne Lee Molinaro
Joanne Lee Molinaro has captivated millions of fans with her moving personal tales of love, family, and food. In her debut cookbook, she shares a collection of her favorite Korean dishes, some traditional and some reimagined, as well as poignant narrative snapshots that have shaped her family history. As Joanne reveals, she’s often asked, “How can you be vegan and Korean?” Korean cooking is, after all, synonymous with fish sauce and barbecue. And although grilled meat is indeed prevalent in some Korean food, the ingredients that filled out bapsangs on Joanne’s table growing up — doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and more — are fully plant-based, unbelievably flavorful, and totally Korean. Some of the recipes come straight from her childhood: Jjajangmyun, the rich Korean-Chinese black bean noodles she ate on birthdays, or the humble Gamja Guk, a potato-and-leek soup her father makes. Some pay homage: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake is an ode to the two foods that saved her mother’s life after she fled North Korea.
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$37.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Korean Vegan: Homemade
by Joanne Lee Molinaro
In The Korean Vegan: Homemade, Joanne shares her most-cooked recipes, “veganizing” Korean dishes and “Koreanizing” everything else. This cookbook celebrates culinary inspirations that shaped her cooking. Grandmother-taught leftover rice becomes Fried Rice Waffles; her father’s childhood favorite inspires Janchi Guksu; Pesto Tteokbokki merges her husband’s Italian heritage with her Korean roots; kimchi obsession creates Buffalo Kimchi Artichoke Dip. Featuring gorgeous photography and Korean pantry-building tips, Joanne honors the profound connections between family, home, and food — making deep bonds with readers through every dish.
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$40.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Korean American
by Eric Kim
New York Times writer Eric Kim, son of Korean immigrants raised in Atlanta, centers his debut cookbook, Korean American, around food’s role in his identity. From Friday-night Korean barbecue to solo meals like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast in his tiny NYC apartment, Eric shares recipes with poignant essays and Jenny Huang’s photography. The book explores leaving home, first-generation Thanksgiving traditions, and Korean cooking’s American evolution while teaching pantry essentials and white rice’s significance. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits blend Korean ingredients with American comfort food, while Cheeseburger Kimbap reverses the fusion. Sweet finishes include Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes. Through vulnerable storytelling — especially about his mother Jean — Eric reveals how cooking helped him find acceptance and confidence in owning his Korean American story.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Korean BBQ
by Bill Kim and Chandra Ram
Born in Korea but raised in the American Midwest, chef Bill Kim brings these two sensibilities together in Korean BBQ, translating Korean flavors for the American consumer in a way that is friendly and accessible. This isn’t a traditional Korean cookbook but a Korean-American one, based on gatherings around the grill on weeknights and weekends. Kim teaches the fundamentals of the Korean grill through flavor profiles that can be tweaked according to the griller’s preference, then gives an array of knockout recipes. Starting with seven master sauces (and three spice rubs), you’ll soon be able to whip up a whole array of recipes, including Hoisin and Yuzu Edamame, Kimchi Potato Salad, Kori-Can Pork Chops, Seoul to Buffalo Shrimp, BBQ Spiced Chicken Thighs, and Honey Soy Flank Steak. From snacks and drinks to desserts and sides, Korean BBQ has everything you need for a fun and delicious time around the grill.
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$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Cook Korean!
by Robin Ha
Fun to look at and easy to use, this unique combination of cookbook and graphic novel is the ideal introduction to cooking Korean cuisine at home. Robin Ha’s colorful and humorous one-to three-page comics fully illustrate the steps and ingredients needed to bring more than sixty traditional (and some not-so-traditional) dishes to life. In these playful but exact recipes, you’ll learn how to create everything from easy kimchi (mak kimchi) and soy garlic beef over rice (bulgogi dupbap) to seaweed rice rolls (gimbap) and beyond. Friendly and inviting, Cook Korean! is perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike. Each chapter includes personal anecdotes and cultural insights from Ha, providing an intimate entry point for those looking to try their hand at this cuisine.
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$25.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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My Rice Bowl
by Rachel Yang and Jess Thomson
Chef Rachel Yang, co-owner of Seattle’s Joule, Trove, and Revel, plus Portland’s Revelry, creates distinctive Korean fusion with husband Seif Chirchi. Her cookbook transcends traditional bibimbap, offering seaweed noodles with crab and crème fraĂ®che, tahini-garlic pork belly, miso bagna cauda cauliflower, chipotle pad thai, Korean-taco pickles, and ultimate Korean fried chicken with peanut brittle. Like her restaurants, the book resembles a rice bowl: Grounded in Yang’s strict Korean childhood and food memories, topped with global flavors and influences from her stints at Per Se and Alain Ducasse. This is authentic fusion from a Korean immigrant who discovered that embracing her culture — alongside many others — defines what makes American cuisine delicious today. The result is cutting-edge cross-cultural cooking at its most gratifying.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Soju Party
by Irene Yoo
Drinking is essential to Korean culture, guided by unspoken rules and abundant food. In Soju Party, food writer, chef, and Brooklyn’s Orion Bar co-owner Irene Yoo offers the definitive guide to drinking Korean-style. She introduces classic Korean alcohols and their traditional consumption, sharing cocktail recipes and tasty anju (drinking foods). Expect the viral Milkis Shot, heart-stopping Seoul Train, Korean-inspired riffs like Jujube Ginseng Negroni and Banana Milk makgeolli, plus salty-sweet Honey-Butter Bar Nuts, savory White Ddukbokki, slurpable Kimchi Carbonara, large-format Watermelon Soju Hwachae, and sweet-spicy Chimaek Chicken. Beyond recipes, the book explores Korean drinking history with illustrations explaining serving etiquette, drinking games, and food pairings. Promising late nights (including hangover remedies), this is a party on the page. Geonbae!
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$39.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Umma
by Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn
Sarah Ahn’s viral cooking videos with her mom have captivated millions with intimate glimpses into Korean cooking and multigenerational life. This collaboration blends Crying in H Mart‘s emotional intimacy with Nam Soon’s lifetime kitchen wisdom, recipe-tested by America’s Test Kitchen. Mother-daughter conversations frame recipes that are funny, profound, and universally relatable. Navigate a Korean grocery store with guidance on pantry staples, produce, and proteins. Master traditional and contemporary dishes from simple banchan and kimchi varieties to foundational stews, yasik (midnight snacks), and inventive desserts. Shared confidences reveal rare family intimacy, showing how generations in the kitchen exchange not just food but knowledge, advice, history, and love. The Ahns demonstrate that cooking together creates connections that transcend the recipes themselves.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Kimchi Chronicles
by Marja Vongerichten
In the PBS series Kimchi Chronicles, Marja Vongerichten and three-star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten gave viewers an insider’s look at Korea as they traveled the country and experienced its authentic flavors and cultural traditions. As the show’s companion cookbook, The Kimchi Chronicles includes a recipe for every dish featured, such as Jean-George’s Fast, Hot Kimchi, Spice-Rubbed Korean Chicken, Grilled Stuffed Squid, Bibimbap, and Seafood and Scallion Pajeon, and explains how they can be easily duplicated in an American kitchen. Chef Vongerichten also offers original dishes with a lighter, modern flair that show how the flavors of the Korean table can be readily integrated into any meal. With tips and tricks for stocking your pantry, choosing the proper tools, and more, The Kimchi Chronicles is an informative, inspiring, and entertaining introduction to Korean food.
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$32.50Buy from Other Retailers:
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Beyond Korean
by Aaron Huh
Beyond Korean features 100 recipes drawing on Korean, Japanese, and Chinese traditions, with ingredient breakdowns and techniques ensuring success. Master traditional Korean dishes like Street-Style Fried Chicken, Cucumber Kimchi, and Gochujang Noodle Soup. Explore fusion creations, including Ground Beef Bulgogi, Creamy Gochujang Alfredo, and Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. Dive into Japanese cuisine with Chicken Katsu, Miso Ramen, and Japanese Egg Sandwich. Discover Chinese favorites like Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Sesame Noodles. Whether you’re experienced with Asian cooking or just discovering these flavors, Beyond Korean delivers everything you need.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
