Just Start with Korean Cooking
Korean cooking revolves around a handful of fermented staples: kimchi, gochujang, doenjang, and soy sauce. Once you understand how these building blocks work together, dishes like kimchi jjigae, bulgogi, and bibimbap stop feeling exotic and start feeling like something you can pull off on a weeknight.
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Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking
Maangchi (Emily Kim) · 448 pages · 2019 · Moderate
Themes: korean cuisine, fermentation, home cooking, banchan, kimchi
The most comprehensive Korean cookbook available in English, written by the person who has taught more people to cook Korean food than anyone else alive. Maangchi (Emily Kim) built an audience of millions on YouTube with her warm, precise teaching style, and this book distills that expertise into a beautifully photographed 448-page reference.
Why Start Here
Most Korean cookbooks either focus on a narrow slice of the cuisine or assume you already know how to make your own kimchi. Maangchi assumes nothing. She starts with the fundamentals: how to stock a Korean pantry, how to prepare rice properly, and how to make the essential sauces and pastes that form the backbone of Korean cooking. From there, she builds up through more than 130 recipes organized by type.
You’ll learn to make kimchi (several varieties), bulgogi, japchae, bibimbap, kimchi jjigae, sundubu jjigae, tteokbokki, and dozens of banchan (side dishes) that turn a simple bowl of rice into a full Korean meal. The recipes are tested extensively and written with the kind of clarity that comes from years of answering questions from home cooks around the world. Each recipe includes step-by-step photos so you can check your progress as you go.
What makes this book special is the range. It covers everyday meals you can make on a weeknight, but also celebratory dishes like galbi-jjim (braised short ribs) and elaborate rice cakes for holidays. Maangchi treats Korean cooking as a living tradition, sharing personal stories and family context alongside the recipes.
What to Expect
A large, substantial cookbook at 448 pages with full-color photography throughout. The pantry and ingredients section at the front is essential reading before you start cooking. You’ll need to source some specialty ingredients like gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), doenjang, and gochujang, but Maangchi provides clear guidance on where to find them and what to look for. The difficulty ranges from simple side dishes to multi-step braises, so you can start easy and work your way up.
Alternatives
Robin Ha · 176 pages · 2016 · Easy
A uniquely approachable Korean cookbook that teaches 64 recipes through colorful, step-by-step comic illustrations. Robin Ha grew up in Seoul before moving to the United States, and she combines her love of comics with her knowledge of Korean home cooking in a book that makes the cuisine feel fun and accessible.
Why Start Here
If a 448-page cookbook feels intimidating, this is your entry point. Ha strips Korean cooking down to its essentials and presents each recipe as a one-to-three-page comic with illustrated ingredients, clear steps, and cheerful commentary. It covers the dishes most people want to learn first: kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap, japchae, Korean fried chicken, and a solid range of soups and stews.
The visual format is genuinely useful, not just a gimmick. Seeing each step drawn out makes it easier to understand techniques like folding dumplings or layering ingredients in a hot stone bowl. The ingredient guides at the front of the book use the same illustrated style, making it simple to identify unfamiliar items at the grocery store.
What to Expect
A compact, colorful book at 176 pages. The recipes are straightforward and most can be made in under an hour. This is not a comprehensive reference like Maangchi’s book. It’s a curated introduction that gives you enough confidence to start cooking Korean food regularly. If you enjoy the visual approach and want to go deeper, it pairs well with a more detailed cookbook for your next step.
Sohui Kim · 304 pages · 2018 · Moderate
A cookbook that bridges traditional Korean home cooking and modern restaurant technique, written by Sohui Kim, the chef behind Brooklyn’s beloved restaurant The Good Fork. Co-written with James Beard Award-winning journalist Rachel Wharton, it offers around 100 recipes that respect tradition while embracing the way Korean-Americans actually cook today.
Why Start Here
Kim grew up cooking with her mother in Korea before building a career in New York restaurants, and this book reflects both worlds. The recipes range from classic dishes like doenjang jjigae and kimchi pancakes to inventive creations that blend Korean flavors with other cuisines. If you’re the kind of cook who likes to understand a tradition and then riff on it, this book speaks your language.
The instructions are detailed and well-tested, with Kim sharing the small adjustments that make the difference between good and great. She’s particularly strong on marinades, sauces, and the layering of fermented flavors that define Korean cooking. The book also covers Korean entertaining, including how to set up a Korean barbecue at home.
What to Expect
A beautifully photographed 304-page book that feels personal and inviting. The recipes are organized practically, from everyday meals to more ambitious weekend projects. Kim assumes some basic cooking competence but doesn’t require Korean cooking experience. You’ll need the standard Korean pantry staples (gochujang, doenjang, sesame oil, rice vinegar), and Kim provides guidance on building your collection. The tone is warm and encouraging, with stories woven throughout that connect the food to memory and family.