Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking

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.