Gift Guide for Korean Food Lovers

Know someone who loves to cook international foods? Or better yet, specifically Korean food?

Or, perhaps they love K-dramas and want to try their hand at some of the foods they’ve seen on screen. (By the way, did you know people get paid for having people watch them eat food? Yeah, so weird. It’s called mukbang.)

Whatever the reason, you’re going to find the perfect gift for them in this guide for Korean food lovers.

Tip: Getting a few of the smaller items and putting them into a basket would be an awesome gift.

Kitchen Instruments;

Korean Ceramic Stone Bowl (Dolsot) – This is the perfect bowl for dolsot bibimbap or soups. There are three sizes to choose from and the medium and large come with a lid option. I love that they have lids to keep everything nice and hot.

Hot Shin Ramyun Aluminum Pot – I don’t know of a single Korean household growing up that didn’t have these pots. And I see them in Korean movies and shows all the time. I have yet to figure out why this is the go-to pot for making and eating ramyun (or ramen) noodles. But if you know someone who is a purest about eating ramen noodles, here it is!

Cookbooks;

Bee-Bim Bop! Book – This is the cutest book on how to make bibimbap. This is technically a children’s book but it’s just so adorable that I got it for myself! It steps through a mom making bibimbap with her little helper. It’s the ideal book for a Korean American family with young kids.

 

Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes – This is a fantastic Korean cookbook! Hello, pictures? Thank you! ‘Nuf said.

 

Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes for the Home Cook – No Korean cook’s kitchen (say that three times fast!) would be complete without Maangchi’s book. She’s considered the Korean Julia Child and she’s a YouTube star. I recently used her egg bread recipe – so yummy!

Edibles and Ingredients;

Lotte Choco Pie – This is the Korean equivalent to the Moon pie. There’s just no way to not love these! It has a fluffy marshmallow sandwiched between two cake-like cookies, covered in chocolate. It’s not cloyingly sweet either. I could eat the whole box in one sitting!

 

Korean Walnut Cake (Hodo Kwaja) 18 pieces – These delectable little pastries are great to snack on, perhaps while you’re waiting for something else to cook. These little guys are filled with sweet red bean paste and a walnut chunk. There’s 18 in the pack but don’t be surprised if they don’t want to share!

Wholly Gochujang, Premium Gluten-free Unpasteurized Artisanal Korean Hot Pepper Paste – No Korean kitchen should be without gochujang. This one is made from non-GMO soybeans, gluten-free, and unpasteurized. This is a lot prettier to give as a gift and of higher quality then the plastic tub from the Asian grocery.

Wholly Ganjang, Premium Gluten-free Unpasteurized Artisanal Korean Soy Sauce – I like to use this more sparingly (dipping sauces vs. stew). Due to the agedness, the flavor is richer and deeper (tangier, perhaps).

Napa Cabbage Kimchi – Of course I had to put kimchi on the list! It’s quintessentially Korean! This is a small jar, perfect for gift giving. Honestly, it’s what I give to my kimchi loving non-Korean friends. (But you can certainly find bigger jars.)

So I’m still hung-up thinking about Choco pies. How about you?

Looking for more ideas? Check out our other gift guides.

Have something for Korean food lovers that wasn’t on this list? Suggest to add it in the comments below!