Seasonal Flavors of Korea: Traditional Dishes for Seollal and Ipchun

In every corner of the globe, holidays are associated with special dishes that convey cultural traditions and a people's history. In Korea, Seollal and Ipchun are not just times for new beginnings but also opportunities to enjoy dishes that hold special significance.

Seollal is the first day of the first lunar month, a time for delicious "white" soup made from tteok (rice cakes made from pounded rice that was traditionally beaten for a long time in a special trough with a special hammer; nowadays, it is mass-produced in factories). Mandu (or dumplings), which are also called "mandu".

White rice cakes "injeolmi", which are also made from tteok, are soft and tender to the touch and in the mouth.

Jeonyueo (전유어) - pancakes with white fish meat, which are also often placed on memorial tables for the spirits of family ancestors.

Pindaetteok - pancakes made from mung bean, reportedly invented by residents of Pyeongan Province.

Sikhye (식혜), a rice drink, and a refreshing cold punch, sujeonggwa (수정과).

And so on, and so forth.

What Korean doesn't love osinban during the bright holiday of Ipchun? Everyone loves it, of course!

五辛盤 - osinban, literally "five spicy dishes," used to be served in royal palaces for the holiday of Ipchun, naturally in five colors, as five is a perfect number. It is said that the purpose of its serving and consumption was to quell inter-party strife at the court and to promote unity around the king.

It was made from "snowdrops," or more precisely, wild herbs starting to push through the snow in the Korean mountains. Before supermarkets existed, vitamins during the winter came exclusively in the form of kimchi, and the fresh variety of osinban on the table created a refreshing sensation for those who ate it. It provided, so to speak, motivation. And it still does!