3 · 40 words

In the kitchen

Ways of cooking, the seasonings of a Korean kitchen, and the pots and tools.

Korean cooking verbs are more precise than English “cook” and “boil”: 끓이다 is to boil a liquid or make a soup, 삶다 to cook something in boiling water, 찌다 to steam, and 굽다 to grill, roast or bake. Three fermented sauces and pastes — 간장, 된장 and 고추장 — are the base of most dishes. Several verbs here are irregular; the notes give their forms.

The words

Verb (16)

볶다to stir-fry; to roast (beans, sesame)Verb3

양파를 기름에 살짝 볶아 주세요.Fry the onion lightly in oil, please.

끓이다to boil; to make (soup)Verb2

물을 끓인 다음에 라면을 넣으세요.Boil the water, then add the noodles.

끓다 is what the water does; 끓이다 is what the cook does.

굽다to grill, roast, bakeVerb2

오븐에 빵을 이십 분 동안 구웠어요.I baked the bread in the oven for twenty minutes.

Irregular: 구워요, 구웠어요.

튀기다to deep-fryVerb3

닭을 기름에 바삭하게 튀겼어요.I fried the chicken in oil until it was crisp.

썰다to slice, cutVerb3

감자를 얇게 썰어 주세요.Please slice the potatoes thinly.

Irregular: 썰어요, but 써는, 써세요.

삶다to boil (eggs, noodles, meat)Verb3

계란을 십 분 동안 삶았어요.I boiled the eggs for ten minutes.

Cooking something in water; making the water or a soup boil is 끓이다.

찌다to steamVerb3

만두를 찜기에 넣고 십오 분 동안 쪘어요.I put the dumplings in the steamer and steamed them for fifteen minutes.

데우다to heat up, warm upVerb3

남은 국을 전자레인지에 데워 먹었어요.I heated up the leftover soup in the microwave and ate it.

섞다to mixVerb3

밀가루와 설탕을 잘 섞으세요.Mix the flour and the sugar well.

다지다to mince, chop finelyVerb3

마늘을 곱게 다져서 넣으면 더 맛있어요.It tastes better if you chop the garlic finely before adding it.

무치다to mix with seasoning (by hand)Verb3

시금치를 데쳐서 참기름을 넣고 무쳤어요.I blanched the spinach and dressed it with sesame oil.

젓다to stirVerb3

설탕이 녹을 때까지 커피를 저어 주세요.Stir the coffee until the sugar dissolves.

Irregular: 저어요, 저었어요.

벗기다to peel; to strip offVerb3

감자 껍질을 벗기고 깨끗이 씻으세요.Peel the potatoes and wash them clean.

익다to be cooked; to ripenVerb3

고기가 아직 덜 익었으니까 조금 더 구우세요.The meat is not cooked through yet, so grill it a bit longer.

상하다to go off, spoil (of food)Verb3

여름에는 음식이 쉽게 상하니까 냉장고에 넣으세요.Food goes off easily in summer, so put it in the fridge.

뿌리다to sprinkle, scatterVerb3

샐러드에 참깨를 조금 뿌리면 더 고소해요.Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on the salad and it tastes nuttier.

This list belongs to Food and drink — six lists and 240 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.