Commonly, Korean dishes are named after their unique cooking techniques. These names act as suffixes and are typically placed at the end of the dish's name. For instance, godeungo-gui (grilled mackerel) and godeungo-jorim (braised mackerel) both showcase this convention.

Cooked Rice (bap)

Rice is a staple in Korean cuisine. In the Korean language, the phrase "eating rice" signifies having a meal. Bap specifically refers to cooked rice, while there is a distinct term for uncooked rice (ssal). Korean people savor various types of cooked rice, mixing barley, beans, red beans, millet, and other grains into the basic white rice.

Soups (guk or tang)

Korean soups, known as guk or tang, are made with a diverse range of ingredients, including vegetables, fish, seafood, and various meats. While the traditional pairing of soup and rice is a staple in Korean meals, some hearty meat soups incorporate rice within them. The names of these soups vary based on the main component and the type of seasoning used, such as soy sauce, red chili pepper paste, or soybean paste.

Stews (jjigae)

Korean stews are hearty dishes that typically contain meat, vegetables, or seafood. They are flavored with soy sauce, soybean paste (doenjang), red chili pepper paste, or pickled shrimp sauce. These stews are commonly served with a bowl of rice as the main component of a Korean meal. Unlike soups, which tend to have a limited range of ingredients, stews can include a diverse mixture of ingredients. Some stews feature a single main ingredient, such as fish or dubu (soybean curd/tofu), while others combine fish, meat, vegetables and dubu in various ways. The most popular stews in Korean cuisine include kimchi stew (kimchi-jjigae), soybean paste (doenjang-jjigae) stew and spicy soft dubu stew (soondubu-jjigae).

Hot Pot (jeongol)

Typically, hot pots are both cooked and served directly at the table. The ingredients, such as beef, pork, and tripe, are cut into smaller pieces and combined with a range of vegetables in a shallow pot. This pot is then covered with broth. In the past, these dishes were commonly prepared on a stove located next to the dining area. When cooked in the kitchen and brought out to be served, they were known as "bokkeum." Alternatively, if they were only partially cooked with a small amount of broth beforehand, they were referred to as "jochi or jjigae." There is an extensive selection of hot pots available, including options like clam hot pot (조개전골 jogae jeongol), spicy beef tripe hot pot (곱창전골 gopchang jeongol), pine mushroom hot pot (송이전골 songi jeongol) and many more.

Grill (gui)

A variety of grilled dishes, such as fish, seafood, poultry, pork and beef are commonly enjoyed. This cooking technique has two primary methods:
1. Flavoring or marinating the meat with a blend of soy sauce, red chili pepper paste, sesame oil, green onions, and garlic, followed by grilling it.
2. Grilling the meat with just some salt. 
Grill dishes are named after their main ingredients, such as marinated and grilled beef short ribs (galbi-gui 갈비구이), grilled bellflower root (deodeok-gui 더덕구이), grilled spareribs (dwaeji galbi-gui 돼지갈비 ), and croaker (조기구이 jogi gui). These are some of the most popular options for grilling.

Pan-fried Delicacies (jeon)

These dishes, such as thinly sliced meats, fish, and vegetables, are often coated in flour or dipped in egg and pan-fried. They can also be mixed in batter and fried like pancakes. These versatile dishes are commonly served on various occasions ranging from everyday meals to special feasts or celebrations. They can even serve as a delicious side dish to accompany drinks. Some popular options for pan-fried dishes include potato, king prawns, beef liver, fish fillets, oysters, summer squash, stuffed green chili peppers, green onion pancake, kimchi pancake, among others.

Stir-fries (bokkeum)

Stir-fries are a type of dish that involves cooking chopped ingredients in hot oil for a short amount of time. These dishes are typically seasoned with a variety of ingredients such as sesame oil, green onion, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, sesame seeds, salt, ginger, liquor, and pickled fish sauce. In the past, these dishes were prepared in the kitchen and then brought to the table in a covered dish to maintain their warmth. Popular choices for stir-fry include pork, mushroom, and baby octopus.

Braised and Glazed Dishes (jorim)

Often ingredients, including fish, seafood, meats, dubu (soybean curd / tofu), and vegetables, are typically cooked in broth or a sweetened soy sauce until they have a glazed coating. Popular variations of this braising technique include beef chunks in soy sauce, green chili peppers, hairtail, and mackerel.

Steamed or Braised Dishes (jjim)

Jjim dishes are a popular Korean cuisine made with a variety of ingredients such as beef ribs, oxtail, brisket, chicken, seafood like sea bream, carp, and yellow corvina, along with vegetables like eggplant, bamboo shoots and summer squash. These ingredients are braised in a flavorful broth or sauce until fully cooked and the liquid is reduced.

For meat dishes, the meat is first cooked in the pot before being simmered in water or broth. It is then braised in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper and green onions until the flavors are fully absorbed. The use of bones while cooking adds depth to the flavor. Instead of being directly placed in the broth or sauce, fish is lightly coated in flour and egg batter before being pan-fried and added to the dish. Soy sauce is used for seasoning and garnishing.

These dishes are named according to their main ingredient such as short ribs jjim or steamed stuffed clams jjim. Other popular examples include simmered dried pollack, stuffed eggplant with beef and steamed stuffed king prawns.

Seasoned or Spiced Dishes (muchim)

The side dishes are made of a mixture of vegetables, roots, and sometimes seafood, all tossed in a zesty dressing. They are commonly known as namul dishes, and the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Seasoned Vegetables (namul)

Namul, a type of Korean side dish, encompasses a variety of edible herbs, leaves, roots, and vegetables. These dishes typically involve blanching and seasoning the ingredients in different ways. For example, summer squash, cucumbers, and bellflower root (known as doraji) are first salted and then stir-fried with seasonings.

On the other hand, mung bean sprouts, spinach, crown daisy, chili pepper leaves, wild sesame leaves, and other greens are blanched before being fried or seasoned by hand. Soybean sprouts are also blanched in salt water and seasoned.

Meanwhile, white radishes are cut into thin strips and cooked in boiling water after being seasoned.

The most commonly used seasonings for namul dishes include soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds and oil, and green onions. However, some namul dishes also incorporate red chili pepper powder or paste, black pepper or pickled shrimp sauce for additional flavor profiles. Some popular namul dishes to try include bellflower root namul, soybean sprout namul,and naengi namul.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine and is considered the most representative dish of Korea. It comes in various types, made from a variety of vegetables and sometimes includes seafood. Common vegetable choices include Chinese cabbage, white radish, or cucumbers that are pickled in a spicy seasoning of red chili pepper powder, garlic, ginger, green onions, and fish sauce.

Not only does kimchi preserve vegetables throughout the winter months, but it is also an essential part of a healthy Korean diet due to its rich enzymes and beneficial bacteria produced during the fermentation process. Additionally, it provides a wealth of vitamins and minerals, promotes digestive health, and enhances appetite.