15 Korean Recipes to Make for Chuseok

Chuseok, also known as Hangawi, is one of the biggest national holidays in Korea that occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Traditionally, Chuseok was a time to appreciate the year's bountiful harvest while commemorating the ancestors. But, as the country has become less agriculture-centric, the harvest spirit is less observed. Instead, it's a meaningful time to gather as a family with a spread of delicious foods, seasonal fruit and drinks throughout the three-day holiday.

Many dishes are closely related to the cultural custom of charye. Charye is a type of jesa, a Korean ceremonial ritual to honor ancestors, which is only performed on Chuseok and Seollal (Korean New Year's Day). Each family cooks different dishes for their charye table, but a variety of jeon (savory pancakes) and namul (a catch-all term for seasoned vegetables) are always found. Since cooking is a big effort that can take several days, families bond and catch up while preparing food for charye, and those who live far from home also visit relatives and family members. No matter where you live, cooking these beloved Chuseok recipes will help you feel, taste, and celebrate the joyful holidays.

Curated by James Park

Songpyeon (송편)

Songpyeon is the quintessential treat for Chuseok. These colorful, half-moon-shaped rice cakes are usually stuffed with sweetened sesame seeds and traditionally steamed on a bed of pine needles. The dough is made out of rice flour, leaving a pleasantly chewy texture, while the fillings give them wonderfully sweet and nutty flavors.

Japchae (잡채)

One of my favorite celebratory foods is japchae. These seasoned sweet potato glass noodles, mixed with a variety of colorful vegetables like spinach, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and more, taste even better when you make a big portion to share with the family. Enjoy it on its own or mix it with warm rice, which is how I enjoy it.

Galbi Jjim (갈비찜)

These savory braised short ribs are perfect to share with the family. The amount of effort and time to make delicious short ribs are totally worth it when everyone in the family gets excited to eat together. Fall-apart tender beef with braised potatoes on rice is one of the best bites!

Dwaeji Galbi Jjim (돼지갈비찜)

A delicious alternative for braised short ribs is braised pork ribs. When I prepare a spread for my own Chuseok celebrations at home, I always make these pork ribs. They are cheaper than beef short ribs, and after being cooked for a long time (this recipe makes it easy with a slow cooker!), tender meat soaks up all those delicious umami-rich sauces, perfect to go with rice.

LA Galbi (갈비)

Galbi is another crowd-favorite, especially for a family gathering. LA galbi uses flanken-style short ribs, which are quick to cook on the grill. The sweet-and-savory sauce tenderizes the meat and caramelizes nicely when the meat gets cooked. Pair this with other leafy vegetables like lettuce or perilla leaves to make a ssam, a Korean term for a wrap.

Bindaetteok (Korean Mung Bean Pancakes) (빈대떡)

One of the most essential food items for charye is an assortment of jeon, or Korean savory pancakes. These mung bean pancakes have deliciously nutty flavors thanks to ground mung beans in the batter. The crispy edges are the best part of eating these jeons!

Zucchini Jeon (호박전)

Another easy jeon that is always on my family’s charye table is this zucchini jeon. Sliced zucchini is lightly dredged in flour, dipped into beaten egg and lightly fried in oil. This simple preparation brings out the naturally sweet flavors of zucchini. My dad always makes these jeons for the charye table, and they are my absolute favorite.

Yuk-Jeon (육전)

Yuk-jeon is another classic jeon made for charye. It tastes better when the beef is sliced thinly so that it doesn’t take long to cook. Marinating the meat before dredging it in flour adds more flavors at the end. But, when you are in a pinch, you can simply season it with salt and pepper before cooking.

Dubu Jeon (Fried Tofu) (두부전)

My family’s go-to jeon for the charye table is this pan-fried tofu. My dad always takes the task of making this jeon. He cooks planks of tofu in a puddle of oil, as if he’s lightly frying them. Then, these planks of tofu get crispy with a deep-golden color. It’s humble, simple and always present on my family’s charye table.

Wanja Jeon (Korean Beef Meatballs) (동그랑땡/완자전)

When I prepared foods for my own charye table to keep the spirits of Chuseok in my New York City apartment, I made these savory Korean meaty jeons. They taste a bit like breakfast sausages because of the seasoned ground meat. But, they somehow taste just as good when they are cold as well. Even though my family never made these for charye, making them has become my own tradition for celebrating Chuseok in my way.

Spinach Namul (시금치나물)

Traditionally for building a charye food table, there should be three-colored namul, often made up of spinach, bellflower root (do-ra-ji) and fernbrake (go-sari). Mix the blanched spinach with the nutty, toasted sesame oil sauce. For me, it’s impossible to think of making a charye table without spinach namul.

Kongnamul Namul (콩나물 나물)

As a part of the charye table, kongnamul (soybean sprouts), is another easy namul to prepare. Try to find soybean sprouts (as opposed to regular bean sprouts) for a heartier, crunchier texture. Serve this along with spinach namul to add more colors to your Chuseok food spread.

Su Jeong Gwa (Korean Cinnamon Tea) (수정과)

This refreshing cinnamon tea is perfect after eating loads of different jeons. After eating countless fried jeons, it’s great to drink something that cuts through the greasiness, and this is exactly what I want. Sprinkles of pine nuts, which provide a nice crunch to the drink, are always my favorites.

Sikhye (Sweet Korean Rice Punch) (식혜)

These sweetened rice drinks are super nostalgic to me. Growing up in Korea, I would get jars filled with sweet sikhye from my aunt, and we would drink it together during any downtime between preparing foods for a charye table. After drinking the nectar-like liquid, I love eating cooked rice that sunk to the bottom with a spoon, as if I’m eating rice for a snack.

Mu-Guk (Beef & Radish Soup)
(무국)

This recipe is not exactly what my family made for a charye table, but it’s similar in that we always served a version of beef and radish soup. The flavors mostly came from a combination of beef and radish, and my mom would make a big batch of this for the charye table. It’s simple yet hearty, and it’s not Chuseok for me unless I see my mom’s mu-guk.

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