This article looks at kimchi jjigae, a dish many visitors encounter during their time in Korea.
Based on shared reactions from international communities, it explores why the same dish can feel very different from person to person.
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| ⓒ한국관광공사 포토코리아 – 알렉스 분도 |
Kimchi jjigae is a very everyday dish in Korea.
It appears frequently on restaurant menus and is also commonly mentioned as a home-cooked meal.
For first-time visitors, it is often something they end up trying at least once during their stay, even without actively seeking it out.
At the same time, reactions to kimchi jjigae are not easy to sum up in a single direction.
The same dish is described as good, disappointing, or better than expected, depending on the person.
Rather than recommending kimchi jjigae, this article looks at why such different reactions exist, based on real experiences shared by travelers.
What exactly is kimchi jjigae? A brief explanation for first-time readers
Kimchi jjigae is a hot stew made with fermented kimchi as its base.
It is commonly cooked with ingredients like pork or canned tuna and is typically served as a full meal with rice.
That said, kimchi jjigae does not follow a single fixed recipe.
The level of fermentation in the kimchi, the choice of ingredients, and the thickness of the broth all affect how it tastes.
Because of this, many first-time eaters imagine it simply as a “spicy red soup,” only to find that the actual experience is quite different.
Why do first-time reactions to kimchi jjigae vary so much?
One of the main reasons reactions differ is that people are often eating very different versions of kimchi jjigae.
In international communities, it is common to see comments like,
“what I ate felt completely different from how others described it.”
Some people encounter a rich, pork-based stew, while others try a lighter version made with tuna.
For some, it feels closer to a thick stew; for others, more like a soup.
One person described it this way:
“I expected the kimchi jjigae everyone talks about, but what I got felt like a completely different dish.”
When kimchi jjigae is approached with the expectation of a single, standard flavor, confusion during the first experience is understandable.
This is also why comments about unexpected sourness, or uncertainty about whether it is a stew or a soup, appear so often.
When do people tend to say kimchi jjigae tasted good?
Among people who remember kimchi jjigae positively, the broth itself is mentioned frequently.
Comments like,
“I didn’t expect much, but the broth was really good,”
or “it finally made sense once I ate it with rice,” come up often.
In these cases, satisfaction comes from places people did not initially anticipate.
Some travelers also mention trying to make kimchi jjigae at home afterward.
Rather than following a strict recipe, they describe adjusting ingredients to match the version they enjoyed.
Seen this way, kimchi jjigae is less about judging it after one bite and more about gradually shaping it into something that fits one’s own taste.
If you expect one “standard” version of kimchi jjigae, the first try can feel confusing.
If you’re okay with variation—and with the idea that a second try might taste noticeably different—this dish can make more sense over time.
It can help to treat it as an everyday meal with rice rather than a one-time “must-try” experience.
Why do some people say kimchi jjigae was not for them?
Negative reactions exist as well, and they often stem from a mismatch between expectation and reality.
Some expected a deeply spicy stew but found it more sour than anticipated.
Others imagined something similar to familiar Western-style stews, only to be surprised by a completely different flavor direction.
The fermented aroma of kimchi itself can also feel challenging for those who are not used to it.
In many cases, these reactions reflect personal taste and past food experiences rather than a clear judgment on the dish itself.
When does kimchi jjigae feel better than expected?
Interestingly, people who describe kimchi jjigae as “better than expected” often mention starting with low expectations.
Because it is made with red kimchi, some worried it would be overly spicy or heavy on the stomach.
After eating it, they were surprised by how clean and balanced it felt.
One person put it simply:
“I thought it would upset my stomach, but it actually felt pretty light.”
These reactions tend to appear when kimchi jjigae is approached as an everyday meal rather than a bold or extreme food experience.
Why do people say there is no single “correct” version of kimchi jjigae?
As conversations about kimchi jjigae continue, one idea comes up repeatedly: there is no single correct version.
In Korea, the kimchi used for kimchi jjigae can be described as “the same, yet all different.”
Each household uses different ingredients, proportions, and seasoning, and the level of fermentation varies widely.
This is why there is a saying in Korea that if the kimchi is good, the other dishes in the house tend to be good as well.
Kimchi jjigae is shaped less by a fixed standard and more by personal and household context.
If you are trying kimchi jjigae for the first time, this approach may help
Many travelers report better experiences when they approach kimchi jjigae without searching for a single “must-visit” place.
Comments like,
“the random place near where I was staying was better than the famous one,” appear often.
Rather than judging it after a single try, people seem to enjoy it more when they allow some room for variation.
This article is not meant to convince you to like kimchi jjigae, but to explain why the dish is remembered so differently from one person to another.
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