10 Must-Try Korean Dishes Featured in Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
If you’re a fan of Korean dramas, you know the food scenes are just as addictive as the storyline. Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines is no exception—it’s filled with nostalgic Korean dishes that span from the 1960s to the 2000s.
What makes it even more special is that many of these dishes are unique to Jeju Island, giving you a taste of regional Korean cuisine. Watching this drama is like a food tour through Korea’s past—don’t be surprised if you find yourself hungry after every episode!
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Korean Food in Korean Drama
If you watch Korean dramas, you’ll notice they feature a wide variety of Korean dishes. But these foods are more than just meals — they reflect Korean culture, emotions, and the times in which the stories are set.
In When Life Gives You Tangerines netflix series, you’ll see scenes from 20 years ago — like eating warm janchi-guksu (banquet noodles) at a street cart or buying puffed rice snacks (ppeongtwigi) at a traditional market. These scenes bring back memories of a Korea that’s now hard to find, evoking nostalgia for many viewers.
When Geum-myeong goes through a broken engagement, Aesoon and Gwansik comfort her with food — bibim-guksu, yellowtail, and more. In Korea, preparing and sharing food is one of the most meaningful ways parents show love to their children. For example, when a mother says, “Come out and eat some fruit” after an argument, it’s her way of reaching out, apologizing, and expressing love.
Today, let’s take a journey through Korean food from the 1960s to the 2000s — and get lost in the flavors of the past.
10 Must-Try Korean Foods from “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
Barley Pea Rice (Borikong Bap)
“Borikong san~ Borikong wan~” — do you remember the sweet song Aesoon sang to feed Geummyoung? The word borikong refers to green peas.
Back in the day, rice was a luxury in Jeju Island because the climate made it difficult to grow. Instead, people often ate barley, and they would mix it with peas when available. The rice with peas shown in the drama is called borikong bap (barley and pea rice) in Jeju dialect. It’s named this way because peas are harvested around the same time as barley.
In those days, even this humble meal was considered special. Men, like Gwansik in the drama, would get more peas on top of their rice, while women would get fewer. It’s a small detail that reflects the food culture and gender roles of that time.
Ojingeo Mu-guk (Squid and Radish Soup)
Do you remember the squid soup scene where Gwansik picked out the squid for Geummyeong? In reality, it’s not that easy to find Ojingeo Mu-guk (squid and radish soup) in restaurants in Jeju. It probably appeared often in the drama because Gwansik was a fisherman who caught squid.
In Korea, this dish is widely known as a traditional local food from the Gyeongsangdo Province, not Jeju. It’s a clear soup made with squid and radish, known for its light and refreshing broth. The flavor is often enhanced with soup soy sauce and anchovy fish sauce, and it typically has a mildly spicy kick from a touch of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes).
Although it’s considered a Gyeongsangdo-style dish, many people across Korea are familiar with it. I remember it often being served in school lunches when I was growing up!
Grilled Yellow Croaker (Jogi-gui)
Do you remember the scene where Aesoon was left out while the rest of the family enjoyed grilled fish at her uncle’s house? That fish was jogu, which is the Jeju dialect word for jogi (yellow croaker). In the past, meat was scarce on Jeju Island, so people relied heavily on seafood for their meals. Even today, Jeju is known for its premium yellow croaker catch.
In Korea, jogi is typically pan-fried and served as a main side dish. However, it’s becoming less common among the younger generation compared to our parents’ era. When jogi is salted and dried, it becomes gulbi, which was traditionally made to preserve the fish for longer periods. Its chewy texture and rich flavor make it more premium than fresh jogi, and it’s often given as a gift during major holidays like Chuseok or Seollal.
Grilled Abalone (Jeonbok-gui)
Do you remember the scene where Gwangrye grilled abalone for Aesoon before he passed away? In Jeju, abalone is harvested by haenyeo, the island’s traditional female divers. They dive deep into the ocean without oxygen tanks and collect seafood using sustainable methods. If you visit Jeju, you can find restaurants run by haenyeo where you can enjoy the freshest seafood straight from the sea.
Abalone is one of Jeju’s most iconic ingredients and is often added to seafood hot pots (haemul ttukbaegi), one of the island’s signature dishes. Across Korea, abalone is commonly enjoyed in jeonbokjuk (abalone porridge), grilled with butter, or served raw in a cold broth with sliced fish in a refreshing summer dish called mulhoe.
Grilled Tangerines
Jeju is famous for its tangerines, and with such high production, locals have come up with creative ways to enjoy them beyond just eating them fresh. One unique tradition is grilled tangerines. During the winter harvest season, farmers would light stoves or fire pits in their storage rooms to stay warm and place blemished or unsellable tangerines over the heat. This simple act gave rise to a cozy winter snack culture in Jeju.
The result? The outside becomes slightly crisp while the inside turns syrupy and intensely sweet, with a deep, concentrated citrus flavor. At one point, grilled tangerines even gained popularity among young campers in Korea as a nostalgic and Instagram-worthy treat.
Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)
If you watch Korean dramas, you’ll notice there are many noodle-based dishes in Korea. That’s because Korea began consuming flour in earnest after the Korean War, during which the country was impoverished and received a lot of flour aid from the U.S. This led to the rise of flour-based dishes like kalguksu (hand-cut noodles) and sujebi (hand-torn dough soup).
In When Life Gives You Tangerines, bibim guksu appears as a quick and easy meal—just like when Aesoon says, “Let’s just have bibim guksu.” It’s a 10-minute dish that Koreans often eat for lunch. It’s typically topped with a boiled egg, and when Aesoon gives Geummyeong two eggs, it symbolizes a mother’s love.
This is actually my mom’s kimchi bibim guksu recipe. Even when we didn’t have many side dishes, she’d always whip it up with the kimchi from our fridge. That simple, familiar taste feels especially nostalgic today.
Rolled Omelette (Gyeran Mari)
Do you remember Kwan-sik’s favorite rolled omelette? In Korea, gyeran mari (rolled omelette) is one of the most common side dishes served in households. In the past, meat was scarce in Korea, so eggs became a key source of protein. That’s why there are so many egg-based dishes like gyeran jjim (steamed egg) and mayak gyeran (addictive eggs).
Rolled omelette is typically made by simply rolling the eggs, but it can also include finely chopped vegetables like carrots or green onions for added texture. My mom used to make it by adding a sheet of gim (seaweed) inside the rolled omelette, which is a classic Korean way. The most traditional way for Koreans to enjoy it is by dipping the rolled omelette in ketchup.
Mini Donkatsu
Do you remember Eun-myeong’s mini donkatsu, which had a deep emotional connection? Back in the day, dishes like this were considered rare treats.
Donkatsu (pork cutlet) is one of kids’ favorite dishes, and when I was little, my mom would buy frozen mini donkatsu and fry them up. I have such fond memories of eating them as a side dish—it was a nostalgic treat for me.
Sticky Rice Cake (Chapssaltteok)
Do you remember Eun-myeong selling sticky rice cakes (chapssaltteok) early in the morning? I’ve never heard the phrase “*chapssaltteok~ memilmuk~,” but my parents’ generation remembers people walking around selling these rice cakes on the streets.
Sticky rice cakes are similar to mochi, filled with sweet red bean paste, offering a chewy and sweet flavor. In Korea, they are often given as gifts to students taking the college entrance exams, as the word chap in chapssaltteok represents “sticking” — a wish for the students to do well on their exams and for success to “stick.”
Recently, in Korea, a trendy variation of chapssaltteok has emerged — the strawberry chapssaltteok, which is easy to find and delicious.
Eye Candy (Nunkkal-satang)
Do you remember the nunkkal-satang that Dong-myeong wanted to eat? The term nunkkal comes from the word nunal (눈알), meaning eyeball. Eye candy is a nostalgic treat that’s hard to find in Korea these days, but it used to be a classic large candy at our grandparents’ house. While the taste wasn’t particularly special, the shape and nostalgia sometimes make me miss it.
