Korean barbecue: the convivial art of gogi-gui

At the centre of the table, a grill glows red; on it, slices of meat sizzle, releasing an aroma of caramel and smoke. Everyone reaches in with chopsticks, turns a piece, cuts it with scissors, wraps it in a lettuce leaf with a touch of garlic. All around, dozens of small colourful bowls and glasses of soju. This table where people cook and share together is Korean barbecue.

Korean barbecue, or gogi-gui, is the art of grilling meat directly at the table, at the heart of a deeply convivial meal. Far more than a simple grill, it is a social ritual that structures outings with friends, with family or with colleagues. To understand it is to grasp an essential part of the Korean way of gathering around the fire.

Cooking together, at the centre of the table#

What first distinguishes Korean barbecue is that the cooking is done at the table. A grill — charcoal, sometimes gas — is set into the middle of the table, and the diners themselves place the meat on it, watch it, turn it. You do not receive a ready-made dish: you take part, together, in preparing the meal, in a collective choreography where everyone has a role.

This participatory dimension is the whole charm of gogi-gui. You cut the meat with scissors, share the pieces, fill others' glasses — never your own. The meal becomes a moment of social bonding where you take your time, where conversation flows to the rhythm of the grilling. In Korea, to go for a barbecue is above all to spend time together.

At Korean barbecue, you are not served a meal: you cook it with many hands, around a single fire.

The king meats#

Several meats dominate the gogi-gui table. The most popular is undoubtedly samgyeopsal, thin slices of unmarinated pork belly, grilled until crispy — its name evokes the "three layers" of fat and lean that make it up. Simple and tasty, it is the great classic of relaxed outings.

On the beef side, two stars: galbi, ribs marinated in a sweet-savoury sauce of soy sauce, sugar, garlic and pear, and bulgogi, thin slices of marinated beef, more tender and sweet. Where samgyeopsal plays simplicity, galbi and bulgogi unfold the richness of Korean marinades, inherited from a long tradition of seasoned meats.

The art of ssam and the side dishes#

To eat a Korean barbecue is also to master the art of ssam, the "wrap." You take a leaf of lettuce or perilla (sesame), place a piece of grilled meat on it, a touch of ssamjang, a sliver of raw garlic or a little rice, then close it all up to eat in one bite. Each bite is thus composed to one's own taste.

Around the grill spread the inevitable banchan, those small side dishes — kimchi, seasoned vegetables, sprouts, sauces — that complete the meal and refresh the palate. And to accompany it all, nothing beats a glass of soju or makgeolli, as tradition demands. Korean barbecue is a total meal, where the meat is only a starting point.

An ancient tradition gone global#

Grilling meat is nothing new in Korea: traces of it appear from antiquity, with dishes such as maekjeok, skewered and grilled meat. But it is in the modern era that barbecue as we know it, with its table-top grill and its specialised restaurants, established itself as a pillar of Korean social life.

Today, Korean barbecue is exported worldwide, from the Korean quarters of major cities to trendy venues in Europe and America. To discover it is to taste a conviviality unlike any other — and to learn Korean is to be able to order your samgyeopsal, understand the art of ssam, and toast as is proper around a smoking grill.

FAQ#

What is Korean barbecue? Korean barbecue, or gogi-gui (고기구이), is the art of grilling meat directly at the table, on a grill set into the centre. It is a convivial meal where diners cook their own meats, share them and accompany them with small dishes and lettuce leaves.

What are the meats of Korean barbecue? The most popular are samgyeopsal (unmarinated pork belly), galbi (marinated beef ribs) and bulgogi (thin slices of marinated beef). Pork and beef dominate, but chicken and offal are also grilled.

What is ssam? Ssam (쌈) is the art of wrapping a piece of grilled meat in a lettuce or perilla leaf, with ssamjang paste, garlic and sometimes rice, to eat in one bite. It is a typically Korean way of composing each bite to one's own taste.

What is drunk with a Korean barbecue? Traditionally, Korean barbecue is accompanied by soju, the distilled rice spirit, or by makgeolli, sweeter and cloudier. Beer is also common, sometimes mixed with soju (somaek). The meal is always accompanied by many banchan.

Photo credits: the images used in this article come from Pexels and Unsplash and are royalty-free.