A country with high mountains, coniferous forests, deep valleys, river flats, and a climate embracing the harshest extremes of monsoonal rains, hot summers and freezing winters. The main crops are barley, maize, millet, rice, soy bean, sweet potato and wheat as well as fruit and ginseng.

Home to the Yi dynasty, one of the longest in history - with a succession of twenty-six kings - and a number of religious philosophies including Confucianism, Buddhism and Catholicism, Korea's cuisine has evolved accordingly. A humble yet hearty peasant fare contrasts with the more refined cuisine of nobility with its extended vocabulary of spices. There are a number of ingredients common to Japanese and Chinese cuisine that are also crucial to Korean cooking. Notably the use of soy sauce (Japanese style), toasted sesame oil, seaweed, fish (fresh and dried) and the staple grain, rice. One main difference is the liberal use of red chilli, fresh, dried and powdered, and the traditional Korean chilli paste gochujang.

In spite of the similarity in many basic ingredients, Korean food is distinct from the food of either Japan or China. For example, sesame seeds are almost always toasted before being used, to emphasise their nutty flavour. The basic flavours of Korea include garlic, ginger, black pepper, spring onions (scallions), soy sauce, sesame oil, bean paste, toasted sesame seeds and red chilli, plus the judicious use of sugar and rice vinegar.

Famed for its pickles, none more so than kim chi, boldly flavoured with chilli and garlic and served at every meal. As well as cold pickles, there are a number of cooked relishes, each using a sea- sonal ingredient lightly cooked in oil flavoured with garlic, onion, spring onion or ginger and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

In addition to these, there are a few unique ingredients. Nowhere else have I encountered noodles made from sweet potato known in Korea as dang myun.

There are, courtesy of Japan, other popular varieties of noodle including udon and the famous buckwheat (soba) noodles, naeng myun in Korean.

In contrast with most Asian cuisines, there is great emphasis upon meat, beef in particular, although pork and chicken also play an important role. Lean cuts of pork and beef sliced paper thin may be seen in the freezer of your Korean supplier along with small frozen chickens and assorted seafood. Processed fish in the form of fish cakes is extruded into a variety of shapes from logs to 'lobster tails' to wormlike strands of varying thickness.

A variety of sweet and savoury rice cakes are also available, both fresh and frozen.

Except for those special dishes which require charcoal grilling, Koreans cook mainly by steaming, stir-frying, deep or shallow frying and boiling. Baking is not traditional.

Meat for the famous Korean barbecue Bulgogi is sliced paper thin and marinated in soy, sugar, toasted sesame seeds, ginger and spring onions (scallions), before being cooked on a heated brass dome variously called a Mongolian or Korean barbecue. The finishing touch is a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, sesame oil, bean paste, rice wine, toasted sesame seeds, chilli sauce, spring onion, garlic and sugar.

Steamed rice is always on the table accompanied by some kind of seasoned dipping sauce, as well as a number of tasty raw and cooked relishes. As in all Asian cuisines, there is an acute awareness of balancing the key flavour components of salt, sweet, hot, sour and bitter. Salt is provided by soy sauce, salt or salty bean paste; sweet by honey or sugar; hot by pepper, fresh, dried or powdered chilli, chilli sauce or mustard; sour by vinegar; and bitter by ginger. Korean bean paste, dhwen jang, is considered more flavoursome than the Japanese red bean paste equivalent and the Korean chilli paste, gochujang, is quite unique.

Beverages include the local rice wine, yakju, Korean beer, spiced persimmon punch and various pale-hued teas brewed from roasted grains including corn and barley. Green tea is also popular.