South Korea is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People’s Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south. Like most ethnic group throughout the world, South Koreans have their own food culture to suit their unique history and climate. Not only has the geographical boundaries which separate it from its neighbors impacted on the food culture of the nation, but the four distinct seasons have also influenced what South Koreans eat. There are various type of traditional food in South Korea such as Ttok Kuk, Ogokbap and Kimchi. Ttok kuk or rice cake soup is a typical Korea traditional food they eat on New Year. Ttok kuk contain several meanings. First of all, it means when you have a dish of ttok kuk you are one year older. They do not count the age on the basis of their birthday but on the basis of every New Year’s Day. Nowadays they eat ttok kuk any day of the year they like other than New Year’s day but in the past it was only on New Year’s Day. Older people would ask, how many dishes of ttok kuk you had, “2 dishes” definitely will not be the answer. Because one soup is equals to one year of life, the more you eat, the more you age. Second, another name for ttok kuk is “byung tang”, which means broth made of ttok. Ttok kuk also a dish that wish for a year you won’t get ill after ate this dish. They wish to live with strength as the ttok, round and long. There is a profound meaning in this dish. Third, the round shape of ttok like a coin symbolizes the rising sun. That’s why when they cutting the ttok, it must be cut in a round shape and in no other way. Ttok is made with rice powder beaten with a special hammer without any other ingredient and the broth does not contain any other ingredient either. It is said that this plain broth is to preserve the sober mind of this New Year’s Day. Even now ttok kuk for New Year is white for this reason. This is the most representative dish for their New Year’s Day. Ogokbap or five-grain rice served during the Full Moon Day, which falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month of the year which is end of winter. Ogokbap is a kind of food that made a bowl of steamed rice mixed with grains including barley, foxtail millet and soy beans. In the past, many of them ate food that lacking nutritional value during the long winter because such foods were scarce. Anticipating these problems, they dried up the grains before the coming of the winter to full fill the winter’s meals. All the grains are cleaned and soaked separately then cooked until the grains have expended and are well done. After they eat their ogokbap in the morning, people will give it to cattle together with wild vegetables. At the time, it is said if the cattle eat the ogokbap first, it will be a fat year and if the cattle eat the wild vegetables first, it will be a lean year. Other than that, they also belief that ogokbap must be shared by at least three different families to bring good luck in the coming year. Today, the concept of making ogokbap has been changing; they make it with much different kind of grains that do not necessarily mirror those traditionally used in the past. Until now, ogokbap still continues to be enjoyed by South Koreans for its nutrients and healthful benefits. Kimchee is the most famous side dish among the South Koreans or even foreigners. It is a must served dish in every meal. Kimchee is a pungent, often hot, mixture of fermented or pickled vegetables. The ingredients for making kimchee usually includes garlic, ginger, spring onion, salt, vinegar, chilies, chilies pepper, salted fishes and so on. When all the ingredients combined together it gives a special taste for the kimchee. At every beginning, kimchee is prepared for the winter season since they can’t cultivate crops during winter. Therefore, they preserved the vegetables for consuming during the winter. There are actually various type of kimchee in the South Korea such as cucumber kimchee, green chilies kimchee, radish kimchee and so on but the world kimchee is commonly refer to Chinese kimchee. During different season, different kind of kimchee will be served. For examples, during spring, leafy vegetable will be main ingredient for making kimchee. During winter, most of the kimchee are available since it is the most suitable time to consume kimchee. Kimchee can be preserved for a long time and was originally put in clay pot and buried in the fall to allow it to ferment for use throughout the winter months. It is hot and spicy taste is said to stimulate the appetite. It is a nutritious dish, providing vitamins, lactic acid and minerals, otherwise lacking in the winter diet. In conclusion, South Korea is a place that full of various type of traditional food. South Koreans feel strongly that food should be harmonized with natural spices and that balanced meals during the day are good for health. Their food is known as a healthy food since it emphasizes the balance of nutrition just as mentioned in the order of food pyramid. Because of their agricultural background and Confucian tradition, South Koreans place great importance on proper table setting and the etiquette and they have special foods for different seasons and for seasonal festivals. They is our role model, I hope our country’s traditional foods can last forever. Because nowadays the teenagers don’t like to eat traditional food, they prefer western food such as spaghetti, pizza and so on. We must care about our own traditional food and try to learn how to cook. Then you can teach your children and grandson, so it can pass to next generation and next generation.