South Korea The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure

'We've packed our passports.'

'And bought our phrase books.'

HE SPEAKS JAPANESE

'Because we're off on our biggest, craziest adventure yet.'

ALL: Delicious. Delicious. Meow, meow, beep.

HE ROARS LIKE TARZAN

'We're travelling further than we've ever done before.'

'To uncover the authentic roots

'of Britain's favourite takeaway foods.'

I've always wanted to know how to make proper sweet and sour sauce.

'Going off the beaten track

'and being welcomed into some of Asia's hidden worlds.'

How marvellous is this?

'From the high rises and hot woks of Hong Kong...'

The heat on this is really, really intense,

but listen, it's like a jet engine.

GAS ROARS

I love it!

'..To the sweltering tropics of Thailand.'

We love a tuk-tuk.

'Where they say it's impossible to eat badly.'

Thai food's arrived in Britain,

but by crikey, it's only the tip of the iceberg.

'And we fulfil a lifelong ambition to explore Japan.'

That is perfect.

Wow, look at that.

I've just had a sushi-gasm.

'We finish up in South Korea. Where the spicy cuisine is sensational.'

This would go down a bomb down the local.

'So leather up and take to the road.'

'For one extremely hairy...'

BOTH: 'Asian Adventure.'

Look at that, Si.

-Wow.

-Seoul.

The capital city of South Korea,

home to more than 10.5 million inhabitants.

-It's all kind of surrounded by mountains, isn't it?

-Yeah.

In fact, South Korea has a massive mountain range that runs the length

of the country, as well as stunning forests and a dramatic coastline.

The Korean peninsula is bordered by China and Russia to the North

and the Yellow Sea to the South.

It's a tantalisingly unexplored slice of East Asia.

But what do we know about Korean food?

Well in the UK, precious little. But it's coming.

In the UK already there are more than 50 Korean restaurants.

This exciting cuisine is gaining popularity fast,

and with good reason.

It's the spiciest in Asia, with chilli a key ingredient.

And boy do they love a pickle - thanks to their long cold winters,

they've learnt to preserve pretty much anything!

They love their meat too - they inherited a huge

appetite for beef from the Mongols who invaded in the 13th century.

You're getting me all excited!

We'd best get on our bikes and see what this country has to offer.

You know, Kingy, Korea was all one country as recently

as the 20th century.

Oh, look, the Royal Palace. Ah, it's beautiful, isn't it?

It was divided up after World War II - with the United States

backing the South, and the Soviet Union the North.

In 1950 the North invaded and for three years the South Koreans,

plus nearly 2 million American troops, fought back.

Ah, mate, this is the old part here, isn't it?

And this is the only part that survived the war.

The war brought intense poverty. But in the 1970s,

government schemes kick-started massive industrial growth and

an export economy - and the South Koreans haven't looked back since.

In just 40 years they've gone from being one of the poorest

to one of the world's richest countries.

Now South Korea has the 13th largest economy on the planet

and exports billions of pounds worth of cars and computers.

Here in Seoul, 1-in-80 people is a millionaire.

MUSIC: "Gangnam Style" by Psy

# Gangnam style... #

You know, Si, these folk have experienced such rapid change,

I'm keen to find out what that's meant for their cuisine.

Ah, now we're in the area where all the young, hip folk hang out.

But nobody's over 30.

Yeah, and before we find out about their traditional dishes,

I want to know what's popular in Korean food now.

So we're heading for the hip district of Hongdae,

an area packed with bars and restaurants.

Now, Koreans are known as the Irish of Asia for their love,

if you like, of a big night out.

They're also known as the Italians of Asia

for their fiery and exuberant personalities.

We're meeting two locals who've offered to give us

a tour of some of their favourite eateries.

Teacher Keith and his actress friend Song-a-Min,

they run a blog about life in Seoul in their spare time.

What a great vibe here, so what is this area?

-It's lovely, isn't it? Gentle.

-Yeah, it is.

This area's called Hongdae and Hongdae is basically a college town.

But it's... Hongdae is the name of a university here,

and it's an art university, it's hers.

-See that white building.

-That's the university?

-Yeah, that's my university there.

-Really, you haven't to move far.

Lots of clubs, lots of bars, lots of restaurants, 24 hours,

lots of sub-culture as well.

I see a lot of parallels between this area

and Barrow-in-Furness where I live.

It's that kind of chic, artistic,

community bar on every corner, kind of vibe.

I'm really loving it.

SHE LAUGHS

And our first stop is a type of Korean food that's just

starting to take off in the UK - Korean barbecue.

Here in Seoul, you find places like this on almost every street corner.

You see, I think this is fantastic.

It's basically the most popular Korean food there is.

The reason being is because people eat it for dinner,

it's pretty much eaten from noon until like, 4.00 or 5.00am.

No meal here is complete without an array of banchan, or side dishes.

They're normally pickles, stir fries or broths.

-Oh, wow.

-Now that's a nice piece of rib-eye.

That's beautiful.

You don't cut? You just put the whole thing on and then cut it up?

Yeah, the whole thing on.

Put the whole thing on, let it grill and then....

Then after you cut it.

Korea's rulers in the Middle Ages frowned on vegetarian Buddhists,

so Koreans eat more meat than their Asian neighbours.

In fact, there's no word for vegetarian in Korean.

Koreans like their meat lean,

marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil,

and cooked by way of a table-top grill with a mini extractor fan.

It's like a mega fondue, of carnivorous proportions.

We share the same soup, and share the same meat.

-That's fabulous.

-Another thing about Korean culture

is that we all share this in one bowl.

Oh, that's lovely, what a lovely thing to do.

So it feels like we're one family, right?

What's Korean barbecue etiquette?

You get these different kind of leaves.

-Oh, right. So you stack your leaves.

-In here.

-Yeah.

And you put all the vegetables on your table one by one.

So you put it like that.

-And here.

-Fantastic.

OK, you can try.

How is it?

It's OK?

-Ah, brilliant.

-That's beyond OK.

The leaf it's wrapped in is an Asian herb called Perilla,

which has a hint of mint.

-Whoa! This is seriously tasty.

-Epic.

Keith is one of Seoul's growing army of private tutors

who are popular with parents who want to give their children

the opportunities that they didn't have.

I teach at an after-school programme.

It starts at five o'clock and ends at ten.

Wow.

Yeah, students do that all the time.

After they finish school, they go to an academy for English.

-Yes.

-Stay for a couple of hours,

then they'll go to a maths academy in the same day.

They'll finish around 10 or 11,

go home and do their homework,

finish around like 2, 3am, start all over again.

-Yeah.

-That's insane.

My academy, when I went to high school, it finished at 2am.

-2am.

-And I had to school at seven o'clock in the morning.

So the kids would have five hours' sleep.

74% of all pupils here have private after-school tutors.

Korean students consistently outperform those from

other countries in maths.

So do you guys wish there were more Korean restaurants back at home?

Yeah. Definitely.

When you want something hearty and lovely and tasty,

share with your friends.

It's fabulous and the meat quality is superb.

Oh, it is, absolutely

Korean food round one - a massive meat feast! Result.

And the night begins.

And for round two

we've been promised South Korea's most popular takeaway.

Yeah, so have you guys had Korean fried chicken?

-No.

-But we've heard about it.

So is this something that the Koreans managed to

steal from the Americans?

-Yes, absolutely.

-And make better.

-Yes, absolutely.

It is kind of, but it has a lot of flavours like onions, spicy,

very Korean sauce.

So you've nicked it from the States, brought it here, Korean-ised it...

-Yes.

-And now the United States are going,

we love what you've done with the chicken.

Ah, brilliant, I can't wait to try this.

OK.

South Koreans' taste for fried chicken was

heavily influenced by American culture in the 1950s.

And these days, their version of this tasty Western treat

-is flying out of the fryers.

-Oh, wow.

Hello, Chef. May we enter the portals of crispiness?

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, brill.

THEY LAUGH

South Koreans don't like oily food so they've developed a

double-frying technique that renders out the fat in the skin.

So you get a thin, crackly and almost see-through crust.

Oh, look, it's been dipped in chillies

-and all manner of good currying things.

-Oh, look at that.

Oh, yes, please. Thank you.

It's so hot.

HE YELPS

How is it?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah. Oh, wow.

-It's very good.

-It's sweet, it's spicy, it's juicy.

Because the chicken is just steamed in that double-fried

coffin of crumbs.

You know, there's nothing mean or reserved about that, is there?

Nothing at all. Particularly when I've just seen them

put onion rings into the fryer with the same batter.

THEY LAUGH

And you know what the best part is, chicken like this,

they deliver it to your house.

It's a very big culture for chicken delivery,

-chicken delivery is everywhere.

-They can deliver anywhere, any time.

-To where? Like anywhere.

-Like 24 hours, any time.

Like, if you're walking down the river

and like, oh, you want to have a chicken,

you go like, can you deliver to er-er-er bridge?

"I'm under this bridge, come by me." And when they come, they'll

give you a call, they'll look for you and then deliver it to you.

What a service.

When we first arrived in Korea, I thought the city was quite grey.

-Yes, so did I.

-Found colour tonight.

So have I, scratch the surface, boom-boom, shake the room.

Yeah, that is absolutely stunning stuff. It's not greasy.

It can't be unhealthy. Anything that good can't be bad for you...

Once a week.

Oh, I'm liking it here, Dave.

A country that puts a spicy stamp on a western takeaway classic

has got to be all right in my book.

It must be so exciting to be young in South Korea today, Kingy.

It seems like the land of opportunity.

It's also the home of a massive music phenomenon, Korean pop,

or K-Pop for short.

You might even recognise the odd track.

# Oppa Gangnam Style

# Gangnam Style...

Got to put shapes together! What are you doing?

# Oppa Gangnam Style

# Eh, sexy lady

# Op, op, op, op

# Oppa Gangnam Style

# Eh... # MUSIC STOPS

They've run out of batteries. Thank God for that.

-What sort of dance is that?

-That is Gangnam Style.

-It's wrong.

It's cool and funky and everybody's doing it.

We've been invited to cook for K-Pop singer Jessica HO

at the home of stylist Sarah and her husband, architect Jiwan.

Jessica is a product of the hugely successful South Korean

hit factory system.

Now, what was that!

# Oh, up on the roof... #

'And what do you do when you meet a pop star?

'Challenge them to a rap off, of course.'

-You won.

-Ah, right.

-You won.

-So scissors cut paper, right.

-Right. So I'll go first, aye?

OK, you ready? Five seconds, stand by.

He won and he's... Just let him go.

La-la-la-la! It's fine.

-HE RAPS:

-Me name is Dave and this Si

We come here to cook some curry and pie

The Koreans they like their chilli

But wash your hands cos you get a red hot willy.

-Korea!

-That's pretty good. That was freestyle.

OK, well you've got to do, what do you want, 16ths?

-OK, I'll just do like a five second thing, ready?

-Yeah!

Ready?

SHE RAPS: This one goes out to the bimbos

Trying to copy my style, go to Kinko's

Is your boy sweating me? Bingo

I had your wally back little bow.

THEY CHEER

I lose.

THEY LAUGH

Dude, you've just got to work on your accent.

That would have been smashing, but I've got to tell you,

I think the lady wins.

Yeah, I haven't got the attitude, have I, really?

THEY CHEER

Thank you.

Can musicians make money here? How does it work?

Definitely musicians can make money here.

I mean, the K-Pop right now is so big and viral right now so...

It's definitely a good opportunity right now for me.

She's not wrong! K-Pop is one of Korea's biggest exports

and worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

They spend a lot of money as well,

because they... How long have you been training?

Er, for a really long time.

Korea, they train a long time so artists can come into the company,

like, ten years or seven years before they even debut.

So they'll be practising dance,

learn multiple languages like Japanese and English.

And then debut.

Oh, enough K-Pop already.

It's time for us Hairy Bikers to make our K-cooking debut.

We're going to do a spicy octopus stew,

packed with the chilli kick Koreans love.

This is just a tasty, fiery snack that a K-Popper would have

when he's out on a night out to give you a bit of a lift.

The old hips have gone, don't need replacing any more,

-do you know what I mean?

-HE HUMS

Can you stop? Will you get on with it?

Yep, right. Octopus. Come on, Cedric.

I'm preparing the baby octopus by removing the beak

and separating the legs from the head.

Whilst Dave deals with Cedric,

I'm whipping up a spicy sauce for the stew.

I'm taking a piece of root ginger about the size of a £2 coin,

and I'm grating it into a bowl.

I will then crush three cloves of garlic,

and add to the same bowl as the ginger.

Koreans love octopus and even eat it live,

because they think it increases male stamina!

I think with squid and octopus, when it's prepared properly

it's one of the most delicious things,

-when it's not prepared properly...

-It's minging.

-It's minging.

There is nothing worse than a tough octopussy.

It's horrible, it's like eating rubber bands.

Ours however, we want to be K-Pop-tastic melt-in-your-mouthski.

HE HUMS

Now pop this in the boiling water for precisely 90 seconds,

not a second more, not a second less, and go.

Swim, Cedric, swim.

Now it's not swimming, it's just bubbling in the boiling water.

Now my sauce gets its fire.

First, two teaspoons of chilli powder,

then a key Korean ingredient - gochujang - or red pepper paste.

The fermentation process mellows the hot flavours of fiery

chillies mixed with rice, soybeans and salt.

Koreans use it in everything.

Then add a teaspoon each of soy sauce and mirin

before adding a dollop of golden syrup for sweetness

and mix it all together. Sauce done.

Five seconds - four, three, two, one.

There you go. And that is your meat.

Dude, you're a star.

Thank you. Now to stop them cooking, put them in cold water.

Now all I want you to do now is to chop the tentacles

up into bite-sized pieces, take the skin off the head pieces

and Bob's your uncle. Juicy, juicy squid, ready to be cooked.

It's kind of like aquatic macaroni, isn't it, an octopus?

Yes, I suppose it is, dude, yeah.

But the skin, once it's been boiled, comes off quite easily.

Now it's fry-up time. You want half an onion.

Good sized slices.

Pop in the onion and saute.

After a minute, add five shiitake mushrooms.

Mushys go in.

Come on, Jessica, come and have a look at your dinner.

What are you cooking there?

Right, we've got some onions, some shiitake and we showed people

how to... We blanched the octopus, we prepped it so...

-In the pan.

-This goes in.

-Yep, quick. That's it, nice hot pan.

Then my red hot sauce goes in.

Looks really spicy.

So lastly, just pop in some more chillies...

some spring onions, quite big bits, a little splash of sesame oil.

There.

It's done. Shall I lift up the thing?

-Yeah. And that should taste...

-Smells really good.

Kind of fiery red and appetising. Bit of sesame seeds.

Right, guys.

This looks like, you know, Korean mother's style.

-Yeah, that's the sort of vibe.

-Korean mum.

-Well, yeah.

Is there a style thing with Korean mums?

Is it worth something to aspire to? The beard would have to go, perhaps.

You'd have to dye your hair black.

Fine.

THEY LAUGH

I can live with that.

Really nice.

Good.

Looks like our octopus stew isn't going to last for long.

Time to hit the road, mate.

There are three million vehicles on the streets of Seoul

and it feels like they're all out today.

Woo-hoo. Here we go.

I do have to say, Mr King, that the driving here has been

somewhat more aggressive than the rest of Asia.

Aye, you would.

Well, apparently, they have the most aggressive drivers in Asia, dude.

Yeah. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, it's a way of life.

South Koreans are so crazy about rushing things that the term

"ppalli ppalli" - which translates as "hurry, hurry" -

is part of the national psyche here.

Mirror, signal, manoeuvre...and hope.

Well, it stems from the '70s when the president started

rewarding companies that built roads and bridges faster than scheduled.

You know, Kingy, I feel like we've seen the modern face of Seoul

but it's time to get to grips with more traditional South Korean food.

So there's only one place to go.

What we always say, when you arrive in a new city,

to get a flavour of the local food, the local people,

the only place really to go is the market.

And by heck, apparently they've got a belter in Seoul.

Yes, the Gwangjang Market in central Seoul has 5,000 stalls

selling all the Korean food you can think of.

Seoul chef Lucy is going to steer us around.

Oh, wow what's this?

This is the mung bean pancake.

Mung bean pancake was used as the base for the meat.

In old times, back in the days, these are only consumed by the workers.

The owners of a household will eat the meat

and all the juice of the meat will soak into the pancake

and then those are for the workers.

So the mung beans have basically been ground into a paste

which will form a batter, I guess. Is that the way it works?

The 17th century name for this dish means "poor person's pancake."

Mung beans are a staple here.

These pancakes are popular with Koreans of all social classes

who see them as a filling snack.

Let's share and tear.

-Thank you.

-Oh, hey.

-It's really tasty. It's filling, like a lot of humble food.

-Yeah.

But can you imagine it on a cold dreary, grey, winter's night.

This would go down a bomb down the local.

You know what, Dave, the way that this little number's meant to

soak up the meat juices reminds me of good old-fashioned Yorkshire pud!

Oh, crumbs, look at that, pickle central.

Koreans like toppings to perk up their pancakes and other dishes.

And that's where their super spicy range of pickles comes in!

So you can get your mung bean pancakes, then go here

and get your relishes.

Korean's have been pickling produce for over 1,000 years

to preserve it through their long, cold winters, when food was scarce.

Chilli was added to spice up the fermented fodder, and

they believe that the colour of the red chilli keeps bad luck at bay.

Korea is known for fermentations.

So these are sort of like soaked, raw crabs and soya beans.

I've never seen a pickled crab before.

It's really good. It's not pickled with vinegar,

it's pickled with, sometimes with pepper paste,

-or other things that really give it a deep flavour.

-Wow.

And one pickle in particular stands out.

Ah, kimchi!

Kimchi - or fermented cabbage - is the national dish of Korea

and a meal without it is unheard of.

You've got your mung bean pancake which is a big kind of...

It's like a duvet on your tummy. It's a big cuddle of food.

If you have that with a selection of these on the side,

you'd have a really, really good meal.

Now, lots of the Korean food we've tried so far

would be a massive hit with the Brits, but some of the more

exotic fare in this market, well, it might be a bit harder to swallow.

-What are they, Lucy?

-Silk worms.

-What?

You fry it and you just eat it as a snack.

-Maybe you should try.

-He loves things like that.

Get lost, you. It's always me.

Go on, I'll try one.

THEY SPEAK KOREAN

OK. Oh, you have to boil it.

DAVE AND SI: Oh, you have to boil it!

Oh, that's a lucky escape.

How do you boil it?

DAVE AND SI: W-WWoooooh! THEY ALL LAUGH

Korean boiling technique.

DAVE AND SI: W-WWoooooh!

Now we know that boiled silkworms might not float your boat.

But there is a Korean culinary classic

here that we are excited about.

It dates back to the late 1800s and it's got a brilliant name -

bibimbap.

Now bibimbap is the nation's favourite fast food

and it's gaining popularity in the West.

Yeah, well, it's said to be super healthy.

At all the Korean food wagons in Hollywood

it's said to be Gwyneth Paltrow's favourite.

And if it's good enough for healthy Gwyneth, it's good enough for us.

-It's like a culinary pick and mix.

-It is, it is, on a bed of rice.

You just pick whatever you like. Who wants to go first?

Well I think that, Mr Myers, you should go first.

Yes, I'm going to dedicate my bibimbap to Gwyneth.

-Are you?

-Yes, to the skinny bird with attitude.

First off, the rice.

'It's a nutritious dish of steamed rice mixed with as many side dishes

'as you can fit in your bowl.'

Soya bean sauce, red pepper paste and sesame. Thank you, thank you.

Let's see how healthy you go.

Lots of kimchi.

'Like the other Korean pickles, kimchi is packed with probiotics.'

-Right, Kingy.

-Right.

-You're on.

-What's this?

-Chives.

-Chives. I'm going to have some...

-Seaweed.

-Seaweed.

Now, what's this one?

-That's the radish vegetable, radish kimchi.

-Radish kimchi.

Well I'm going to go with the radish kimchi

and I want a piece of that, that black pudding.

Oh, you want?

No. Get in. I wouldn't pollute Gwyneth with black pudding.

Now look at that, it's vibrant, colourful and torrid.

Now, you see, you've got to get the mix of colours

and ingredients right.

The Korean philosophy on food is all about the balance for your soul.

Oh, this is good.

It's the flavouring, the rice, it's so moreish.

There is a feeling that there is health-giving properties

to the food that the Koreans eat.

What we think of is that each ingredient has its own nutrition,

but the combination of the ingredients is very important.

-Yes, I'm really enjoying this.

-Yes, it's really good.

Korean food's packed with vitamins and minerals.

Well, they have a saying here that,

"There's no better medicine than food" and that market proves it.

MUSIC: "Suicide Is Painless (Theme From MASH)"

You know, Kingy, Seoul's a very modern city,

but you can still see reminders of its troubled past.

I know, mate, and I always think of the American Army and MASH

when I think of the Korean war.

But almost 100,000 British troops served in it too.

It's kind of our forgotten war, isn't it?

And the threat from North Korea hasn't gone away.

The two sides are still officially at war,

with the North flexing its nuclear muscles as recently as 2013.

So it's no wonder that the US keeps nearly 30,000 troops on duty here,

while South Korea has more than 660,000 on active service

and one of the longest military conscriptions in the world -

a minimum of 21 months.

The Koreans have a long history of defending themselves.

In ancient times, they were masters of the bow and arrow.

What was once a necessary defence is now South Korea's national sport.

Archery to South Korea is what football is to the UK.

-They love it

-Yeah, but in the UK with our football,

sometimes it's a national disappointment.

But fortunately, the South Koreans are very good at archery.

In the London Olympics,

Korea walked away with three gold medals, didn't they?

Yep, broke two world records.

And one of participants in the archery competition that won

a gold medal was legally blind.

We've been offered a lesson from Kim Taesung -

the club secretary here at this Seoul archery range.

Now we've only agreed to take part on the condition we can,

well, get dressed up in full imperial regalia.

Do you want blue, goes with your eyes?

THEY LAUGH

Oh, missed me leaf. Right...

No... I... No.

Thank you. Stop there.

-You ready?

-I'm ready. OK.

Now, Korean kids start firing arrows at primary school,

and they train for up to two hours a day.

Right, gents, you're going to shoot from here.

And the best get talent-spotted in their teens and hope to be hired

by big South Korean firms, who all have company teams.

That's right, you get a salary and a pension

just for competing in the corporate league!

-But the arrow keeps slipping. Do I hook that there?

-No, no.

'I'm not known for my physical co-ordination, but here goes.'

So it's above your head. Stand like that.

Lower, lower, lower.

Oops.

-It was not...

-Did you get one?

Yeah. I missed the target but I got the knack.

It's not as simple.

I feel very noble, you know. I like Korea.

Yep.

'Now watch and learn, smiler, watch and learn.'

Lower bow.

Yes, that's about it. Let go.

Wow!

Hey, it's a good feeling, isn't it?

-Robin Hood.

-Dear me.

-Mr King!

-Fantastic.

Bloomin' heck!

DAVE LAUGHS

Kingy, I think you've found it.

Simon, don't go back.

Don't go back to England. You should stay in Korea.

OK, no, great. Yeah. No, that'll be all right.

The Korean national team. That was a bull's-eye!

Eee, how lovely.

Now we're starting to understand what it means to be Korean,

and I reckon it's time to try another recipe.

-Ooh, Kingy, I'm all of a quiver.

-Oh, dear me.

And we know there's an air of nobility about the cookery today.

There we are underneath a portrait of Emperor Gojong,

who is the man who was responsible for forming this archery club.

Indeed, this building is in the grounds of his Imperial Palace.

There's poetry, there's beauty.

And the arrow flies straight and swift.

And under these noble eaves, we'll be performing a two-hander.

One, a musaengchae salad made from the versatile Asian radish,

with a tangy, tasty dressing.

And the star of the show, a spicy beef yukhoe.

It's a traditional Korean dish,

a bit like the French steak tartare, made with raw beef.

-I love steak tartare.

-I do too.

It's brilliant. You get good beef, why bother cooking it?

It's spicy, it's hot, it's vibrant, everything you want on a plate.

You want to slice some of the finest beef fillet you can find

into long, thin ribbons.

And luckily for us, this country's got top-notch beef.

Make no mistake, this isn't a bowl of raw mince.

Sometimes when you have steak tartare it's all chopped,

we're not doing that here

because that's not the tradition in South Korea.

So that's the sort of thickness that you want.

And then with the back of your knife just put some pressure on it.

And then you should have perfect ribbons of beef.

Legend has it that the Tartars used to put rough beef under

the saddle of their horses. They would ride for miles and miles

and when they got to where they were going, the steak would be

so tender you could eat it raw. And then the steak tartare was born.

See that there, that's what we're after.

I'm making a dressing that will make the beef sing.

The first stage is crushing garlic, ginger and onion.

Very juicy.

There is pulp there but it's mostly kind of the juice and the flavour.

When you've got a paste, add four shredded spring onions.

This has to be fine enough so it disappears around Mr King's beef.

Next, our old Asian chums, soy sauce and sesame oil go in.

Then it's time for the key ingredient, Korean chilli powder.

Smell that. What does that remind you of?

It reminds me of smoked paprika.

Yeah. It really is wonderfully aromatic. Try two teaspoons.

Then add the same amount of sugar to balance and mix it up.

Right, so this goes in here like that

and we just break those ribbons up.

And coat every single strand and ribbon.

I think we're there, mate.

-I love this country.

-Mmm.

I mean, it's not so much a titillated taste bud

as a punch in the kisser.

We're serving the beef with salad leaves

and sticks of Asian pear for freshness.

We going ball or patty?

-Oh, ball. Height, height.

-Height, height, height.

Yeah, it worked for Gary Rhodes for 20 years, didn't it?

-Exactly that. There we are.

-Ah.

And as tradition dictates, a raw quail's egg on top.

And the final garnish. We sprinkle with some white sesame seeds.

That'll do.

-That is yukhoe.

-Tartare South Korean style.

I'm going to sit in a corner with this on my own.

-I tell you what you're going to do...

-You can do with salad.

You're going to whistle,

that's what you're going to do, cos you'll nang it.

I will, I will. I love this.

-Give it to me and you...

-Put it in the fridge?

-Start with the mooli.

Yeah, I'll go put it in the fridge.

HE CACKLES

< Myers!

Now the perfect partner for the beef, a mooli salad.

This humongous radish is also called a daikon.

It delivers a peppery hit a bit like watercress

and it's in loads of Korean dishes.

Korean people like to chew,

they like a bit of texture with their food.

So I'm going to do lots of thin slices first.

And there's a technique to this. What we do is,

you pile them up and then just lay it down like so.

So you see, it's all spread out in little slices. I start to...

-Genius.

-It is, isn't it? Who needs a food processor?

Add some sliced onions and salt to your radish sticks

and leave for ten minutes to draw out the moisture.

Now for the Korean-style salad dressing.

And it's a fishy one.

Start with some anchovy sauce,

then add sesame oil and a teaspoon of sugar.

You know, Hong Kong, wherever we've been,

there's always a tempering with the sweet and savoury.

Oh now the big stinker, Korean fermented shrimps.

-Lush.

-Wow.

And we want about a quarter of a teaspoon of that. Just a bit.

Then a dash of Korean apple vinegar, but you could use cider vinegar.

And some chilli powder.

So, really, it's more like a relish than a salad dressing.

Let's just try a teeny, teeny bit.

Boom!

Mix the dressing into the radish and add chopped spring onions.

And just pop those in.

I'm going to put this... Beautiful, look.

..Like that.

Light, pungent, with a bit of a kick.

-Time to feed the archers.

-I think so.

-Shall we pop it in the pagoda?

-Yeah, that'd be nice, wouldn't it?

Are you going to come to taste? Please, please. Lovely, thank you.

As well as our teacher, Kim Taesung,

we need to impress the club president, Lee,

and our fellow archer, Seo,

with our spicy beef tartare and radish salad!

Fingers crossed!

Yuk-ho? Yak-hoe?

-Yuk-hway.

-Yuk-hway.

It is good.

-Mmm.

-Yeah, good?

Wonderful.

-The hot spice comes through.

-Just a little, little, nice.

Afterwards.

Compares very well against the French version of steak tartare.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

-I think you can introduce this even in Paris.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much, that's very kind of you.

-I like it, everybody's come back for some.

-Yeah.

-What a great day!

-It was fab, wasn't it?

-Wasn't it?

And do you know, the archery club is a bit like going down

the golf club at home, except this is much more cool, I think.

And it's...people of all ages, all sexes, all come for a nice time

on a Saturday and they let us get involved. I loved it, Kingy.

It's great, archery, isn't it though?

-(Pooom.)

-(Pooow.)

Ooh, it's another hot day in the Seoul city.

Today we're going to take a trip to Seoul's North-eastern outskirts.

HORN BEEPS

Here we go, Kingy, the mighty Han river.

And the Han river has enormous significance to the

South Koreans, and they even call their economic recovery

"The miracle of the Han River."

South Korea's mighty economy is dominated by a handful

of massively successful technology firms.

There's no doubt that this country knows its onions

when it comes to gadgets.

So when we heard that university boffins here had developed

a robotic kitchen assistant, we had to wangle a rare invitation

into their labs to see it for ourselves.

-It's very, very quiet in here.

-There's no reception, is there?

Maybe she's the reception.

That can't be the reception, it's a head.

-Vision of tomorrow, today.

-That's true.

'Welcome to Korea Institute of Science and Technology.'

MUSIC: "Gangnam Style" by Psy

# Oppan Gangnam Style

Will you stop it!

# Op, op, op

# Oppan Gangnam Style

# Eh, sexy lady

# Op, op, op, op

# Eh, sexy lady

# Jeongsukhae boijiman nol ttaen noneun yeoja... #

MUSIC STOPS

You always get a dance with a robot, she never says no.

'Please go up the stairs to the second floor.

'Ciros is waiting for you. Have a great time.'

-She's got lovely eyes.

-Oh, get on.

Wow, look at these, Kingy.

Like something from Space Family Robinson, aren't they?

Oh, yeah.

'Frank's our interpreter for our foray into the future.'

-Hello.

-Hello. Oh, wow.

Ciros is Korea's first walking, talking culinary computer.

What's the reason for all this Perspex?

It's for our safety precautions because they use a knife.

Eventually they want to make it

-so that it can help out the families in the households.

-Right.

-Oooh!

-Ooh!

-Steady on, son, steady on.

'From now on, I'll make a sound.'

You look like you're going to strangle me.

This metal masterpiece has been in development for eight years.

'I'm looking for a knife.'

That's what Jack the Ripper said!

Ciros is five foot three, weighs 150kg and is kitted out

with stereoscopic cameras, laser range finders and infra-red sensors.

A robot with a knife.

'I'll chop up a cucumber.'

Here he goes, look at this, look at this.

'Cucumber is here.'

Ah, that's not a cucumber.

THEY LAUGH

It's brilliant, isn't it?

'I'll chop it.'

It's very elegant.

Now as well as slicing veg very, very slowly,

apparently Version Three can also serve tea and stack a dishwasher.

-Just put the knife down.

-Put the knife down.

No need to be violent. Put the...

Cyril, put the knife... Ciros, put the knife down.

'I'll try dressing.'

-Whoa!

-Whoa. Steady. Oh, God!

-Bit heavy on the old dressing there.

-Tomatoes will mop it up.

'I'll put the tomatoes in salad.'

-Tom-ah-to. It's tom-ah-to.

-Tom-ah-to.

-Not tom-ayto.

'I'll be tired and take a break.'

-Dave.

-Hello.

-Dave.

-Yeah?

-Leg it.

Maybe we've overloaded poor Ciros' circuits, you know.

I'm realising that so much of the movement,

so much of the duties and tasks that we take for granted

are really, really difficult to replicate.

-And, you know, I think our jobs are safe.

-Absolutely.

You know, Kingy, it's striking how forward-thinking South Korea

and its people are.

But they still have a lot of respect, don't they,

for ancient traditions, particularly when it comes to food.

And there's one national dish we saw in the market earlier

and need to investigate further.

CRICKETS CHIRRUP

By 'eck, the crickets are kicking off, aren't they?

-Cicadarooney!

-Aye.

But, you know, Korean food is famous for its side dishes

and there's one that's served with absolutely everything.

That's kimchi. Well, fermented pickled cabbage to you and me.

And still, 50% of all Koreans make their own.

And we've been invited to a family home to learn a recipe that's

been passed down from mother to daughter for generations.

Eat kimchi and live forever.

We're visiting mother-of-two Erin, who lives in Seoul's Singpa district -

an area popular with families.

Erin learnt how to make kimchi from her grandma,

Mrs Cho, and they've agreed to let us in on the secret family recipe.

It's her role to make kimchi for our whole family.

It takes a whole two days to make the kimchi.

Do you make enough kimchi to last one year?

-Yeah, almost.

-Wow.

Kimchi-making is still a major annual event for Korean families,

who gather in the autumn to pickle and ferment their cabbage.

I don't see my grandma as often as when I was young,

but on the kimchi day we get together.

SHE SPEAKS KOREAN

Mrs Cho starting sitting down. As soon as we started to

talk about the kimchi, she's like, "Ooh, hold on a minute."

THEY LAUGH

OK. So how do we start? All right, here's Grandma, here she is.

Kimchi is part and parcel of being Korean.

People even say "kimchi" when they have their photograph taken.

You don't mess with Mrs Cho, that's it.

Do as you're told or you're up for it.

Good cabbage, aren't they?

First, you soak it in salt water.

The salt is what pickles the cabbage,

the fermentation happens later.

Erin soaked some earlier so the next stage is to pack rock salt

into the thicker parts of the cabbage.

-It takes all day, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Did you ever have pickling days at home when you were a kid, Si?

Pickling onions, pickling spices, piccalilli.

Yeah. Jam days as well. Pickled, yeah.

SHE SPEAKS KOREAN

You wait for a few more hours and then rinse again.

-It's like rubbing through your socks.

-It is.

Yeah, it's just kind of doing laundry.

-OK?

-OK.

THEY CHEER

Never has the humble cabbage had so much attention lavished to it.

Now it's time to get down and dirty and make the sauce,

starting with spring onions, garlic and ginger.

Oh, wow. It's going to be so fragrant, isn't it?

Oh, fabulous.

-You can see it's still a floor-based society, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Granny Cho's recipe includes this whopping white radish

and some preserved shrimp.

According to the Seoul Museum of Kimchi,

and there is one, there are 187 different recipes,

and some of those include live prawns and octopus!

You don't need a mixer when you've got Mrs Cho.

And this family recipe has fruit in too.

And these are like the oriental pears which look like a big apple.

-Yeah, this one, we juice the pears.

-Pear juice, yeah.

So that adds a note of sweetness.

This is the Korean chilli powder. Whoa.

It's Korean chilli powder that gives kimchi its killer kick.

There's a lot going on.

The chilli is so powerful we need gloves for protection.

So we're straight in.

It's obviously not hot enough, more chilli powder's just gone in.

-Smells fantastic.

-Doesn't it?

Taste it.

Try another bit.

It's a bit hotter.

THEY LAUGH

Splendid.

I could give you a glass of water.

No, it's all right. It's fine.

I think my hair's started to grow again.

Kimchi's powerful stuff

and it gets stronger still after it's fermented -

when the bacteria convert sugars to lactic acid,

giving it a sharper taste.

Not a lot of people in the younger generation has all this,

you know, equipment for the kimchi. She's really proud.

SHE SPEAKS KOREAN

Pat on the back. Pat on the back from Grandma. Well done.

Oh, look, and there's the great-granddaughters.

That's the future of kimchi.

Now we need to stuff the cabbage with the sauce, leaf by leaf.

-There's too much.

-Too much, sorry.

There's no stopping your grandmother, is there?

Yeah, no.

Cos every... You know, she's not young any more

and when we make kimchi, really, I want her to stop

and just let me do it, but she won't let me.

-How old is your grandmother?

-She's 81.

81. I tell you what though, she's so agile.

She's an advert for kimchi eating.

-Dear me, isn't she just?

-Oh, aye.

Kimchi is low in calories, high in fibre, iron and vitamins.

Ah, I see, yeah.

Kimchi used to be stored in clay pots in the ground, you know.

So, after one month, there's treasure in that box.

But these days, most Koreans keep it in a specially-designed

kimchi fridge which keeps the temperature between

nought and two degrees Celsius.

How am I going to buy a kimchi refrigerator in Barrow-in-Furness?

This is our first family meal in South Korea.

We're trying a fully fermented kimchi with the dishes

Erin's family always eat on their annual kimchi-making day.

Ah, here's the boss.

It looks such vibrant, appetising food, doesn't it?

Got to try the kimchi. Bon appetit. Yeah, I think we have.

It's a lot.

-So is it quite powerful?

-Yes.

Oh, hey!

ERIN LAUGHS

That is a taste sensation.

That is fantastic, isn't it?

What's so great is to find something that tastes

so good that actually does you good.

Yes, I can see kimchi catching on back home,

perking up comfort food, like we use piccalilli or horseradish.

-This is lovely.

-Isn't it good?

Oh, God, yes.

It's so fun to cook for people.

THEY LAUGH

Absolutely brilliant.

-Thank you.

-So, so good.

Over half the visitors to South Korea get no further than Seoul.

-Nice roads.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

And we don't want to join that number.

So we're leaving the capital behind and heading 100 miles East

to the coastal city of Sokcho.

Do you know, it's not a bad life - lovely motorbike,

sun's going down, one of the most beautiful lakes in Korea

and my belly's full of chillies.

Doesn't get much better, really.

There's hardly anybody here.

You know, we're not far from the border with North Korea here, mate.

It's the world's most heavily guarded frontier.

Our route passes just below the 160-mile-long,

two-mile-wide strip of land running across the Korean peninsula

which is known as the Demilitarized Zone.

Oh mate, fantastic.

Look at that.

I know. Doesn't it look a very dark, mysterious lake?

Fancy a pit-stop, mate?

Why not? South Koreans are mad for exercise.

You find these little free work-out stations all over South Korea.

And you know how we just love an opportunity

to perfect our physiques.

Fried chicken, go away!

# I am a star

# It makes me feel good... #

My life as a human pendulum. I like this one.

-Oh, it's belting this.

-It is, innit?

-Tell you what though...

-What?

-How do you stop?

I don't know.

I think I'm going to go 360 here.

Oh. Oooh.

Bugger doesn't stop, does it?

No, it doesn't, that's what I'm saying.

How do you stop it once you get going?

Just relax.

Oh, comes off quick.

And suitably energized, it's time to get back on our bikes

and make for our final destination.

Well, mate, I didn't know what to expect from the Korean seaside

-and it is a surprise, isn't it?

-Well, yeah.

Now Sokcho may lie on the shores of the Sea of Japan,

but if you're longing for white sands and palm trees,

you won't find them here.

Koreans love a day at the seaside.

They get 28 paid days' holiday a year,

and, you know, there's nothing better,

glimmer of sunshine, get down to the beach.

I tell you what, you know what this reminds me of?

North Shields.

It's got all the glitz and the colour of seaside,

but there's no rock.

-Squid.

-Yeah. Fish.

-Fish.

-Fish.

It's seafood bonkers here.

And today, this seaside resort has gone bonkers for one

scrumptious sea creature in particular.

Do you know, Dave, I'm sensing a recurring theme

in this town of Sokcho.

Yeah, there's certainly a lot of squid.

Overnight fishermen have been hauling their catch from the deep,

but for some squid a curious fate awaits them,

as they are returned back to the sea in celebration of a special event.

Ah-ha! Now it's not some "let's all save the squid" moment.

Oh, no. This is an opportunity for holiday-makers to take

part in Sokcho's famous squid festival.

And, of course, we're going to join in.

Luckily we've got Charles, a Sokcho local, to guide us through.

What do you do at a squid festival, Charles?

You see, when you join up for the squid festival,

you're given a plastic bag for your squid, some gloves,

because apparently the squid bite, your official wristband,

like Glastonbury but for squid, and your T-shirt.

The only slight snag is, all the PA is in Korean,

so we're trying to find out what Korean is for go.

-Gagi.

-Gagi.

-Let's go!

The anticipation is overwhelming. As the crowd is silent...

ANNOUNCEMENT IN KOREAN

Come on!

Hey, Dave, be careful. We're not far from where

they found that giant squid a few years ago in Japan, you know.

Oh, you mean that 23ft one with an eye the size of a beach ball?

Yeah, that's the one, that's the one. Better go carefully, yeah.

There's some kids that have got three or four in each bag.

I mean, they're really quite good. How many did you catch?

I'm not sure.

Wow! Dude.

One...two... They're good size squid.

They're fab.

-That's Charles' squid.

-Oh, that's a good 'un.

-Aye.

And I've got two little 'uns.

-But you know what, that's enough.

-I think so.

-That's enough for a nice little meal.

-It is.

Most people here line up to have their squid

prepared at a beach restaurant.

Some have it steamed but others opt for the squid sashimi option.

Which means it's minced and eaten raw.

What are we going to do with them, Charles?

Er, squid soonday.

DAVE AND SI: Squid sundae!

-Right.

-Read about that and it's got nothing to do with ice cream.

No, it's not an ice cream sundae.

-It's not, it's a squid sundae. Then let's do that.

-Yeah.

-It's not a sundae it's a soonday.

-Soonday.

-Totally different word.

And there's you putting a glace cherry on the top.

Soonday is a dish dating back to ancient Mongolian times.

It's made from stuffing animal intestines

with a range of ingredients.

Here in Sokcho, they stuff squid instead

and serve it as a beach snack.

So you've got the squid tubes. What's in the stuffing?

WOMAN SPEAKS KOREAN

Ah, there's sticky rice and vegetables and onion

-and chopped squid legs.

-Ah, the tentacles.

-Ah, top tip from the lady.

-Ah, yeah.

-Have you got that, mate?

-Yeah.

-We need to write that recipe down.

So you use a sawn-off water bottle as a squid stuffer.

'And we can't resist making our own squid soonday.'

So easy with this method.

Where did you get recipe from?

THEY SPEAK KOREAN

Learned from her mum, who comes from North Korea.

The recipe's originally from North Korea.

SHE SPEAKS KOREAN

Fine. Finished.

'They're put in a steamer for 20 minutes.'

So when they start to look like cartoon bombs...

you know they're done.

Yeah. Beautiful.

Then the squid sausage is sliced, dipped in egg and fried.

Well this is like a very well-dressed squid, isn't it?

It's really nice.

The texture and the stuffing is very, very much like haggis.

-It is.

-It is?

That is good, isn't it?

I loved that squid festival.

There were some really nice families there

having a really proper family day out.

Very lovely it is too.

You know, what I've realised

is that so many of South Korea's favourite dishes

were born out of necessity, during its poor and troubled past.

And today, with the country changing so quickly,

people really value those food traditions.

You know, I'm going away assured that Korean food, it's original,

it's exciting and it's absolutely bursting with flavour.

I firmly believe that Korean food, it deserves to be as popular

as any other Asian cuisine that we have on our high streets in the UK.

What is reassuring to see is that Koreans are still eating

and still cooking those traditional dishes that they've known

and loved throughout the centuries.

And actually, with flavours like that, long may it continue.

I'll second that. There's only one thing left to say.

BOTH: Kimchi!