🌶️ Chinese Foods Loved by Koreans – 5 Picks to Suit Your Taste

A familiar yet unfamiliar Chinese flavor, all the more alluring – these days, the "mala scent" wafts through the streets of Korea.

Mala Tang for lunch, hot pot for dinner, dim sum on the weekends.

Now, Chinese food isn't just a simple meal out; it's a daily routine.

So, what are the dishes that Koreans are particularly passionate about?

🔥Mala Tang – A tongue-twisting, electric flavor

A dish that precisely targets the Korean stimulant instinct.

When the numbing, spicy mala scent dominates your palate, you'll exclaim, "It hurts, but I want to eat it again!"

The fun of choosing tofu skin, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and glass noodles, the textures changing with each bite—this isn't Chinese food; it's "my own personalized dish."

Mala Tang has become a daily liberation in Korea.

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🫕Hot Pot – The "Taste of Togetherness" that Blooms in the Soup

Hot Pot is difficult to eat alone.

So, the moment you sit down together and share a pot, this dish becomes a social experience.

Spicy red broth, mild white broth, the fun of mixing, boiling, and scooping to your liking.

It resembles Korean hot pot culture, but with the addition of mala spices, a whole new world opens up.

So, hot pot isn't just about "eating," it's a dish that warms the hearts of people.

🍖Guo Bao Rou – A Sweet and Salty Perfection That Surpasses Korean Tangsuyuk

Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.

Guo Bao Rou, coated in a sweet and sour sauce, melts in your mouth.

It perfectly captures the Korean sweet and salty DNA.

"Is Tangsuyuk meant to be eaten with rice or with a dip?" The debate is rendered meaningless; Guo Bao Rou is all about the seasoning.

The harmony of sweet and salty, the savory fried flavor, and the sweet and sour umami—one bite will have you saying, "This is it!" 🥟Dim Sum – A Perfect World Hidden in Bite-Sized Pieces

It may look small, but its flavors are exquisite.

Bite into juicy xiao long bao, springy har gow, and tender shu mai.

Dim sum is more of an art form than a meal.

Koreans have discovered the value of "sincerity" and "detail" in these small dishes.

Therefore, dim sum isn't simply a pleasure to eat; it's the moment when food becomes art.

🌶️Mala Xiang Guo – A Perfect Combination of Fire and Mala

A hotter dish than Mala Tang these days.

Mala Xiang Guo (麻辣香锅), a stir-fried Mala dish, is not a soup, but a spicy stir-fry.

The smoky aroma, chili oil, and the numbing sensation of Mala burst forth simultaneously.

A dish where meat, vegetables, and seafood are stir-fried together, allowing you to experience "all the flavors of the world in one bite."

For Korean palates, it perfectly suits the trifecta of "spicy, salty, and savory."

Between familiarity and unfamiliarity, that's the "taste of China." The reason Koreans love Chinese food is simple.

Because unfamiliar flavors and combinations coexist within familiar seasoning structures.

The spiciness of mala, the sweet and salty of guo ba rou, the delicacy of dim sum—this isn't just a simple meal out; it's a journey of the taste buds.

Chinese food is no longer just "foreign food," but a new nationality on our tables.

#MalaTang #MalaXianggao #Guo ba rou #Hoguo #DimSung #ChinaTravel #ChineseFood #ChineseFoodRecommendation

Post by LocalGuides_KR | Oct 23, 2025

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