In Korea, food doesn’t simply influence culture; it defines it. Korea’s food remains tied to a venerable past with cooking techniques that reflect its royal dynasties and home kitchens. Watch a certified royal-cuisine chef exercise precision and patience to create kimchi, a fermented-vegetable dish that has been a staple here for more than a thousand years. Discover authentic North Korean recipes, part of a disappearing cuisine largely unknown to the outside world. Marvel at the intense and mysterious process of cultivating pyog’o mushrooms, a revered delicacy in a country where mushrooms are a staple. And in the Gourmet test kitchen, editor in chief Ruth Reichl shares a simple yet flavorful recipe for warm tofu with spicy sauce.