Korean Corn Cheese

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Korean corn cheese (콘치즈) is a Korean dish that is actually a merge between two cultures – American and Korean. It is said that sushi restaurants served corn with mayonnaise as a side dish and customers often mistake the mayonnaise for cheese, so restaurants began incorporating cheese into the recipe.

Corn cheese is a dish that is often categorized in as “anju”, a genre of food in Korea that is often served with alcohol. It is also a popular side-dish that’s served with Korean barbecue!

Did Korean cuisine always have cheese?

Cheese has been introduced to the Korean cuisine relatively recently. During the Korean War, Americans brought canned foods, among the most common were corn, cheese, and spam. This is how corn cheese was made – since the food was rationed and distributed by American forces, there wasn’t any guide on how to prepare cheese and corn, and so corn cheese as we know it today was born.

Another similar recipe that was invented during the Korean War is budae-jigae, which translates to “army stew”— a basic, spicy Korean stew made with hot dog meat, spam, and sometimes cheese.

Koreans tend to appreciate the combination of sweet and savory in their diet. Canned corn tends to be quite sweet, so for this recipe I decided to use fresh corn to be able to balance the sweetness in the dish.

This dish is extremely versatile, you can eat spoonful of its on its own, incorporate any protein of your choice, or eat is as a dip by getting some delicious bread and crackers. It’s the perfect snack that will make everyone happy!

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Korean Corn Cheese

Yield: 2

Author: Yasmeen's Kitchen Diary

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 10 Min

This unique side dish was inspired by two cultures – American and Korean. It's often served next to beautiful Korean BBQ!

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz) canned corn, drained. Or 1 corncob.
• Crab sticks or shrimps
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Japanese Kewpie mayo)
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• A pinch of black pepper
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or until dish is completely covered)
• Garnish: green onions

Instructions

1. In a skillet of choice (8-inch is a good side dish size), melt butter.
2. Sauté shallots, corn, and shrimps.
3. Add sugar, salt, and pepper.
4. Add Japanese mayonnaise and stir well.
5. Top with a ton of cheese and place under the broiler until golden. Keep watch while it's broiling because every oven is different and it will melt and broil very quickly!
6. Garnish with green onions and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

310.09

Fat (grams)

27.72

Sat. Fat (grams)

9.79

Carbs (grams)

8.85

Fiber (grams)

1.74

Net carbs

7.1

Sugar (grams)

6.07

Protein (grams)

7.55

Sodium (milligrams)

894.95

Cholesterol (grams)

46.89

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side dish, appetizer, korean

snack, appetizer, side dish

Korean-American

Bon appétit!