Milk & Dairy Products in Korean cooking

"Does Korean broth actually ever contain milk - cow's milk or goat's milk?"

Milk or dairy product has not been a part of the repertoire in traditional Korean kitchen. Goats were frequently raised as livestock but their milk was not used in cooking.  In Korean households, soy milk or soy products usually took the role of daily protein supply, much as western & other dairy farming nations used milk & milk-related items. Cows & Oxen were predominantly used as beasts of burden, tilling soil, transporting goods, & turning grain mills. Bovines were often considered, & treated like a family member. They were also regarded as one of the top-ranking family assets, following the land, & the house. For this reason, cows were often kept for many years, and when the time eventually comes , it was slaughtered & was shared with the entire village. Hence, somewhat poor quality of tough meat & ensuing cooking methods of extended cooking-time or extensive meat-tenderizing. Due to this close relationship with the bovine & in reverence to the animal, almost all the parts of the cow were used, nothing much was wasted. The skin was often sold to tannery, & the hooves were used to make glue. Beef was a very rare treat, indeed, in traditional Korean kitchens. Annual consumption of beef coincided for the most part with major celebrations such as weddings, 60^th birthdays (5^th full cycle of birth year Zodiac), at times for funerals. Incidentally, bovine heads were also used in Korea, as in many other cultures. The bovine head was used to make headcheese. For this reason, one can still find severed cow head in traditional markets, neatly arranged in rows of blank stares. Head cheese is made by boiling the head for an extended period of time on high heat, dislodging all the edible parts from the skull & facial bones. This cooking process also releases collagen from skin, bone, cartilage. This collagen is what gives the name cheese in the solidified finished product. Collagen released in this manner is much like Jell-O, a commercial gelatin product. In fact, gelatin sheets were frequently made from cow parts in the past.  After boiling the head for an extended period of time with choice of seasonings, the meat & cartilage falls off the bone. Bones are, then, removed from the boiling liquid. Then, the remaining meet, cartilage, & skin were poured into a mold lined with cheese cloth. When the mixture slowly chills, it becomes head cheese. Just like Jell-O with fruit bits, minus the color, & minus the meat. Slices were made with warmed, wetted, sharp knife to serve the anxiously awaiting hungry mouths. Certainly, for wealthier class of people, land-owners, aristocrats, the royal households, & the likes, beef was more frequently afforded & enjoyed. The scenario discussed above is more likely from perspective of the general populace and the working class.

Today's Korean kitchen is much more diverse. Korea has opened its agricultural market to a variety of foreign dairy products. Korea also has a thriving dairy industry that has been growing since the end of the Korean war. People's tastes also have changed. Dairy products are often found even in the remotest of villages. Korean-produced cheeses were limited to cheddar type of packaged slice cheeses until recent years. Currently Korean dairy producers are producing much large array of products; various types of milk, ice cream, cream, yogurts, and multiple types of cheeses. Most commonly consumed imported cheeses mozzarella, Parmesan, & feta, at this time. Koreans have been traveling extensively in recent years. With increased foreign travels, many Koreans get to taste a large variety of dairy products. This fact, coupled with exploding restaurant market will bring more & more diversity in the dairy aisle in the future. There certainly is an overwhelming amount of interest, curiosity or even obsession in the panopoly of dairy possibilities.