10 Best Korean Cookbooks UK 2023 | Maangchi, Our Korean Kitchen and More

Maangchi, whose real name is Emily Kim, is a Korean YouTuber and influencer renowned for her accessible and lip-smacking cooking tutorials. This book brings her tips directly into your kitchen, leading you by the hand, away from your screen and into the pots and pans cupboard. 

The whopping range of dishes are both inspiring and exciting, and  you'll find something here for every course, occasion and time of day. This book has been featured in the New York Times, Eater magazine, Forbes and Bon Apetit, so you know you're onto a winner here!

We adore this boldly hand-illustrated comic book, which is brimming with tasty recipes you will definitely want to try. The little comics are between one and three pages long, directing you through simple cooking steps with humour and charming graphics. 

A great advantage of this book is the fact the instructions are made clearer thanks to the step-by-step drawings. The range of dishes is vast and there are some great additions to the contents page that you won't find in other books, such as porridges, cocktails, street food and fusion recipes. 

Perhaps the top selling point of this graphically glamorous cookbook is that it combines the expertise of a top chef with fascinating facts and down-to-earth advice on buying, storing and preparing classic Korean meals. Cook up a sumptuous storm of seafood, soups, stews and side dishes, as well as 'muchim' tossing sauces that can add bags of flavour to dumplings, rice and meats.

There's somewhat of an autobiographical feel, which brings the dishes to life. Just be warned, the pictures will have your tummy rumbling, so make sure you check out the store cupboard staples list first thing!

Growing up in an American suburb, author Naomi Imatome-Yun was introduced to the magic of Korean ingredients by her grandmother. This book artfully combines the joy of tradition with the thrill of evolution and change, including interviews with Korean Americans and other Korean food aficionados peppered throughout.

This book contains a vast range of recipes including every possible course, ingredient and side dish, as well as fusion food. Blending Korean script throughout, Imatome-Yun introduces non-Korean speakers to the Korean name and pronunciation of every dish, a lovely touch we think. 

Korean Home Cooking by Sohui Kim has bags of five star reviews and we can see why! Blending traditional and contemporary takes on the best dishes Korea has to offer, its layout is fantastically simple, meaning you'll feel inspired rather than intimidated as you browse its pages.

Including clear breakdowns of the basics of Korean cookery, such as cutting vegetables Julienne, and preparing seaweed and rice, this lovely guide embraces the essentials with a moreish twist. With noodles, bibimbap, marinated meats and sesame sprinkled chicken, readers can sense the author's authenticity and passion on every page.

This cookbook is something a little bit different, introducing its readers to the glory of Korean food through the cafe culture of the USA's Koreatowns; home to various Korean communities living in North America. Within are bold, inviting photographs and heartening recipes you'll be desperate to try!

Evoking not just the vibrant array of flavours Korean cooking offers, but also the very atmosphere of Koreatown restaurants and meeting spots in all corners of the USA, this book is a truly sensory read and brings a feel for the way Korean cuisine has made its mark on America.

This book is a labour of love, written by fashion designer and food lover Rejina Pyo and her husband, Irish chef Jordan Bourke, who fell for his wife and then her country's cuisine and culture. The book celebrates not only the brilliant recipes of Korea, but also the couple's relationship and how it can be told through food. 

It's the Irish author's perspective that perhaps makes this book so well-suited to UK readers, especially those sharing in his excitement at discovering a new cuisine. It even won Observer Food Monthly's best New Cookbook award in 2016

and continues to delight readers today!

Friends will be BBQ-ing up to taste your Korean style meat this summer! This to-the-point cooking guide cleverly lays out recipes that help make the most of your leftovers with simple and clear photographs.

This book posits that the knack to a good Korean barbecue is the right seasoning. Through this all-encompassing guide, you'll get to know the essential spices, herbs and flavours that give Korean cookery its bold, unique and memorable taste. Add to that the importance of texture, and you'll find your barbecue transformed into a party no guest will forget!

 Jean Choi is a nutritional therapist bringing the flavour and flair of Korean cookery to those following gluten-free and paleo diets. All the best bits of Korean cuisine are here, including bibimbap, bulgogi, kimchi and dumplings, just re-imagined without the dairy, grains and gluten. 

The recipes, which have all been developed from dishes Jean Choi ate during childhood, are clearly laid out and simple to follow. We especially love that every single recipe in this book is accompanied by a mouth-watering photograph!

With a broad range of chapters that will allow you to cook up a storm from starter to pudding, and a few cheeky pickles and snacks on the side, this book will arm you with some classic recipes to impress family and friends with a taste of real Korea. 

Every recipe is meat-free and many of the options are accidentally vegan too. But the best bit about this book is the totally accessible and straight-talking recipe style. It's easy to follow and laid out with gorgeous photographs that make it inspiring and exciting to browse.