Articles

Browse Judy’s recent articles with internationally renowned publications.

A Warm Hug in a Bowl of Porridge

A Warm Hug in a Bowl of Porridge

Every day after school, my mom would feed me the same thing: juk—Korean rice porridge—with kimchi and Spam. It was my afternoon snack of choice, a simple bowl I often opted for even over a McDonald’s Happy meal.

Read more at The Epoch Times

How to create the perfect picnic

How to create the perfect picnic

Along with a bike ride or a dip in the sea, an alfresco feast in one of the great joys of summer. Three experts share their top tips with Tania Ballantine.

Read more at Waitrose Weekend Online

Simple hacks to improve BBQ skills

Simple hacks to improve BBQ skills and avoid cooking outdoor disasters

Serving burned food, dishing up meat products to vegetarians and being forced to call the fire brigade are among the nation's most frequent BBQ disasters.

Read more at Wales Online

Master the barbecue

Master the barbecue with celebrity chef Judy Joo’s top tips

As Britain comes in as one of the worst barbecuing nations in the world, the co-founder of Seoul Bird offers Sean Russell her expertise on how best to up our grill game.

Read more at the Independent

Judy Joo's Korean-Style Hanger Steak

Judy Joo's Korean-Style Hanger Steak with Scallions & Ginger

"I absolutely love hanger steak, and this marinade kicks the flavor up to the next level," says the celebrity chef and television host. "Even just 15 minutes in the marinade will do the trick!"

Read more from people.com

Memories of Mandu

Memories of Mandu

Growing up in a Korean family, making dumplings was a monthly ritual—with a crispy, golden-brown reward.

Read more at The Epoch Times

Judy Joo on the Women Who Inspire Her

Judy Joo on the Women Who Inspire Her

The Korean American chef, author and television personality tells V.F. London about the women who inspire her.

Read more at Vanity Fair

Judy Joo's Korean mac and cheese

Judy Joo's Korean mac and cheese is a game changer

The Korean-American chef Judy Joo combines her cultural roots and twin passions with these easy-to-make recipes.

Read more from GQ

The C&TH Guide To Korean Culture In London

The C&TH Guide To Korean Culture In London

Korean-American chef Judy Joo – renowned as the host of popular US show Korean Food Made Simple – shares her K-food favourites and exciting upcoming projects…

Read more from Country and Town House

Judy Joo explores Bali

Judy Joo explores all that the city of Ubud, Bali has to offer and brings you her Bali food guide

It's nearly 6am in Ubud, Bali, and I'm standing in a long queue of local women in front of a street cart teeming full of repurposed dented plastic water bottles, each boasting a different magical concoction.

Read more at Foodism

Try These Chef-Approved Dishes In Bali

Try These Chef-Approved Dishes In Bali

When chef Judy Joo agreed to be a speaker at the 2019 Ubud Food Festival, the Cooking Channel host of Korean Food Made Simple had an ulterior motive: it gave her the opportunity to eat her way through Bali.

Read more at forbes.com

A Recipe for Bold Decision-Making

A Recipe for Bold Decision-Making

Judy Joo recalls the day she made the biggest decision of her career. “It was on a weekend,” she says, while prepping her signature Korean chicken soup in her light-filled kitchen in central London.

Read more from the New York Times

Top image: Edmund Lowe / Alamy

Social media

@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageLet’s sip our way through K-Viral Kitchen — this one’s a certified Seoul college campus legend. 🍇🍶💥

The name started as a bit of a tongue-twister: Bokbunja-ju (black raspberry wine) + Soju (Korea’s firewater) + Cider (Korean lemon-lime soda aka Chilsung Cider by Lotte). Put it all together and you get Bok-soju-“sa” (for cider). But after a few rounds — and a little campus slang — it got shortened to the snappier Bok-so-sa.

Bok-so-sa is a fizzy, fruity soju soda bomb that first went viral in a tiny Chungmuro pub, where the walls are lined with empty Bokbunja wine labels. 

One bottle, one label — and now the whole place is covered in memories.

Made with Bokbunja-ju (Korean black raspberry wine), it’s bold, bubbly, and way too easy to drink. Don’t let the fizz fool you — this one sneaks up fast.

Here’s the mix:
 🍇 1 bottle Bokbunja-ju (Korean black raspberry wine)
 🍶 ½ bottle plain soju @jinro_global @jinro.uk
 🥤 500ml Sprite (or sparkling lemonade) @sprite
 ✨ Optional add-ins: fresh berries, lemon slices, mint — for that extra flex

Stir gently (never shake — you’ll lose the sparkle) and serve chilled. Bonus points if you peel the label and stick it on the wall — it’s tradition!

📍 Ingredients via @koreafoodsuk 
 💄 Glam by @jonesroadbeauty & @justbobbidotcom 
 👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tip: Use chilled bottles for max fizz + ruby-red sparkle.

 📌 Save this for your next party trick
 👯‍♀️ Tag your drinking crew — this one’s made for sharing

#KviralKitchen #BokSoSa #SojuBomb #KoreanCocktail #BlackRaspberryWine #BokbunjaJu #SojuSpritz #SeoulNightlife #EasyCocktails #DrinkTok #JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KBarCulture #ChungmuroClassic #DrinksThatBrokeTheInternet #PartyDrinks #KoreanBarHack #FruityFizz #SojuSzn #WomenInFood #KRecipeReel7 hours ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageEvery stall has a story — and every face has fed a city. 🥬🌶️🐟

For me, Korean markets have always been the heartbeat of the cuisine. Everywhere you look, there’s movement and life: women neatly packing bundles of vegetables, bottling golden sesame oil, and scooping out rich gochujang and doenjang. A few steps away, fruit sellers stack seasonal peaches and vibrant melons beside piles of fresh greens. Down the row, fishmongers expertly fillet the day’s catch, while others build mountains of fiery red chilis — and sometimes, you’ll even spot a vendor catching a quick nap between customers.

After the Korean War, women known as ajummas (아줌마) became the backbone of these markets. They weren’t just selling food — they were feeding families, supporting communities, and keeping traditions alive during some of the country’s hardest years. Alongside them, men worked as butchers, fishermen, and produce sellers — roles often passed down through families, keeping skills alive from one generation to the next.

Even now, in the age of supermarkets and delivery apps, these markets endure. People come not just for the freshest fish or the ripest fruit — but for the trust, the stories, and the familiar faces that keep them coming back.

That, to me, is the true magic of Korea’s markets: the people who bring them to life every single day. ❤️

@visitkorea.uk 🇰🇷
#JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KoreanFood #TasteOfKorea #KoreanCulture #KoreaTravel #FacesOfTheMarket #MarketLife #StreetFood #WomenInFood #ChefsOfInstagram #AsianFoodLover #FoodieReels #SeoulEats #VisitKorea #SeoulMarket #KoreanCuisine #EatTheWorld #FoodieAdventures #GlobalFoodie5 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imagePart of my K-Quick Recipe Series — quick, bold Korean dishes from my newest cookbook!

Zingy. Crunchy. Instant gratification kimchi 🥬💫

This fresh kimchi is bright and bold — no fermentation time required. A perfect sidekick to your BBQ lineup or banchan spread. 

Make it once, crave it every day.

My mom used to whip up this vibrant little number every sweltering summer. I can still picture her—elbow-deep in a giant blue plastic tub, wearing those signature Korean hot-pink rubber gloves, tossing cabbage like a pro. This salad packs a punch that could wake up even the laziest heatwave afternoon. 

Find the recipe below — perfect for your next BBQ 🥬

💡: @samsunguk 
 🛒: @koreafoodsuk 
 📚: K-Quick — From my latest cookbook, K-Quick — link in bio if you want the full collection!

#AD

@quartobooksuk @quartobooksus @whitelionpublishing
#JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KQuick #KoreanRecipes #KoreanSoulFood #SamsungUK #SamsungKitchen #KoreanCooking #Korea #Seoulplaza #QuickKimchi #Geotjeori #CabbageSalad #Kimchi #FreshKimchi

Fresh Cabbage Kimchi Salad (Baechu Geotjeori)

Ingredients (Serves 2–3):
• 1kg (2lb) baechu (Chinese leaf/Napa cabbage)
• 1 tbsp coarse sea or kosher salt
• 25g (¼ cup) gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp saeu-jeot (salted shrimp), or to taste 
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste 
• 1 tbsp grated garlic
• ½ brown onion, thinly sliced (5mm / ¼in)
• 3 spring onions, halved lengthwise & cut into 5cm (2in) pieces
To Serve:
• Drizzle of roasted sesame oil (optional)

Method:
1️⃣ Trim the base of the cabbage, wash thoroughly, discard wilted leaves, and cut into ~5cm (2in) pieces.
2️⃣ Place cabbage in a colander over a bowl. Toss with salt and let sit 10 min.
3️⃣ Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix gochugaru, sugar, saeu-jeot, fish sauce, and garlic.
4️⃣ After 10 min, drain any liquid from the cabbage.
5️⃣ Add the sauce mixture, onion, and spring onions. Toss well.
6️⃣ Drizzle with sesame oil (if using) and serve immediately.6 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageRolling into K-Viral Kitchen with a protein packed glow-up: Chamchi (Tuna) Keto-Gimbap @judyjoochef style 🥢💛 

No rice, no problem — this keto-friendly roll swaps steamed rice for silky egg crepe (jidan), and still delivers all the flavor of a classic gimbap — a genius hack that’s gone viral in Korea.  

Here’s what’s inside:

🍳 Paper-thin egg strips
 🥒 Salted fresh cucumber + sautéed sweet carrot
 🐟 Creamy tuna mayo 
 🥬 Pickled tangy radish + herby perilla leaves (if you’ve got it!)
 🌿 Wrapped in seaweed and brushed with nutty sesame oil for that glossy finish

Low-carb, big flavor. A lunchbox hero turned meal-prep MVP. 

📍 Ingredients via @koreafoodsuk 
 💄 Glam by @jonesroadbeauty & @justbobbidotcom 
 👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tip: Oil your knife for that picture-perfect slice.

💬 Comment “KETO” and I’ll DM you the recipe!
 📌 Save this for your next lunch idea
 👯‍♀️ Tag a friend who’s always on the clean-eating grind 

#KviralKitchen #KetoGimbap #ChamchiGimbap #LowCarbEats #KoreanFoodRemix #TunaMayoRoll #RiceFreeGimbap #HealthyKoreanFood #EasyKoreanRecipe #MealPrepGoals #EggCrepeRolls #DishesThatBrokeTheInternet #JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #QuickHealthyMeals #GimbapGlowUp #savethisrecipe2 weeks ago via Instagram
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