Dongaseu facts for kids
Dongaseu is a yummy Korean dish. It's a piece of pork that's covered in breadcrumbs and then cooked until it's crispy and golden brown. It's a bit like a Schnitzel or a Tonkatsu, but with its own special Korean twist!
How Dongaseu Came to Be
Dongaseu first arrived in Korea around the 1930s. At that time, Korea was under Japanese rule. The Japanese version, called Tonkatsu, was thick and didn't become very popular right away.
But in the 1960s, Dongaseu started to become a big hit! This was when "gyeong-yangsik" restaurants became popular. These places served lighter Western-style food. Even though the name "Dongaseu" comes from Japanese, the Korean version was more like an Austrian Schnitzel. It was made by pounding the pork thin before breading and frying it. This early Dongaseu was served whole, not sliced, and came with bread. People would also get a Western-style soup before their meal.
Over time, Dongaseu developed into two main types:
- Thin-style Dongaseu: In 1977, a thinner version became popular in "gisa-sikdang" (restaurants for taxi drivers). This style often came with chili peppers and kimchi. Today, you can find this kind of Dongaseu in drivers' restaurants and "bunsik-jip" (snack restaurants).
- Thick-style Dongaseu: In 1983, a restaurant called Myeongdong Dongaseu made a thicker version famous. This one was sliced, just like the Japanese Tonkatsu. You'll often find this style in Japanese restaurants in Korea today.
How Dongaseu Is Made and Served
Korean Dongaseu is usually thinner than Japanese Tonkatsu. It's often served as one big piece, so you eat it with a knife and fork, not chopsticks. A special sauce called demi-glace is usually poured over the fried pork. If it's a fish cutlet, you'll get tartar sauce instead.
Dongaseu often comes with lots of yummy side dishes. These can include:
- Shredded cabbage with a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise.
- Baked beans.
- Macaroni salad.
- Sweet corn.
- Yellow pickled radish, called "danmuji".
Sometimes, you might also get green chili peppers with "doenjang" (soybean paste) or "ssamjang" (a dipping sauce) for the peppers. Kimchi (like cabbage kimchi or radish kimchi) and rice with a Korean or Japanese-style soup are also common. Instead of rice, you can sometimes get bread, and then a Western-style soup is served as a starter.
Different Kinds of Dongaseu
- Saengseon-gaseu: This is a fish cutlet. It's made in a similar way to Dongaseu, but instead of pork, it uses fish. It's usually served with tartar sauce.
