Minced Garlic

Garlic (대산/大蒜) holds a mythical place in Korean culture — in the Dangun creation myth, a bear ate garlic and mugwort for 100 days to become human and eventually gave birth to the founder of Korea. The Donguibogam classifies it under 채부 산조, noting its warm nature and ability to repel pathogenic influences. However, in Buddhist temple cuisine (사찰음식), garlic is one of the 오신채 (five pungent herbs) that are strictly avoided, as they are believed to agitate the mind and hinder meditation. Korean home cooking uses garlic in extraordinary quantities — often several cloves per dish — making it arguably the most-used seasoning in Korean cuisine alongside soy sauce.