Understanding terms related to food processing is essential whether you’re navigating Korean supermarkets, discussing dietary habits, or exploring the food industry. This guide provides the core Korean term for “food processing” and related vocabulary, helping you discuss processed foods, ingredients, and preparation methods accurately.
Table Of Content
Core Term: Food Processing
-
Expression: 식품가공
Pronunciation: sik-pum-ga-gong
Meaning: Food processing (The act or industry of transforming raw ingredients into food products)
Basic Related Terms
-
Expression: 가공식품
Pronunciation: ga-gong-sik-pum
Meaning: Processed food -
Expression: 원재료
Pronunciation: won-jae-ryo
Meaning: Raw ingredients -
Expression: 식품 첨가물
Pronunciation: sik-pum cheom-ga-mul
Meaning: Food additive -
Expression: 보존료
Pronunciation: bo-jon-ryo
Meaning: Preservative -
Expression: 냉동식품
Pronunciation: naeng-dong-sik-pum
Meaning: Frozen food -
Expression: 통조림 식품
Pronunciation: tong-jo-rim sik-pum
Meaning: Canned food -
Expression: 건조식품
Pronunciation: geon-jo-sik-pum
Meaning: Dried food -
Expression: 발효식품
Pronunciation: bal-hyo-sik-pum
Meaning: Fermented food -
Expression: 살균 처리
Pronunciation: sal-gyun cheo-ri
Meaning: Sterilization process -
Expression: 포장
Pronunciation: po-jang
Meaning: Packaging -
Expression: 유통기한
Pronunciation: yu-tong-gi-han
Meaning: Expiration date / Shelf life -
Expression: 영양 성분
Pronunciation: yeong-yang seong-bun
Meaning: Nutritional information / Nutrition facts
Verbs for Food Processing
-
Expression: 가공하다
Pronunciation: ga-gong-ha-da
Meaning: To process -
Expression: 섞다
Pronunciation: seok-da
Meaning: To mix -
Expression: 자르다
Pronunciation: ja-reu-da
Meaning: To cut / To chop -
Expression: 갈다
Pronunciation: gal-da
Meaning: To grind -
Expression: 끓이다
Pronunciation: kkeu-ri-da
Meaning: To boil -
Expression: 튀기다
Pronunciation: twi-gi-da
Meaning: To deep-fry -
Expression: 굽다
Pronunciation: gup-da
Meaning: To bake / To roast / To grill -
Expression: 데치다
Pronunciation: de-chi-da
Meaning: To blanch -
Expression: 절이다
Pronunciation: jeo-ri-da
Meaning: To pickle / To salt -
Expression: 말리다
Pronunciation: mal-li-da
Meaning: To dry -
Expression: 발효시키다
Pronunciation: bal-hyo-si-ki-da
Meaning: To ferment -
Expression: 포장하다
Pronunciation: po-jang-ha-da
Meaning: To package
Useful Phrases in Context
-
Expression: 이 제품은 어떻게 가공되었나요?
Pronunciation: i je-pum-eun eo-tteo-ke ga-gong-doe-eon-na-yo?
Meaning: How was this product processed? -
Expression: 저는 식품가공 공장에서 일해요.
Pronunciation: jeo-neun sik-pum-ga-gong gong-jang-e-seo il-hae-yo.
Meaning: I work at a food processing plant. -
Expression: 가공식품 섭취를 줄이는 것이 건강에 좋아요.
Pronunciation: ga-gong-sik-pum seop-chwi-reul jul-i-neun geo-si geon-gang-e jo-a-yo.
Meaning: Reducing the intake of processed foods is good for health. -
Expression: 식품 첨가물이 많이 들어있지 않은 제품을 선호해요.
Pronunciation: sik-pum cheom-ga-mul-i ma-ni deul-eo-it-ji a-neun je-pum-eul seon-ho-hae-yo.
Meaning: I prefer products that don’t contain many food additives. -
Expression: 이 소시지는 훈제 가공되었습니다.
Pronunciation: i so-si-ji-neun hun-je ga-gong-doe-eot-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: This sausage has been smoked (processed by smoking). -
Expression: 냉동 야채는 편리하게 사용할 수 있어요.
Pronunciation: naeng-dong ya-chae-neun pyeol-li-ha-ge sa-yong-hal su i-sseo-yo.
Meaning: Frozen vegetables are convenient to use. -
Expression: 김치는 대표적인 한국의 발효식품입니다.
Pronunciation: gim-chi-neun dae-pyo-jeo-gin han-gu-ge bal-hyo-sik-pum-im-ni-da.
Meaning: Kimchi is a representative Korean fermented food. -
Expression: 식품 라벨에서 가공 방법을 확인하세요.
Pronunciation: sik-pum ra-bel-e-seo ga-gong bang-beo-beul hwa-gin-ha-se-yo.
Meaning: Check the processing method on the food label. -
Expression: 최소한의 가공을 거친 식품을 찾고 있어요.
Pronunciation: choe-so-han-ui ga-gong-eul geo-chin sik-pum-eul chat-go i-sseo-yo.
Meaning: I’m looking for minimally processed foods. -
Expression: 이 우유는 저온 살균 처리되었습니다.
Pronunciation: i u-yu-neun jeo-on sal-gyun cheo-ri-doe-eot-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: This milk has been pasteurized (low-temperature sterilized). -
Expression: 식품가공 기술이 많이 발전했어요.
Pronunciation: sik-pum-ga-gong gi-sul-i ma-ni bal-jeon-hae-sseo-yo.
Meaning: Food processing technology has developed a lot.
Korean Culture Notes
Fermentation is Key: Korean cuisine heavily relies on fermentation (발효 – bal-hyo), a traditional form of food processing. Kimchi (김치), Gochujang (고추장 – red pepper paste), and Doenjang (된장 – soybean paste) are staples created through complex fermentation processes, valued for both flavor and preservation.
Emphasis on Freshness vs. Convenience: While traditional Korean food culture emphasizes fresh ingredients, modern lifestyles have increased the demand for convenient processed foods (가공식품 – ga-gong-sik-pum). You’ll find a wide array of instant noodles (ramyeon), packaged snacks, frozen meals (mandu – dumplings are popular), and retort pouches in supermarkets.
Food Labeling Regulations: South Korea has specific regulations for food labeling (식품 표시 – sik-pum pyo-si). Labels typically include detailed ingredient lists, nutritional information (영양 정보 – yeong-yang jeong-bo), origin, expiration dates (유통기한 – yu-tong-gi-han), and often information about allergens and specific processing methods like irradiation or genetic modification if applicable.
Popular Processed Snacks: Korea has a vibrant snack culture featuring many unique processed items. Examples include various flavored seaweed snacks (김 – gim), Pepero (빼빼로 – chocolate-coated biscuit sticks), Choco Pie (초코파이 – marshmallow sandwich cakes), and numerous types of chips and crackers often featuring distinct Korean flavors like kimchi or honey butter.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: Two friends, Jisu and Minho, are grocery shopping and discussing ingredients for dinner.
Roles:
A (Jisu): Wants to cook something healthy.
B (Minho): Suggests using some convenient options.
-
Expression: A: 오늘 저녁 뭐 만들까? 좀 건강하게 먹고 싶은데.
Pronunciation: o-neul jeo-nyeok mwo man-deul-kka? jom geon-gang-ha-ge meok-go si-peun-de.
Meaning: What should we make for dinner tonight? I want to eat something healthy. -
Expression: B: 음… 그럼 채소를 많이 넣은 볶음밥 어때? 여기 냉동 야채 쓰면 편할 것 같은데.
Pronunciation: eum… geu-reom chae-so-reul ma-ni neo-eun bok-keum-bap eo-ttae? yeo-gi naeng-dong ya-chae sseu-myeon pyeon-hal geot ga-teun-de.
Meaning: Hmm… How about fried rice with lots of vegetables? Using frozen vegetables here seems convenient. -
Expression: A: 냉동 야채? 괜찮긴 한데, 가공 과정에서 영양소가 파괴되지 않았을까?
Pronunciation: naeng-dong ya-chae? gwaen-chan-gin han-de, ga-gong gwa-jeong-e-seo yeong-yang-so-ga pa-goe-doe-ji a-na-sseul-kka?
Meaning: Frozen vegetables? They’re okay, but weren’t the nutrients destroyed during the processing? -
Expression: B: 요즘 식품가공 기술이 좋아서 급속 냉동하면 영양소 손실이 적다고 들었어. 그리고 첨가물도 없는지 확인해보자.
Pronunciation: yo-jeum sik-pum-ga-gong gi-sul-i jo-a-seo geup-sok naeng-dong-ha-myeon yeong-yang-so son-sil-i jeok-da-go deul-eo-sseo. geu-ri-go cheom-ga-mul-do eom-neun-ji hwa-gin-hae-bo-ja.
Meaning: I heard that modern food processing technology is good, and quick-freezing minimizes nutrient loss. And let’s check if there are any additives. -
Expression: A: 그래, 성분표 좀 보자. 아, 이건 그냥 야채만 들어있네. 그럼 이걸로 하자!
Pronunciation: geu-rae, seong-bun-pyo jom bo-ja. a, i-geon geu-nyang ya-chae-man deul-eo-in-ne. geu-reom i-geol-lo ha-ja!
Meaning: Okay, let’s look at the ingredients list. Ah, this one only contains vegetables. Then let’s use this! -
Expression: B: 좋아! 그럼 다른 재료들도 신선한 걸로 고르자. 가공식품은 최소화하는 게 좋으니까.
Pronunciation: jo-a! geu-reom da-reun jae-ryo-deul-do sin-seon-han geol-lo go-reu-ja. ga-gong-sik-pum-eun choe-so-hwa-ha-neun ge jo-eu-ni-kka.
Meaning: Great! Then let’s pick fresh ingredients for the rest too. It’s better to minimize processed foods.
Practice Tips
Ready to use these terms? Great! Try reading the labels (라벨 – ra-bel or 성분표 – seong-bun-pyo) next time you’re at a Korean market or looking at imported Korean foods~ Pay attention to words like 가공 (ga-gong), 첨가물 (cheom-ga-mul), and 원재료 (won-jae-ryo)! You can also try describing how your favorite Korean dishes are prepared, mentioning processes like 절이다 (jeo-ri-da – pickling kimchi) or 말리다 (mal-li-da – drying fish or vegetables). Keep practicing, and you’ll become more comfortable discussing food processing in Korean! 화이팅! (hwa-i-ting! – Fighting! / You can do it!)
