But sushi is now sold in supermarkets, while Korean cooking remains a mystery to most of America.
Almost every dish has been refined so that there is less garlic and less chili than in traditional Korean cooking.
A pureed bean mixture - traditionally used in Korean cooking - is rather unappealing in color and texture.
On May 9, Copeland Marks, the food historian and author, will offer classes on Korean cooking.
Why don't Americans love Korean cooking?
She then launched into a disquisition on the finer points of Korean cooking.
A much better technique, used in Korean cooking, is to place the fritters on a wire rack to drain; a cake rack will do.
But while the menu will be familiar to anyone who knows Korean cooking, one detail stands out.
The challenges of moving beyond the basics in Korean cooking had stymied me for nearly 20 years.
After two hours of cooking, we had created some half-dozen dishes and I had come to significant realizations about the nature of Korean cooking.