How to Make a Korean-Inspired Snack Board
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I have been really into themed nibble boards lately. Part of the appeal lies in them being another avenue for traveling the world at home through food, which has become the theme of my coping mechanism for staying home during the global pandemic. But I think I like nibble boards specifically because it takes the concept of eating meals family style—something I grew up with—and extends it to delicious snacks just being out all day for the taking.
I made this Korean-inspired board in partnership with Bibigo USA. In addition to using their super snackable mini wontons and putting a spin on pimento cheese spread by incorporating their gochujang sauce, I also tried to include crunchy snacks that I thought were really popular or iconic to South Korea. If you don’t live in Korea but you’d like to give this themed board a try, I recommend seeking out a local Korean grocery store if you have access to one, and seeing what snacks appeal to you there. (For my SF Bay Area friends, I got all the snacks, as well as the chestnuts and Bibigo mini wontons at The K Market.) If you don’t have access to a Korean shop, perhaps look into what other ethnic markets are available in your area, and try making a nibble board as a way to explore a cuisine that is new to you.
How to Make a Korean-Inspired Snack Board and Gochujang Pimento Spread
Ingredients For the Gochujang Pimento Spread
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz sharp cheddar, grated
2–3 tbsp Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp diced pimentos, drained
Salt to taste
Other Ingredients Requiring Prep
12 chestnuts
12 Bibigo Pork & Vegetable Mini Wontons
Oil for frying
Ingredients for Assembling the Board
Asian pear, sliced
Grapes
Honey butter chips
Honey butter almonds
Korean seaweed crisps
Sesame crackers
Sage, for garnish
Procedure
To make cheese spread: Combine cream cheese, cheddar, Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce, mayonnaise, and garlic powder in a food processor and process until homogenous. Transfer to a bowl and stir in diced pimentos. Salt to taste, if needed. (Can be made 1–2 days ahead; keep covered in refrigerator until ready to assemble board.)
To roast chestnuts: Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut an X into each chestnut. Place cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake for 10–15 minutes until fragrant and cut part of shell curls back.
To fry the mini wontons: Fill a small pot about 1.5 inches deep with oil. Heat the oil and deep fry mini wontons in batches. Allow excess oil to drain on paper towels.
Assembling the board: Transfer cheese spread to a serving dish. Arrange cheese spread, chestnuts, and mini wontons on serving board. Fill in the remaining space with the other ingredients. Garnish with sprigs of sage. Allow cheese spread to soften slightly at room temperature before serving.
Thank you so much to Bibigo USA for sponsoring this recipe! For more recipe ideas and to learn more about their products, visit their website!