SEOUL — South Korean actress Oh Yoon-ah is putting a lighter spin on traditional Chuseok cooking, sharing recipes for galbi-jjim and steamed vegetables that focus on protein, vegetables and reducing added sugar.
In a recent video on her YouTube channel, Oh demonstrated how she prepares the holiday dishes while adjusting the traditional flavors to suit her approach to cooking.
Her version of galbi-jjim skips granulated sugar entirely. Instead, she uses oligosaccharide syrup and green plum syrup, while blending pear and onion into the marinade to provide natural sweetness and flavor. She also said she prefers the dish to be seasoned more toward the savory side rather than being particularly sweet.
Her Galbi-Jjim Secret? Changing the Sweetness
Galbi-jjim is a familiar centerpiece of Korean holiday meals, but Oh’s version focuses on changing how sweetness is added.
Pear and onion can contribute natural sweetness while also adding flavor to the marinade. Oligosaccharide syrup can contain fewer calories than ordinary sugar, although the exact nutritional value depends on the product and it still needs to be used in moderation.
There is also an important catch with maesil-cheong, or green plum syrup.
Although it is often perceived as a healthier alternative, commercially or traditionally prepared maesil-cheong is commonly made by combining green plums with substantial amounts of sugar. That means replacing table sugar with maesil-cheong does not automatically make a dish low-sugar.
Vegetables Take Center Stage
Oh also demonstrated a steamed-vegetable dish, pairing vegetables with seasoned meat.
She cuts the vegetables diagonally before steaming them, explaining that the technique helps larger pieces cook through evenly. The preparation also avoids adding cooking oil to the vegetables.
Steaming can help limit the loss of some water-soluble nutrients compared with boiling vegetables in water, while avoiding added oil can keep the preparation relatively light.
A Savory Approach to Chuseok Food
Oh’s approach reflects a broader interest in modifying familiar holiday dishes without completely abandoning traditional foods.
Rather than removing galbi-jjim from the Chuseok table, her method focuses on adjusting sweetness and incorporating more vegetables.
However, reducing sugar does not mean that every ingredient becomes automatically healthier. Kormedi’s analysis noted that portion size and sodium intake still matter, particularly if reducing sweetness leads to heavier seasoning.
That distinction is important during Chuseok, when elaborate meals and shared family dishes are central to the holiday.
Oh Yoon-ah’s Cooking Videos Draw More Attention
The actress has increasingly shared aspects of her everyday life and cooking through her YouTube channel.
Separate recent coverage also showed Oh preparing holiday food while adjusting a dish made by her mother-in-law, offering viewers a glimpse into her family life around the holiday season.
Her latest recipes therefore arrive at the intersection of two familiar Chuseok themes: traditional Korean food and modern efforts to make everyday meals more balanced.
The takeaway from Oh’s cooking is not that a single ingredient can magically transform a holiday dish. Instead, her recipes demonstrate how familiar foods can be prepared with less added sweetness, more vegetables and careful attention to portions and seasoning.
And as Chuseok celebrations get underway, her take on galbi-jjim may have families looking at the holiday table a little differently.
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