For Potato Salad With More Flavor And Texture, Make It Korean Style

It's time to up your potato salad game with a little Korean inspiration. The Korean version of potato salad, known as gamja salad, takes a bit of a different approach to the American-style old-fashioned potato salads we know and love. Some elements, such as the potatoes and mayonnaise, stay consistent, but there are a few more ingredients you wouldn't expect. One in particular does a lot to bring sweetness, crunch, and contrast to the dish: the humble apple.

Before you write the idea off, the apple is not there to dominate the dish. There is no risk of this turning into an apple salad. Used in small amounts, apple just gives little bursts of crisp sweetness that play so nicely against the soft potatoes and the creamy dressing. It's one of many delicious takes on potato salad from around the world that show just how differently various cultures approach this dish.

Gamja salad is built on opposing textures, making it a Korean food you need to try at least once. The potatoes are mashed down so they're creamy and blended into the dressing so the apple and other crunchier additions can stand out. While apples are one addition that makes gamja salad so distinct, other versions also include finely diced carrots, cucumber, corn, and even ham, creating a side dish that's far more texturally varied, with a beautiful combination of creamy and crunchy.

The dish is commonly served as "banchan" (one of the small side dishes that accompany many Korean meals), so it's meant to complement a wider spread of foods rather than be the centerpiece. This makes sense; certain elements, such as apple and corn, make it a little sweeter, which soothe and tone down the spicy or strongly flavored foods it may be served alongside.

If you're interested in recreating it at home, you don't need to follow a strict recipe or make it exactly Korean style. Simply embrace a little contrast in your next potato salad by throwing in a handful of diced apples (or any other crunchy vegetable) and mashing your potatoes down to create a slightly creamier base. This way, it has a little more texture, a little more flavor, and a lot more intrigue than the standard combinations we tend to default to.