My Opinions on Korean Food and Culture! Part Two

Check out part one first!

6. In regards to eating etiquette, in the past, slurping your noodles was common and seen as compliments to the chef. However, these days it can be seen as rude or gross, as the sounds are unpleasant and the potential of splashing soup everywhere is high. Another point of etiquette is only eating with your right hand and with one utensil at a time. In the past, the rich did everything slowly, including eating, so people began to do the same. The right hand was chosen because the right side is ‘proper’. I think that slurping noodles is okay as long as it is quiet and not messily done. I think eating with one hand is not important and people should eat however they’d like. 

7. Everyone knows that one of the staple Korean foods is kimchi. Kimchi is fermented vegetables, typically cabbage, that have been seasoned with different spices including gochugaru, or korean chili flakes. Gochugaru gives kimchi its spice and red coloring. Personally, 98% of the time I’m served kimchi, I strongly dislike it. It has a unique flavor that I am not used to as a non-Korean American. However, I have found a restaurant or two that serves kimchi I enjoy. It tastes different everywhere, due to different seasonings or fermentation time. 

8. Korean cuisine has many types of noodles/noodle dishes including kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), japchae (glass noodles), naengmyeon (cold noodles), ramyeon (instant noodles), and many more. Kalguksu and ramyeon are made of wheat flour, similar to naengmyeon noodles which are buckwheat. Japchae noodles are made from sweet potato starch. I’ve had kalguksu a few times and enjoyed the savory broth. Two of my favorite ramyeons are the Buldak Carbonara and the mild flavor of Jin Ramyeon. In the first week I came to Korea, I had naengmyeon a few times. I didn’t mind the chewiness of the noodles, but the broth didn’t have much flavor. I also prefer when my noodles are hot instead of cold. In regards to japchae, I’m not a huge fan of the glass/jelly-like texture.

9. Korean cuisine includes many dishes and drinks made from rice. Some include tteok (rice cake), sikhye (sweet rice drink), nurungji (scorched rice), and juk (rice porridge). Rice is also used in many popular dishes such as kimbap and bibimbap, or mixed with soup to make gukbab. When I want something quick to eat or am not very hungry, I usually go for kimbap. In America, a quick bite is usually some sort of unhealthy fast food because there aren’t many other options. Even though kimbap may not be the healthiest food, it beats a burger and fries any day of the week.

10. There are many different types of rice used in Asian cuisine. Glutinous rice in China, jasmine in Thailand and Cambodia, basmati in India, and sushi rice in Japan. In Korea, short to medium-grain white rice is usually served with most meals. In the past month that I have lived in Korea, I’ve probably eaten more white rice than the total amount I’ve ever had in my life. In America, I only eat brown rice, as the bran makes it a whole grain. I know that some people don’t like the taste of brown rice, but to me, I can’t really tell it apart from white rice. The only noticeable difference is the slightly harder texture of the brown rice.