So let me just say, straight up, that I do not remember what most of these dishes are called, most probably due to the fact they're super hard to pronounce, so for most of these dishes I'll just describe them as I discuss what the Korean food I've sampled has been like.
First off, above you'll see some delicious bibimbap, probably one of the most famous Korean dishes. Bibimbap can be eaten either with or without beef, and they say every dish is different, but fundamentally it comes with an egg, a melange of vegetables (carrots, cabbage, lettuce, etc...), rice and some spicy sauce on the side you're supposed to use to further flavour it. Mine was the beefless version, which I am quite alright with given the egregious amounts of meat actually consumed in this country, and it was indeed quite delicious, so my first bibimbap experience in Korea was quite the successful one.
This said, having a dish all to yourself here in Korea is actually a rarity. The majority of meals here are shared, that is to say that a big plate of food is served in the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves. Alternatively, there might be a grill placed in the middle of the table and the restaurant staff will literally come and grill your food in front of you, and, once again, when it's ready it's time to share.
Here are some of the dishes I've had the joy of sampling so far. I've actually eaten out so much in these initial two weeks here that I did not photograph every single meal, but I did document the most noteworthy ones!
My first ever Korean meal, literally the night of my arrival. On the grill, as aforementioned, we had a mix of chicken, rice, ramen noodles and a bunch of vegetables on the grill. I was feeling kind of sick, probably due to the exhaustion and the jet lag, so I did not indulge as much as I probably would have liked to, but overall the meal was actually quite good.
What hits you immediately here upon arriving is the spice. It truly is unavoidable no matter how hard you try, so it's something you simply have to live with. I feel as if the food is marinated or cooked in hot spices, which is why spice is a prominent feature in Korean cuisine.
Another similar dish, this one I enjoyed to the fullest extent. Here we have another pan placed in front of us with ramen noodles, some sausage, tofu, vegetables and this interesting thing called rice cakes (they look like diced potatoes but have a bit of a unique flavour and texture) all cooked in front of you in a somewhat spice broth. Delicious.
You're probably noticing all the intriguing-looking side-dishes as well. So here in Korea, not only are you served your main course, but a variety of side dishes (for free!) that really help vary your meal a little bit. My personal favourite, my new addiction really, is kimchi. Kimchi are pickled vegetables, but really, any vegetable can be picked. I particularly enjoy the pickled cabbage and radish. Of course, the kimchi is always marinated with lots of spicy sauces, but they're so addictive that the spice really does not bother me in the least!
Additional sides may include: fish (cooked or raw, prepared in many different ways), or more vegetables.
As I've mentioned, meat (and in particular beef) is an incontestable staple in Korean cuisine, and you'd be hard-pressed to even find vegetarian options in this country, let alone vegan options, so if you do fall into one of these demographics, it's a good thing to be aware of. In fact, before coming here I was asked to fill out a questionnaire with a bunch of security-type questions. Among the questions were things like "have you ever been convicted of a crime?" and "do you have any contagious infectious diseases?" Yet, at the very bottom of this same questionnaire was "Are you vegan or vegetarian?" Yeah, they take it that seriously...
So, as part of celebrating the completion of the staff's first full week of work here in Seoul, all the young people went to this restaurant in this cool neighbourhood called Hongdae where we were literally served that huge platter of beef, to be shared among four people. Among the different cuts you found some big steaks on one end and some thin slices of beef that cook within seconds on the other. Sure, it was undeniably delicious, paired with all the kimchi that I ate, I had a really good meal, but it's funny when you take a look at this meal and notice that it was in no way combined with any other types of food. There were no carbs served (you specifically had to ask for rice) and just a few vegetables as sides. Essentially, you are eating just way too much meat for one sitting, and some people make a habit out of these types of meals...
Too much can be too much, though if this is something you're just doing once, well, go for it, it's delicious!
Now, I'm not really one for fried food, let alone fried chicken. In fact, probably the last time I'd eaten fried chicken dates back to probably around 5-6 years ago when my family had once gone to KFC. Yeah, it's been that long. But, when in Korea...
Fried chicken, for some strange reason, is insanely popular here. I obviously do not think it's traditionally Korean, rather it was influenced by American culture but just really blossomed here and was eventually adopted almost universally, but hey, it's here and it's popular. So, I had to try it.
To be honest, my "soy fried chicken" was meh. It was not the best meal I'd ever eaten and I certainly will not make a habit of eating these types of foods, but the chicken was cooked through, the fry was pretty good, so overall, an enjoyable meal. The soy sauce really did enhance the flavour, so if you do get fried chicken, getting it with some soy sauce certainly won't hurt.
Ever heard of soju?
I certainly hadn't before coming here, but hey, did you know it's the most consumed spirit in the world?? And, really, you don't see it consumed much outside of Korea.
In a restaurant, one of those bottles will cost you 4,000 won (roughly $4.50 CAD), and in a dep/convenience store it'll cost you 1,600-2,000 won (roughly $2 CAD). Yeah, it's cheap and abundant...
So, Soju comes in these 400 mL bottles and has a ridiculous 20% alcohol content. Not only that, but it's often drank alone, though it could be mixed in with beer. What you do is that you put about a shot of soju into your beer glass and then take a chopstick and tap the bottom of your glass with it so that the soju disperses throughout the drink.
Plain soju actually doesn't taste too good in my opinion, it tastes somewhat like straight vodka or tequila (gross!), but hey, did you know it comes in flavours as well? Yep, you can find soju in grape, apple, grapefruit, blueberry and peach flavour, among others... And yes, with the flavoured ones, you barely even taste the alcohol.
And then you wonder why most Koreans are what Western standards would consider alcoholics...
So Korean culture is very hierarchical, and though I haven't really experienced this aspect of the culture for myself, it is very very obvious in food etiquette.
Among Koreans, when eating, you must wait for the oldest person at the table to start eating first as kind of a green light for the rest of the table to start eating as well. Additionally, it is quite frowned upon to actually pour your own glass, especially when it comes to alcohol, you must ask someone else to pour your drink for you. If the person pouring your drink is older than you (and therefore your superior), then you must hold your glass with two hands as to show respect, however if the roles are reversed the older member does not need to reciprocate this same "respect" for his/her younger friends/colleagues.
Those of you who know me know that I've said a few times that food is life. I feel like most cultures, if not every culture in this world places some high importance on food as being a prominent way to spend time as a family, show your love for other people or simply to get together and have a good chat with friends. Food and drinks are often causes for celebration, and it truly is fascinating to discover the similarities yet the rich distinctions in food culture here on the other side of the world.
-Daniele
