One of my favorite things: Korean food

A large part of any culture is food and this is one of my FAVORITE topics. I see Korean food through a very specific lens. My perspective is one of an American who happens to be of Korean descent and has a limited experience with Korean cuisine. However, I have eaten Korean food many, many times both in the U.S. and in Korea. That said, I will attempt to describe what Korean food is for me right now.

Many people have asked me to describe Korean food. Is it like Chinese? Is it like Japanese? Is there canine consumption? Well, for the person who has never had Korean food, I often try to relate it to Chinese and Japanese but only to a certain degree. Rice of course is a staple and there are many differences between Korean and other Asian foods. One of the most common elements to Korean food throughout the country is kimchi. I happen to love it and it may require one to acquire a taste for it. It is pickled cabbage that has been fermented with red peppers, garlic and other seasonings. It is served as a side dish and there are several types other than cabbage. An Altoid is strongly suggested after eating kimchi.




In addition, another common food and a good start for the novice is bulgolgi. It is a marinated beef dish that is grilled and served with rice and all of the other pickled side dishes. What is nice about bulgolgi is that it's easy on the American palate and if you are an American in Seoul, Bulgolgi Brothers is a good place to start. I was told that this restaurant was a good introduction to Korean food and I can see why as my husband & I ate there in '08. If you are going to Korea, it would probably be good to try Korean food before you get there. Moreover, bulgolgi is just a tasty, reliable standard.

One of my favorite shows to watch is "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain. No other food/travel person has the witty, at time cutting and cynical narrative as AB. A show aired last year of him in Korea and this segment shows him at a Tae Kwon Do class and at a Kimchi "factory". It is amazing that these women do this by hand and they are so meticulous. Andrew Zimmern also did a show (Bizarre Foods) on Korea and visited a kimchi production line. Whether or not it was made by some Korean women or in a line, kimchi is good eats. Well, maybe it is better when the Korean women make it.



So, for me, Korean food has been a means of connecting with my heritage. Hopefully, my daughter will like it too. Actually, I don't foresee this as a problem because she hasn't really encountered anything that she doesn't like. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Korean restaurants where I like to go in my area: Cho Sun and Cho Ga.

Oh, one last item. A few months ago, I heard a segment on NPR about a very popular taco truck (Kogi) in Los Angeles that sells hybrids of Mexican/Korean fare. This concept is so creative and it sounds like the flavors blend well. I want to try the Korean quesadilla and tacos. It just hit me that Kogi and I have something in common. We share Korean and Latin American influences as I am a Korean Spanish teacher. To see the expression on my students' faces when the enter my room on the first day of school is priceless as they are totally puzzled to have a Korean Spanish teacher with an anglo last name. One kid even told me that he didn't know that Spanish was spoken in China and I've been asked if my family owns a nail salon or dry cleaners.