Korean Culture

To the Moon and Back: A Lunar New Year Guide

Lauren Bull — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 15:40:01 +0000

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Korean Dining Practices and Etiquette

Lauren Bull — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 02:18:16 +0000

There's no denying that Korean food has made its mark on the American food scene, particularly in the last 5 years. Kimchi, once an obscure side dish, is now available in major supermarkets and local bodegas. Korean BBQ restaurants, with their fiery table grills and platters of meat, are popping up in city after city. As some of these Korean foods become more familiar and inspire fusion experiments (kimchi quesadillas are "a thing"), it begs the question: How do Korean people really eat? What are the hallmarks of this dining culture?

Here, we offer a brief primer on some of the most essential dining elements in Korea — foundational practices and other miscellaneous methods that distinguish it from Western cultures.

The heart of traditional Korean dining is communal. You won't find structured courses or progression from one part of the meal to the next. Think of this as an orchestra instead of a series of soloists. Dishes are set out simultaneously and shared amongst the guests. There is great effort made to integrate a variety of colors, textures, and flavors. And while there are no fixed patterns, harmony is essential. That's why rice (bap) is the drum in this ensemble — the starchy, neutral grain holds the beat for the rest of the meal. It's sacred.

Though the occasion and personal preference both play a role, on a typical table you'll find rice, a main protein, a soup or stew, and anywhere from two to ten side dishes, one of which will always be kimchi. In Western culture, it's common to have meals organized in a protein-starch-vegetable structure, but on a Korean table, it's not uncommon to see multiple proteins in various serving sizes. In other words, if pork bulgogi is the central protein, there might still be a smaller portion of a fish or beef dish somewhere on the table. It's better, in fact, to think of "mains" as slightly larger sides.

The big thing to remember is this: The dishes aren't for eating one by one. Take a bite of rice. Follow that with one or two bites of banchan. Then another bite of rice. Mix and match. Enjoy a flavor, take a break, and then come back to it.

Important Terms to Know

Banchan: Banchan translates to "dishes that complement rice," but the translation is often simplified to "side dishes." These side dishes are what accounts for Korean dining — all eaten in small bites and shared amongst people at the table.

Mit Banchan: Mit banchan are side dishes that are prepared in advance, often in large quantities, and then stored until mealtime. They tend to be saltier and more aggressively flavored than fresh banchan. Most mit banchan is served at room temperature. Three examples:

Myeolchi Bokkeum: Dried anchovies stir-fried in a sweet and salty sauce until crispy. A perfect introductory dish for people who are very nervous about
anchovies.
Ojinguhchae Muchim: Season dried shredded squid. (Trust us.)
Kongjaban: Braised black soybeans are a staple. Salty, sweet, and a little nutty.

Fresh Banchan: Fresh banchan are made just before mealtime. They tend to be less saltier than mit banchan. Three examples:

Musengchae: Spicy seasoned radish that will cut right through the savory grilled meat on the table.
Buchuhjeon: Garlic chive pancakes that may erase your memory of sweet pancakes.
Dubu Jorim: A recipe that turns tofu's blank canvas into a bright and vibrant work of art.

Namul: Namul is a subcategory of fresh banchan. Namul refers to vegetable side dishes that are raw, blanched, or lightly cooked, and then seasoned. Three examples:

Gosari Namul: If you've never had fernbrake before, a good way to experience this vegetable is covered in soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.
Hoback Namul: The pan-fried zucchini gets a welcome and wonderful kick from shrimp fish sauce.
Gaji-Namul: Forget eggplant parm for a moment. Steamed and seasoned eggplants are doused in a bright, vinegary sauce just before serving.

General Dining Notes and Practices

Preservation is a central part of Korean culture. To survive the winter, Koreans developed ingenious storage methods for food. What's important to note, though, is that these methods did more than just prevent food from rotting — they revealed how food can get better by getting older. Kimchi is the world-renowned dish that best epitomizes this idea, but other items, like dried squid, also showcase the importance of preservation, and how it can lead to new flavor profiles and thus new dishes. It's not just about saving — it's also about invention.

Dessert is not a "thing." Yes, there are sweet Korean dishes, but desserts are generally thought of as snacks. You won't be handed a dessert menu at a restaurant, and there isn't a specific time for desserts to be consumed in relation to a meal. If something sweet comes at the end of dinner, it will be fruit, always peeled. But even that is not considered essential.

Stews are shared, but soups are not. Soups are typically served in smaller individual bowls. Stews, which tend to be heartier and saltier, are served in larger bowls and are normally not transferred to smaller ones. (Yes, that means a lot of double-dipping, but there are still etiquette rules below. Make sure your spoon is clean!) A particularly hearty stew can even be a main dish.

Rice is not a dumping ground. It's normally taken in separate bites from the banchan. Don't top it with five different sauces and stir it into a mess. A lot of care and investment is put into each of those grains. Take the time to appreciate them.

Speaking of rice, you'll notice that the bowls are not filled with mountains of rice. The rice tends to lay flush with the edge of the bowl.

A Table Etiquette Guide

Be mindful of others. Small bites! No hogging bowls!

Sharing doesn't mean cross-contaminating. Even though the dining experience is communal, chopstick control is crucial. When you reach into the bowl, you should make a targeted pull without touching too much surrounding food.

Chopsticks are not for stirring, especially when you've already taken a bite with them. Don't leave any utensils in the rice bowl. They should go on the table after eating.

Though no one will kick you out for using chopsticks, rice is meant to be eaten with a spoon.

No hovering over shared bowls when taking and eating food. (This is a good rule at any table, of course.)

Leave the rice and soup bowls on the table. Tempting though it might be to pick up your bowl and take a big slurp from the side, resist the urge.

Before eating, it's customary to tell the person who prepared the meal, "jal-meok-get-seum-ni-da," which means, "I will eat well." It shows appreciation and respect for the food.

Make use of the spoon and chopsticks. Don't eat with your bare hands, unless you're eating ssam or a street food.

Take your time. When a meal is made with care, it's nice to pace yourself, and savor.

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Seollal: Korean Lunar New Year Traditions and Food

Debbie Wolfe — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 16:25:34 +0000

Seollal: Korean Lunar New Year Traditions and Food
by Debbie Wolfe, CKC Writer

Seollal, or Korean Lunar New Year, is a holiday I always looked forward to as a kid. My family in Korea would spend weeks preparing for the big event. We would all travel to my grandparent’s home in a small village north of Seoul, near the 48th parallel. Here I would see my many cousins, aunts and uncles. We played games, exchanged gifts and feasted on delicious food. I looked forward to this holiday every year.

Seollal 설날 is the most celebrated holiday in South Korea. It’s celebrated not only to mark the passage into a new year, but it is also a time for families to catch up with each other, pay respect to ancestors and to feast! Korean Lunar New Year marks the first day of the lunar calendar. It is the first day of the second new moon after winter solstice. The exact day of the lunar new year will vary from year to year.

Seollal’s celebration lasts for three days, starting the day before and ending the day after the Lunar New Year. It’s a public holiday in South Korea; many businesses are closed during this time and paid leave is given so families can travel. Nowadays many Koreans also celebrate the Gregorian calendar New Year’s day on January 1st; however, it is not as big of a celebration.

Korean News Year’s Customs

Gift Giving
During the week leading up to Seollal, Koreans shop for gifts to give family members. Gifts include fresh fruits, ginseng, honey, gift baskets (with tuna, spam, traditional sweets, dried fish) toiletries and cash.

Charye 차례 (Ancestral Rites)
The first day of the celebration begins with Charye. Charye is a memorial service that prays for the peace and good health of the ancestors. Family members will dress up or wear a hanbok (the traditional Korean dress). Everyone will then gather in front of a table prepared for the ancestral rite. The ritual dishes will vary by region, but the common ones are tteokguk (rice-cake soup), rice, meat, seafood, liquor, fruit and vegetables. The ceremony will begin with deep bows to greet the ancestors. The rite includes prayers and offerings for the ancestors. At the end of the rite, the ritual food, called eumbok, is shared; this passes the hopes and virtues of the ancestors to those who partake.

Sebae 세배 and Sebaetdon 세뱃돈
As a kid, my favorite part of Seollal was getting New Year’s money, called sebaedon. After the meal, the kids (or any young family member) perform a New Year’s bow, or sebae, to an elder family member in exchange for blessings and sebaedon. The bow differs depending on whether you are male or female. All the sebaedon received is then put into a fortune pouch called a bokjumeoni.

How to do a sebae bow.

Games
The rest of the holiday celebration is spent by visiting with family members and playing folk games. Yut-nori is a popular game that involves the use of 4 wooden sticks, tokens, and a simple game board. This strategy game has been a part of Seollal for hundreds of years. Some other common games played during this holiday are jegichagi (a hacky-sack type game), yeonnaligi (kite-flying), neolttwigi (see-saw) and paengi chigi (top-spinning).

How to play yut-nori.

Korean New Year’s Dishes
The biggest part of Seollal is the food! The New Year’s feast consists of several dishes, but there are a few that are absolutely essential.

Tteokguk (ddukguk)is the most representative of Seollal dishes. Eating a bowl of tteokguk symbolizes growing a year older, along with good health and a long life. A common question heard on New Years is “how many bowls of tteokguk have you eaten?” It’s a fun way to guess someone’s age and joke about how many more bowls they will eat.

Manduguk is similar to tteokguk, but with dumplings. Some areas will omit the sliced ddeok and only have the dumplings.

Ddeok is a category of rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour. There are hundreds of types of ddeok eaten year-round in Korea. However, it’s always on the the table for celebratory events like weddings, parties and especially holidays.

There are several types of jeon (pancakes) at a Seollal feast. Some popular jeon are buchujeon (garlic chive),kimchi jeon and saengseon jeon (fish).

Galbij jim is a popular meat dish prepared for special occasions. It’s beef short ribs braised in a sweet and salty sauce with carrots and potatoes.

Japchae, Korean glass noodles, is a delicious dish full of flavor and color. It’s enjoyed year-round as a healthy and light appetizer or side dish. Japchae is present on most special occasions.

Various Korean desserts for New Year’s

Su-jeong-gwa is a traditional fruit punch made from persimmons, cinnamon and ginger. It’s often garnished with pine nuts.
Photo credit: Naver.com

Sikhye is a sweet beverage made with malt barley, malt powder and rice. The drink is often consumed after heavy meals and helps aid in digestion.
Photo credit: Naver.com

Taraegwa is a twisted ribbon-shaped traditional Korean confection made from wheat flour and flavored with cinnamon, ginger, rice syrup and pine nuts.
Photo credit: Naver.com

Yaksik is a nutritious sweet rice bar with nuts and Korean dates. It belongs in a category of Korean “medicinal” foods which features healthful and flavorful ingredients.

Whether you celebrate New Year’s day on January 1st or the Lunar New Year, be sure to have plenty of delicious Korean dishes to share with your family and friends.

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Why do Koreans eat Pajeon and drink Mageolli on a rainy day?

Grace — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:53:38 +0000

Koreans crave Pajeon (korean pancake) and Makgeolli (milky Korean rice wine) on a rainy day. According to a Korean news article, sales of Pajeon ingredients actually increases on rainy days. They have a few theories on why this is true:

1. The sound of rain reminds people of the sound of making Pajeon.

2. When humidity increases, blood sugar level drops and people crave flour-based food that increases blood sugar level.

3. Makgeolli is usually paired with Pajeon. It's low in alcohol content (6%). It contains protein and vitamin B and has a sour kick to it. These characteristics make you feel like your thirst is quenched.

4. Both flour and Makgeolli contain lots of serotonin which elevates emotion and appetite. This may cheer people up when they feel down on rainy days.

Rainy or not, Pajeon is always a great snack!
See Hamul Pajeon recipe (Korean Seafood Pancake) here.

*content translated and summarized from: http://www.ebn.co.kr/news/n_view.html?id=386078

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How to celebrate St' Patrick's Day, Gangnam style

Grace — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:08:44 +0000

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Gangnam Style!
- Korean So-Maek recipe & techniques with an Irish twist

So-maek is a soju+beer cocktail, widely enjoyed by Koreans. Rumour has it that Psy (the GangNam Style Star) introduced so-maek and the mixing techniques to Justin Bieber and MC Hammer this year and it became their favourite drink. Here are 6 fun techniques of making So-Maek and entertaining your friends.

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Who are Koreans?

brad — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:22:56 +0000

WHO ARE KOREANS?
-By Brad Lewis, CKC guest blogger

They brought us Kimchi, killer BBQ, taekwondo, and now… “Gangnam Style.” But who are these Far Eastern folk, known as Koreans? I must confess I am a Caucasian North American, so chances are mine is a sketchy grasp of basic world geography - let alone history. And I am almost certainly a simpleton as to the real cultural distinctions and rich diversity within the once labeled “Orient.” Yet, ironically, there’s more “asian” in my racial title than in the name Korean. Fitting, in a way. For Asian though they are, Koreans have a place, history, culture and yes, style, all their own.

Geography 101. We may live in an increasingly virtual world, but make no mistake, land still matters. “This land was made for you and me” goes the American folk song. Catchy, but isn’t it more the case that the land makes the people? Consider Korea. North and South Korea together make up a peninsula the size of Utah, which juts out of China to the south, protruding toward southern Japan (which lies only 200 km from the southern tip of Korea.) To the south and east, then, lies Japan, with the East Sea between. (Don’t call it Sea of Japan!) To the North and East is the behemoth China, with the East China Sea as a cushion. PBS titled its program on this land, “Hidden Korea,” and it’s not hard to figure out why it could fly under the radar. Not even typhoons or earthquakes have much impact. Typhoons tend to get hung up in Japan, and the rugged ripples of low mountains that dominate much of the landscape are not volcanic – a safe haven amid the Pacific “Rim of Fire.” It’s a unique setting. And what has been the effect? Multiple.

One people, two nations? Before Japan tried their hand at world domination leaving a divided Korea after World War II, Korea’s location and land enabled the development of a distinct and unified people. The country’s name stems from the Goryeo period (or Koryu), 918–1392, when Persian merchants first visited and dubbed it “Korea.” The Persians discovered in Korea a “one nation” homogenous people. Their language exemplifies this. Scholars can’t even agree if the Korean language is Altaic (proposed language family which includes Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, Japonic ) or its own with no lingual ancestor. But what else did the Persians find in Korea? Early Koreans had some impressive accomplishments. Two of the Goryeo period's most notable products are celadon pottery and the Tripitaka Koreana — the Buddhist scriptures.

These are carved onto about 80,000 woodblocks. Goryeo also invented the world's first metal-based movable type in 1234, and the oldest surviving movable metal type book was made in 1377. Smart people - and they still take books and education quite seriously – just ask any Korean schoolgirl or boy.

Hidden (and unified) no more. After Goryeo, came the Joseon Dynasty (for five centuries, up to 1897). Much culture developed in this time and Seoul was established in the northwest region where its bustling streets lay today. During this time also, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "Hermit Kingdom.” However, all that changed when Japan got more ambitious. But I am not talking about the fateful 20th century (just yet). Back in the 16th century, when America was but colonial outpost, Japan decided it wanted imperial outposts of its own on the Asian continent. Laying the way, however, was Korea. Japan never made it to the mainland, being soundly defeated by a Korean “Righteous Army” (and some assistance from Ming China, not surprisingly.) Despite losing over 100,000 noses (yes noses, brought back by Japanese as war trophies), Koreans had stood their ground – with sacrifice. As an American, I salute that. Two and a half centuries later, came World War II, a more monumental Japanese power play. Longer lasting effects resulted in Korea this time – namely the official political divide between North and South. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the U.S. and then Soviet Union could not agree on Korea, hence the line was drawn on the 38th parallel – communist “Democratic People’s Republic” to the north, democratic “Republic of Korea” to the south. Same people, with two very different political and social fates. I shall leave the North Koreans alone from here. That is what their leaders have tended to foster, after all. Although, we shall see what changes the new young ruler might yet have in store. As for South Koreans, they have their own healthy nationalistic pride. Watch their team with them in the World Cup, for instance. And if it’s versus Japan, really be prepared. Kimchi, it is said, is a fitting symbol of Korean culture – strong, distinctive and defiant.

Speaking of food, Westerners would be foolish to lump most Asiatic cuisines together. Beyond the notorious Kimchi (universal Korean fermented cabbage side dish), even Korean rice has distinction. This is not Chinese food. Rice is shorter and stickier in Korea, and sometimes purple (a kind of mixed, healthier rice.) And of course it’s not just what you eat, it’s HOW. It’s not all about chopsticks for Koreans, who eat a lot soups. Even rice is often eaten with a spoon. And the rice bowl stays on the table – bring your mouth down, not the bowl up. Oh, and if you’re wondering how “man’s best friend” fares in Korea. Take heart, Lassie is at least a culinary fare of distinction, and not a common dish. Fittingly, it’s a favorite among men, who claim it has a, shall we say, enduring effect. Well, there’s much more that could be said of course. We didn’t even get into seafoods, Samsung, and New Year’s traditions.

Quick note on the latter: Koreans don’t get older (by number) on their actual birthday, but on New Year’s Day. (New Year’s on the Lunar calendar for old school Koreans.) And, by the way, when a Korean is born, that’s their first birthday – they are immediately 1. They rush right into life, which is fitting for this strong, fast-moving, hard-working people of definite global, historical and cultural distinction –and style! – people known as Koreans.

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