Korean Job Discussion Forums

korean_teacher · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

I have a friend who ate some type of insect pupae in South Korea. I've read that in China, people eat all sorts of insects (i.e. Scorpions, grasshoppers) and weird aquatic life (i.e. Sea Horses).

Therefore, I would like to know how prevalent the consumption and variety of insects is in Korea, along with their availability. I am moving to Incheon.

Thanks for your time.

nomad-ish · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject:

i think your friend probably ate silkworm pupae. it isn't see-it-on-almost-every-menu common, but i've seen cans of it in my convenience store and i'll see it cooking on the streets at night sometimes.

you can find it if you want, but don't worry about eating it by accident, doubt that would happen

CeleryMan · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Location: Seoul

If it can be pickled, fermented, fried, or dried it's fair game.

waynehead · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Location: Jongno

It would be much quicker to list what they don't eat.

Off the top of my head I can't think of anything.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Meh, it's all pork and chicken, and to a lesser extent beef and duck, and of course dog if you're an old guy.

Animals they don't eat: deer, buffalo, elk, rabbit, horse, veal, lamb, boar, and turkey, all meats I wouldn't mind trying/having again.

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

Long Pig

--The other white meat.

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

The only other insect I've been served as food here is fried grasshoppers. Crunchy with a sweet nutty flavor but the antennae tend to get stuck between your teeth.

Not a common offering though.

jennateacher · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:00 am Post subject:

They do eat rabbit. Toki tang is a stew my students keep threatening my pet rabbit with. He lives far away from the students safe in my apartment.

They do use antlers in traditional medicine tonics. Not sure if they eat the deer or elk meat.

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

They eat tortoises (out of the shell), cow's balls, pig and cow's intestines, and some other weird stuff. They also think that if they have the blood of deer then it could be good "power" for a man. Only Korean men have never heard of Viagra.

nomad-ish · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:54 am Post subject:

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

There are deer farms where they harvest the antlers. Not sure if they eat the meat, but I have no reason to doubt that they do.

Several times I've had "small octopus" where they put a live one on the grill and cook it alive in front of us.

I've had jellyfish a few times, too.

Goat a few days ago.

Duck, of course.

Never had dog, though.

Jarome_Turner · Joined: 10 Sep 2004

Beeyee · Joined: 29 May 2007

nicholas_chiasson · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Location: Samcheok

-anything slower than the koreans.