Korean Job Discussion Forums

Cedar · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:24 am Post subject:

Actually, I take ramyun, kimchi, kim, gochujang, you name it with me when I travel, too. Sorry, but Korean food REALLY is the best.

funplanet · Joined: 20 Jun 2003 Location: The new Bucheon!

yeah, a month ago I was at a resort in Vietnam. Every day they had sumptious buffets, all kinds of wonderful, tasty foods. The sole Korean family their would bring their Tupperware containers of kimchi and such and never once touched the buffets...even brought soju...

I just don't get it

brento1138 · Joined: 17 Nov 2004

It's kinda funny how Koreans are a bit unadventurous at times... and we are as well. I can only handle about 50% of Korean dishes... sometimes I just don't think they are "right" while I know perfectly that it's totally my bias.

One example of food I can't stand?

SQUID... - Dried, I think it kinda smells like a public bathroom that hasn't been cleaned for years (like lots of pee or something). Makes me almost gag if I smell it. I ate it once when I first came here, but threw it up... A second time, I found little pieces of deep-fried squid in my Tong-Su-Yu (which usually just has pork). I didn't mind it, cause it didn't taste too bad... the suckers kinda grossed me out though. That night, I woke up around 3:30 AM and threw up again!

So I steer clear of all squid dishes... which, unfortunately, is many... Crying or Very sad

The flip side of the coin? I can totally see how Koreans don't like our food. Cheese is not very popular in Korea. Just think, yummy bacteria! And the smell? A Korean might say some European cheeses smell like a bad sock, a stinky shoe, or a person's foot.

Well, I happen to like cheese! Just how Koreans happen to like squid. I guess that's just culture for ya.

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

ha.
i know every one of you goes back home after a while here...and what is the first thing you miss?

korean food.

imagine a lifetime of the stuff...

Greekfreak · Joined: 25 May 2003

Occasionally some of my students will get a cheap ticket to Thailand, and every time they've gone, 80% of the students will have refrained from trying the local cuisine, and of the remaining 20% who did (usually the girls), only 5% actually enjoyed the little that they did try.

Most Koreans won't eat anything if it's not kimchi. I used to get that all the time about Kimchi being a delicacy. Here's the deal, folks; desperation is not a delicacy. Others will eat $hit on a stick as long as its free. On the other hand, you've got some foreigners who'll never try japchae or bibimmandu as long as they're here.

I agree that it's going to change later on, and that the younger generations will become more adventurous as far as meals go.

sillywilly · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Canada.

Korean food is amazing. When I got back to Canada I'd look at the big slab of meat on my plate, the monochromatic flavor of most meals and think: " Ok, how do I tackle this while not keeling over from bordome?" But anyway, it is a shame that so many Koreans are chicken about trying new food. Expanding your palette can be one of the most amazing parts of travel.

canadian_in_korea · Joined: 20 Jun 2004 Location: South Korea

It isn't the food i miss in Canada...its the variety....sure korean food is delicious....but the same food everyday...it get a bit monotonous...I like to be able to choose...korean one day....pasta...mexican...whatever the case may be. I will most definately miss korean food....and since I learned how to cook some of the dishes I will most likely cook it occasionally.....but eat it every day....no, not when I'll have many other choices.

harixseldon · Joined: 27 Nov 2004 Location: Anseong

To be fair, I think a large amount of people in the world are food chickens. I had a friend from college back in the US who now travels all the time for work. He's been to tons of places in Asia for work and he always tells me about how all he eats during these trips is McDonalds, etc. I would of loved to have tried some of the local food at the places he's been.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

In a sort of defence about all this, I know when I was eating hard core Korean food almost all the time, after about 3 years of the total Korean deit and then when I had western food it made me a little uncomfortable and I felt like I didn't really eat, but had had a snack. I would search out some soup and rice to get my fix. Thankfully, I have broken this habit, and can readily eat western food these days like the best of them.