Korean Job Discussion Forums

[djsmnc]

I agree with all of these posts...I always hear about the Itaewon Red Door, but haven't checked it out. I just go to Doota at Dongdaemun, down the escalator and BAM!, a whole stash of untapped Western goodies...

Anyway, the Western candy here is often manufactured in Pacific Islands, and I think it's the same throughout Asia. I haven't noiticed a difference, but, then again, I don't eat Kit Kat Bars. Did the Almond Snickers ever hit the States? Never saw them before I came here.

My biggest stink is with those damn Cheetos. I don't know what the flavor is supposed to be, but it certainly isn't cheese. My guess has always been sugar and onion powder. I gave some students of mine an imported bag of Cheetos and they were amazed at the intensity of the cheese flavor. I will say, I never ate many Cheetos back home, because the first one always has that overly-intense cheese flavor/smell that makes me sick to my stomach. It was always the second and third one that would lead to eating a whole bag, the first one was the deciding factor of whether I would eat any more or not...

Anyway, it's not the imitation foods that really bother me. It's when I am in the middle of my Korean meal and I realize that these strange white balls of meat I'm eating in my soup are fish ovaries, or when I'm given cooked fish with the eyes well fried in their sockets. "Stare it in the eyes while you eat the flesh, you are looking into its soul" (bad quote, forgot which movie that was...)

[Tiger Beer]

[billbile]

Have you tried these biscuits they have...I have no clue what they call them, but they are some kind of sampler pack, or a mixed bag if you will. Some of them are sweet, some of them have sesame seeds, and there are these evil little black ones that actually have a strong fishy-flavoured sting to them. I asked my student about this and she said, ah yes, that would be shrimp, which is regarded as a sweet in Korea. Well, quite. Easy to see how ya can think that.

Another thing which is interesting is the funny way they distinguish bread and cake. Only birthday cakes are cake, everything else, even cupcakes, are actually 'bread'!

I was teaching a class about the difference in English and a 62 year old man piped up and said this is not important, no-one cares about this, its a waste of time. I'm sure he'd be the first to complain, however, if someone was going around in the Korean language referring to kimchee, even kimchee made from radishes, as 'cabbage'.

[gomurr]

Everyone must live in Seoul. A bunch of us went to a bar in kangnung that had ultimate nachos and served sour cream with it. well the sour cream wasn't sour but sweet like that stuff they give you at Paris Baguettes. The cheese on the nachos was processed cheese slices, yuck. I mean if you live in Seoul or around a US Army base, chances are you can find some good snack food. But anywhere else forget it.

[Cthulhu]

Yes, last time I had nachos in a Korean place they had processed cheese slices in them, used ketchup (catsup) instead of salsa...

...and had CORN!

Corn seems to be migrating from the pizza these days and infesting other Western culinary delights.

Be afraid. Be very afraid...

[OiGirl]

[billbile]

"Corn seems to be migrating from the pizza these days and infesting other Western culinary delights. "

Yes what is that? "This dish is perfect! Ah, but for one thing...it needs...corn!"

"These biscuits are perfect...but for one thing...they need fish!"

[Homer]

Gomur,

It all depends on what you define as good snack foods....
You seem to be stuck in a smaller city or town. I am sure there are still heaps of snacks to be had. Of course if you are only looking for specific snacks then you might strike out and be stuck "snack-less"

[gomurr]

Homer, come to Yeaaaa-Cheon and find out for yourself. You can get Pringles and Doritos. But to get a half decent cake, pizza, donut or ice cream I have to go to either Andong or Daegu. I prefer quality over quantity.

[JackSarang]

Thats nothing...


One time we were in Shinchon and ordered Potato Skins. You know what they served us? Sour Cream and Onion Pringles with a side of peanuts.

[Homer]

Well then, just stuff yourself with whats available OR make supply runs when you go to Daegu...bring a large suitcase and just stock up on snacks mate.
Missing pizza I can understand...
Cakes here are sometimes good and sometines not...it depends on where you buy them (again, of course your choices will be more limited in a small town).
Ice cream...its pretty common here. You must live in a very snack poor area of Korea...
Now as for donuts...who would miss those is beyond me..but thats my personal taste....
Finally, if you prefer quality over quantity you should have no problem selecting a few "choice" snacks that are available and munch on those quality and carefully selected items.
Good luck on your snack quest mate

[camel96]

Don't like donuts Homer?????????

[Tiger Beer]

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

Lotteria, in and of itself, is just plain wrong, wrong, wrong...

[khyber]

So am i the only one who likes korean snack food?
their chocolate suX (except for what i got last valentines). If you ever want chocolate, hunt out the stuff called "Deflower" (no joke)....its good alright.

I also have a bit of a penchant for those rice crispy balls with peanuts; those sugar coated pretzel things (though i ate too many once and that craving never comes back); and i don't even know how to describe them (like uhm....honey covered sticks of.....uhm...i just don't know. The bag is white and orange and blue and has a stream of honey falling onto the snacks).
But that's as far as my experimenting goes.
My wife, the crazy Nute LOVEs those brea, chocolate, peanut squid balls. But i won't kiss her for the rest of the day....as bad as smokers breath...akkk