Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wondobern]

One of my Bible students was missing yesterday, and I was told the reason was because she got sick from eating chicken mixed with lacquer. I thought that maybe the person I talked with had the wrong English interpretation. Surely, I was thinking, no one would eat furniture polish for health! But, he insisted that some Koreans do indeed eat lacquer for health benefits.

Of course he was talking about the natural kind of lacquer that comes from a tree. I did a google search and found out from one site that some do indeed believe that lacquer is good for health. However, many suffer from ill side-effects from this belief, and that folks should be warned not to believe the myth that eating lacquer will benef one's health.

Has anyone known anyone who eats lacquer for health benefits? This is new to me. Although, I heard someone say that at one time Korea was so poor that people would sometimes boil the bark from trees and make soup out of it, just to have something to eat.

(this person is not poor by the way)

[bluelake]

I personally enjoy ot dak (옻닭). The amount of lacquer in the soup, however, is generally not enough to give most people a bad reaction to it. At the same time, if you go through a lacquer tree forest, you will probably end up with an adverse reaction of some kind.

When my wife was a young girl, she went near a lacquer forest and ended up up a bad rash from head to toe. Her father treated her by chewing rice and covering her with the paste. My wife enjoys lacquer chicken, too.

[wondobern]

Thanks for your reply bluelake. I learned something new today!

Not sure if I'd go out of my way to eat the stuff, but may not be as bad as it sounds if someone insists I try some.

Peace!