|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:06 am Post subject: What kind of food do they serve at EPIK orientation? |
 |
|
I'll be going next week and I'm wondering: How many meals do they serve and what kind of food is it? Is it something you would consider healthy?
Also, a bit off topic: When I'm grocery shopping, how do I know if things are natural/organic? Like, what's the Korean word for those kinds of things? Also, is it easy to check things like Carbs and Sodium on the food labels? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
sbp59
Joined: 01 Apr 2009
Location: Somewhere in SK
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:02 am Post subject: Re: What kind of food do they serve at EPIK orientation? |
|
|
| jrk888 wrote: |
I'll be going next week and I'm wondering: How many meals do they serve and what kind of food is it? Is it something you would consider healthy?
Also, a bit off topic: When I'm grocery shopping, how do I know if things are natural/organic? Like, what's the Korean word for those kinds of things? Also, is it easy to check things like Carbs and Sodium on the food labels? |
I like to know what I'm eating too. But, it's not easy in korea. I have never seen a nutritional list at a korean restaurant ever. I can't remember the word for organic, I tried it when I first got here. The lady working looked at me like I was crazy and kept telling me the meat was delicious and I needed to buy it. Koreans care about one thing when it comes to food. It has to be 100% made in korea.
It takes time to adjust, but your going to have to adapt and not worry so much about what's in your food. You will drive yourself crazy if you don't.
Buying vegetables and fruits from the old ladies on the side of the road is a pretty good way to find healthy food. It's probably organic and just grown in their garden. But, you never know.
You asked about sodium. Korean food is ridiculously salty, almost everything is. Kimchi, gochujang, chogochu jang, samjang. All of the soup dishes and side dishes are loaded in sodium. This country loves to use MSG too. Don't buy any street food either like deokbukki, korean panckaes, meat on a stick, shit is nasty and terrible for you.
What you consider healthy, Koreans do not. They think you should have white rice at every meal. The diet is full of fried foods, and soup or stews loaded in salt. Some of them do taste very good. They think Kimbab is healthy but it's not. It's all processed crap with no nutritional value.
Eating out in restaurants, it's best to eat the meat and vegetables and avoid everything else. If your in a store buy from the butcher and not anything that is pre-packaged or pre-cooked.
So, just do the best you can.
Try not to stress over it and get lots of exercise. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
amnsg2
Joined: 15 Aug 2010
Location: Gumi
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
Korean food usually has calories listed on it, and there's always nutritional information. You have to learn the Korean words for stuff like sodium (나트륨) but google the words you want to know and cross reference them on the packets to check they're correct.
Korean food is generally healthy and well balanced (rice, meat, truckload of vegetables), aside from the gochujang which can cause stomach pains or irritate existing ulcers if you overdo it. Dilute it with beer! And it's absolutely delicious once you get your head around it being so different from Western food. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| When I went to the Chungnam orientation it was a major banquet. Seriously good food for 3 days. I don't know about EPIK. I heard some place was going to make you pay for the food, but I don't know if it was EPIK. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
sbp59: Thank you for your long reply. I pretty much planned on sticking with meat and vegetables that I'm aware of. I usually just cook for myself anyway and definitely would not be tempted by meat on a stick. I guess I'm just kind of concerned about what will be served at EPIK and what I can eat at restaurants. I generally eat very organic and very natural food so hopefully I can figure it out. I figure a majority of the time it should be okay, I just wanted to know how to pick things up at the grocery store. For example, I eat organic peanut butter and cereal. I just want to make sure I know how to find that in the grocery store, ya know?
| amnsg2 wrote: |
Korean food usually has calories listed on it, and there's always nutritional information. You have to learn the Korean words for stuff like sodium (나트륨) but google the words you want to know and cross reference them on the packets to check they're correct.
Korean food is generally healthy and well balanced (rice, meat, truckload of vegetables), aside from the gochujang which can cause stomach pains or irritate existing ulcers if you overdo it. Dilute it with beer! And it's absolutely delicious once you get your head around it being so different from Western food. |
Thank you, I've heard it's pretty well balanced and Korean people are generally smaller so I figured so, but I just am real concerned about where it comes from and what's going into my body. Thanks for letting me know the word for Sodium, that'll be important. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nstick13
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jrk888 wrote: |
sbp59: Thank you for your long reply. I pretty much planned on sticking with meat and vegetables that I'm aware of. I usually just cook for myself anyway and definitely would not be tempted by meat on a stick. I guess I'm just kind of concerned about what will be served at EPIK and what I can eat at restaurants. I generally eat very organic and very natural food so hopefully I can figure it out. I figure a majority of the time it should be okay, I just wanted to know how to pick things up at the grocery store. For example, I eat organic peanut butter and cereal. I just want to make sure I know how to find that in the grocery store, ya know?
|
Yeah you won't find either one of those here. They have some organic stuff at the department stores, but it's really, really expensive.
EPIK orientation was typical Korean cafeteria food for me a couple years ago. We were in the dorms of a hotel, and the cafeteria served us food. It's what you'll be eating for lunch at school. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Can't I bring my own lunch like I do when I teach in the US? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rutherford
Joined: 31 Jul 2007
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 8:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Can't I bring my own lunch like I do when I teach in the US? |
You can but then no one will like you. If you bring your own lunch, tell them you love Korean food and especially kimchi but unfortunately you have a health problem that requires you to eat a certain diet and bring your own food.[/quote] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sbp59
Joined: 01 Apr 2009
Location: Somewhere in SK
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 8:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jrk888 wrote: |
| Can't I bring my own lunch like I do when I teach in the US? |
Yeah it's possible to bring your own lunch but it might be very awkward. Eating is such an important part of this culture. Your co-workers will want to see you try all the Korean food and they will be disappointed if you don't love it. My previous co-workers at 2 different schools tried to feed me non stop all the time. They were so proud of korean food. So, it makes you feel obligated to try it, to keep them happy. Even if it tastes horrible, you smile and say how delicious it is. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Oh wow, there's a small thing I wasn't expecting. I'm sure it'll be okay. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
laynamarya
Joined: 01 Jan 2010
Location: Gwangjin-gu
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The Korean word for organic is "유기농." It IS crazy expensive, especially things like peanut butter, which is not made locally. There is usually an organic section at larger supermarkets, like EMart, and is is usually marked off pretty clearly, with more wood furnishings and an overall more "natural" feel. Organic peanut butter is around 14,000 won per jar, decent organic cereal is about 8,000 won per box. When you first start out, it's going to be expensive, because the items you know and love will be labeled in English, but imported. As you learn more about how to make Korean cuisine, you'll become more familiar with the cheaper, local products, and save more money.
Organic food is definitely way more expensive than it is back home, but if it is one of your priorities and you don't waste a lot of money on other things, it's worth it.
As others said, Korean food is pretty healthy overall, except for the sodium content. Also watch out for corn syrup, 물엿, which tends to show up in anything stir-fried. Fortunately, high-fructose corn syrup is not very common here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thank you for the translations. It really helps. I actually had the thought that it's going to be expensive at first getting things I trust and gradually moving into figuring out what to buy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:26 pm Post subject: Re: What kind of food do they serve at EPIK orientation? |
|
|
| sbp59 wrote: |
What you consider healthy, Koreans do not. They think you should have white rice at every meal. The diet is full of fried foods, and soup or stews loaded in salt. Some of them do taste very good. They think Kimbab is healthy but it's not. It's all processed crap with no nutritional value.
|
You could not be more wrong about this one.
Most Koreans know white rice is not healthy. Many Koreans will tell you that brown/wild/barley/etc... is much healthier. Most Korean restaurants don't make the "healthier" rice, but you will find that in most people's homes, they make the healthier rice. Often by mixing the white rice with 5-10 other types of rice/grains.
Most Koreans will also agree that Kimbap purchased at your local Kimbap Chunguk is not healthy. In fact, most of them will tell you that anything at a Gimbap Chunkuk is not healthy because it is loaded with preservatives and MSG.
I think you need to differentiate between what you THINK Koreans believe, and what they actually believe. Have you ever been invited into a Korean's home and eaten food they cook there? You will often find that Korean home cooked meals are mess salty and healthier than the restaurant counterparts.
Why don't you go and see what 40-80 year old Koreans are eating everyday. They sure as hell aren't eating 떡볶이, Fried Chicken, Super Salty Foods and eating at Gimbap Chunguk day in and day out.
And while many Korean foods do have a lot of salt, there are many foods that do not. Most Korean food is not deep fried and meat often makes up a small portion of the meal. Don't forget about the amount of seafood that is eaten here too.
Last edited by pkang0202 on Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
peacemaker
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:30 pm Post subject: Re: What kind of food do they serve at EPIK orientation? |
|
|
| pkang0202 wrote: |
| sbp59 wrote: |
What you consider healthy, Koreans do not. They think you should have white rice at every meal. The diet is full of fried foods, and soup or stews loaded in salt. Some of them do taste very good. They think Kimbab is healthy but it's not. It's all processed crap with no nutritional value.
|
You could not be more wrong about this one.
Most Koreans know white rice is not healthy. Many Koreans will tell you that brown/wild/barley/etc... is much healthier. Most Korean restaurants don't make the "healthier" rice, but you will find that in most people's homes, they make the healthier rice. Often by mixing the white rice with 5-10 other types of rice/grains.
Most Koreans will also agree that Kimbap purchased at your local Kimbap Chunguk is not healthy. In fact, most of them will tell you that anything at a Gimbap Chunkuk is not healthy because it is loaded with preservatives and MSG.
I think you need to differentiate between what you THINK Koreans believe, and what they actually believe. Have you ever been invited into a Korean's home and eaten food they cook there? You will often find that Korean home cooked meals are mess salty and healthier than the restaurant counterparts.
Why don't you go and see what 40-80 year old Koreans are eating everyday. They sure as hell aren't eating 떡볶이, Fried Chicken, Super Salty Foods and eating at Gimbap Chunguk day in and day out. |
So glad someone said this. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sbp59
Joined: 01 Apr 2009
Location: Somewhere in SK
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: What kind of food do they serve at EPIK orientation? |
|
|
| pkang0202 wrote: |
| sbp59 wrote: |
What you consider healthy, Koreans do not. They think you should have white rice at every meal. The diet is full of fried foods, and soup or stews loaded in salt. Some of them do taste very good. They think Kimbab is healthy but it's not. It's all processed crap with no nutritional value.
|
You could not be more wrong about this one.
Most Koreans know white rice is not healthy. Many Koreans will tell you that brown/wild/barley/etc... is much healthier. Most Korean restaurants don't make the "healthier" rice, but you will find that in most people's homes, they make the healthier rice. Often by mixing the white rice with 5-10 other types of rice/grains.
Most Koreans will also agree that Kimbap purchased at your local Kimbap Chunguk is not healthy. In fact, most of them will tell you that anything at a Gimbap Chunkuk is not healthy because it is loaded with preservatives and MSG.
I think you need to differentiate between what you THINK Koreans believe, and what they actually believe. Have you ever been invited into a Korean's home and eaten food they cook there? You will often find that Korean home cooked meals are mess salty and healthier than the restaurant counterparts.
Why don't you go and see what 40-80 year old Koreans are eating everyday. They sure as hell aren't eating 떡볶이, Fried Chicken, Super Salty Foods and eating at Gimbap Chunguk day in and day out.
And while many Korean foods do have a lot of salt, there are many foods that do not. Most Korean food is not deep fried and meat often makes up a small portion of the meal. Don't forget about the amount of seafood that is eaten here too. |
Fair enough, I should have said in my opinion. But, in my opinion I really don't think Korean food is very healthy at all. White rice, ramyen, High sodium, lots of MSG, and corn syrup 물엿 in so many foods. Many of the side dishes you get with banchan would be healthy but it's covered in sodium and unhealthy oils.
If you go back to my original post, I stated some ways to eat healthy by focusing on meats and vegetables and avoiding all the simple cards and sodium food.
You can eat healthy or bad in any country. But, IMO a lot of the common, every day foods eaten in Korea are very unhealthy. I agree that the older generation of koreans ate a much healthier diet than today's youth. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
