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periwinkle
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:15 pm Post subject: Korean food- historical questions, etc. |
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Some things I've always wondered about:
Why is red pepper such a prevalent seasoning here?
I wonder how raw fish became popular in Korea and Japan? I understand why seafood is popular (surrounded by so much water), but why raw? You can argue that eating raw seafood isn't popular in western (or most) cultures because you can get food poisoning. Also, eating something when it's still alive (squid) is unique. I wonder how this practice came about.. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:30 pm Post subject: Re: Korean food- historical questions, etc. |
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I wonder how the practice of cooking meat came about. |
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Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Location: Easy Street.
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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Ancient Chinese legend says it started when a pig-farmer's son burned down the pig-pen by accident.  |
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djsmnc

Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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Why is red pepper such a prevalent seasoning here?
I wonder how raw fish became popular in Korea and Japan? |
From what I've heard, traditional sushi was created in or around Osaka, which is where the kingdom was originally located. They put raw fish, rice, etc (I don't know what else, if anything) in a small wooden box, then buried it in the ground. Later they would pull it out, well fermented ( heaven forbid I'd ever have to smell it) and ready to eat.
After the Kingdom (of Hideyoshi?) moved to Tokyo, the modern style of eating sliced raw fish was created. Ah, here we go:
From http://www.international-gourmet.net/sushi/history.htm
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Sushi actually began as a way of preserving fish. The raw, cleaned fish was pressed between rice and salt by a heavy stone for a few weeks. After a few weeks, the stone was removed and replaced with a light cover. A few months after that, the fermented fish and rice were considered ready to eat. Not until the 18th century did a chef named Yohei decide to serve sushi in its present form and forget about the fermentation process altogether. The use of vinegar rice, however, probably harks back to the feremented taste of early sushi.
In Osaka there is still an elaborate tradition of sushi pressed with rice in wooden boxes. This type of sushi is called hako-zushi.
The sushi most commonly known among Westerners comes from Edo, the old name for Tokyo, and consists of hand-rolled sushi specifically called nigiri sushi.
Japanese have a deep-rooted fondness of nature and this is often carried over to the arrangement of food. The pieces are arranged to enhance their natural beauty. Often nature and the outdoors are captured by using a plate resembling a fish in motion, a quiet river nook, or a deep pool. The fish itself evokes an image of the creature swimming through underwater weeds and roots.
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peony

Joined: 30 Mar 2005
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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koreans also eat a very similar form of fermented fish- made spicy and with glutinous sweet rice, its called 'shik-hae' |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Before refrigeration everybody used to eat salted, cured, and preserved meat and fish. Sushi isn't technically raw, it has been preserved somehow. |
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