Korean food is a big part of Korean culture, and another big part of Korean culture is behaviour. In Korea a lot of importance is placed on how a person looks, acts, and talks. In order to successfully navigate through or embrace Korean culture it is important to inculcate behaviour that is perceived as good within the culture. So, I decided to delve deeper into good table manners in Korean culture, how exactly a typical Korean meal looks, and how one should eat it.
A typical Korean meal consists of the rice and, as in most Asian countries, it is considered the hero of a meal and all other dishes are served as accompaniments to the rice. A bowl of rice is usually served with a stew or soup on the side. Note that it is crucial to make sure that the rice is always to the left of the stew/soup. Apparently the rice bowl is only to the right of the soup to signify someone’s death. There are usually a bunch of side dishes that are served alongside the rice and the stew/soup which are referred to as banchan. They’re there to offer some variety and they consist of dishes like kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables), gyeran mari (rolled omelette), and namul (seasoned vegetable dish). Along with this, a meaty side dish can be served to be had with the rice or with ssam. Ssam is a dish where meats and other sides are wrapped with leafy vegetables like lettuce or cabbage. This is usually had in one bite so it is very important to ration your ssam such that you can eat it all in one bite.
The cutlery to eat all the delicious food mentioned above consists of metal chopsticks and a metal spoon. The fascinating thing is that Korean chopsticks are flat! It is important to note that unlike cultures in Japan where it is considered normal to pick up your bowl or rice and eat it, in Korean it is considered rude to lift up any bowl while eating. Hence, the spoon is usually used to eat rice. It is also important to note that it is considered rude to use both the spoon and the chopsticks at the same time. So, while it may seem reasonable to use both the spoon and chopsticks while eating the stew, apparently one should remember to not do it!
Other rules for proper supper table etiquette include maintaining good posture while eating, chewing quietly, and not showing the food in your mouth. Also, because Korean culture places a lot of importance on honoring your elders, it is essential for younger people to not pick up their cutlery until their elders have picked up theirs, and the younger people should only leave the table after their elders do.
This is all the information that I found through my search through the internet. Truth is, I never actually had Korean food in a Korean household or any other traditional Korean settings, but if the opportunity presents itself, I will gladly accept it and try to make sure that I display good table manners.
Comments
Rice is a staple for a meal in many Asian cultures. It probably has a lot to do with the history of farming. I have grown up used to eat rice every meal. For breakfast I will have congee, and for lunch and dinner I will have rice with other dishes at side.