Cultural post #7

[Claire Yang]

Korean Food

Usual Korean meals consist of rice and side dishes. Koreans have used various ingredients and developed different recipes. Therefore, there is a large variety of dishes and food from different regions and for different seasons. Kim-chi and other fermented sauces are representatives of Korean traditional food, and Koreans take much pride in them. For Koreans, rice is a staple food. Their typical side dishes are soups, pot-stews with various ingredients, cooked vegetables, salads, pickles, salted seafood, dried fishes, and steamed meat. Kim-chi, paste or sauce, and salted seafood are always served.

The uniqueness of Korean food is in the seasoning. For most of their food, Koreans use various kinds of seasoning made of soy sauce, scallions, garlic, sesame, sesame oil, pepper, and red pepper powder. 

Manners:

Dinning with elderly people

The space farthest away from the entrance door is the best spot, so reserve it for the elderly.  When having a meal with the elderly, wait for the elders to hold their spoon first and keep pace with them.  Sit with your body in an upright, straight position.  When the elderly person is getting up after finishing the meal, get up together.  If you finished the meal before the elderly, place the spoon in the rice bowl or sungnyung bowl and when the elderly person has finished the meal, place it on the table.