SDLC 110 Cultural Post #3

[Jessica Crouser]

Food is an integral part of any culture and Korean culture is no exception. If you ever go to a Korean restaurant, you will order your entree, likely made up of noodles, meat, and vegetables, and then a bunch of little side dishes will come out as well. There will be kimchi, radishes, vegetables, and more. Rice is also an essential part of Korean cuisine and typically eaten at every meal. Korean food has typical seasonings such as garlic, sesame oil, red pepper powder, scallions, and more. Korean barbecue and kimchi are probably the most well-known Korean dishes in the U.S. Table manners are very important in Korea; you must have good posture, you should not show food in your mouth, and you shouldn't start eating until your elders at the table do so. Although less meat, especially red meat, is eaten in Korea in comparison to the U.S., special diets such as vegetarianism aren't as popular as here. The food preparation style makes pretty healthy food, so obesity is not a huge problem there. If anything, being overweight is a sign of wealth, while in the U.S. it tends to be a sign of lower income, because those with less money may need to sustain themselves more often on cheap fast food. Drinking during a meal, alcoholic or not, isn't as common as it is in the U.S. I notice that my mom never drinks while she's eating, but instead will have her glass of water, milk, tea, or whatever it is, after she's down eating. This is especially the case when eating soup, which is very common in Korean cuisine. Also, like I said that rice is served at every meal, this includes breakfast. Savory foods are eaten for breakfast much more than in Western cultures.

[Jessica Crouser]

I couldn't find a specific reason why they tend not to drink during meals, so I don't think it would be impolite. I think it's just different from American restaurants where it's assumed you'll be drinking at least water, instead a glass of water isn't necessarily a staple of a meal there!

[Yixi Wang]

That was an interesting fact to know that Korean people do not normally drink during a meal! It is the same in China as well that vegetarianism is not as popular as here. Out of curiosity, is there any special reason why Koreans do not drink during a meal? Will that be regarded as impolite?