Korean Cuisine!!

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My last blog promised information on soju, possibly the most dangerous drink known to man kind. Well lets be honets it comes a close second to pear Black Rat Cider. So this blog is all about food food food!! I should state at this point that I am in no way a 'foodie'. In fact I'm the complete opposite, most likely due to the fact that I'm still a recovering vegetarian (a terrible, terrible disease I battled for twenty-one years!!). But in Korea life is all about in what amazing form the next meal appear! Its not just me Ed and Goeun are the same. One of the main reasons for this may be the cold. Finding a resturant (espically one with a BBQ in the middle of the table) offers a chance to feel ones toes again. The food obsession could be simply attributed to the fact that the food is wondeful. But for me it is the nature of the way people eat in Korea. Its an extremely sociable activity.
Let me explain. My first night in Korea I met Ed at the tube station where he lives, Hwajeong. It was about 7.00 pm and I had not slept for over 24 hours (why do they make the film choices on planes so damm good? I mean obvioulsy I'm not going to sleep if I can watch Harry Potter!!) so when Ed suggetsed we go get some food I was far from into the idea. This changed the momnent I walked into the resturant. We took our shoes off at the door. A simple act and not particulary uncommon in resturants all over the world but, nevertheless it is an act which encourages one to be comfortable. It is something we do when entering a home. We sat on the floor at low tables. Again something which forces one to be relaxed. I challenge anyone not to feel comfty in a resturant where you dump your shoes at the door and sit in a position which never requires you to loosen your trousers, when you have eaten a little bit to much (for years I thought eating out with skinny jeans on was the problem, turns out it was those pesky chairs!!).
The tables have BBQs (for want of a better explaination because neither Ed nor Goeun is around to ask what they would call it!) in the middle of the table. The waitdress brings over some side dishes which are moslty alien to me. This is my first meeting with Kimchi (google it!). Ed explains that Kimchi is a Korean staple, 'they have it with every meal'. A statement which has certainly proved to be true. The kimchi is wonderfully spicey and refreshing at the same time. We make a meat selection from the buffet of raw meat and bring it back to our table. We (I say we, I mean Ed!) cook the meat on our table/BBQ. At home my friends and I often treat cooking together as a social activity, similar to inviting people round to watch a movie. We enjoy rising to the challenge of a roast or the disucssion involved in making a non-lumpy cheese sauce! Cooking your own meal in this way is great fun, it requires teaching the techniques and laughing when things go wrong! When the meat is cooked make little parcles using salad leaves. One large salad leaf, small strip of meat, bit of the garlic we have fried, some kimchi. There are plenty of side dishes and so the parcles can be constructed in an endless number of combinations. My inability to eat the parcles in one go makes us laugh, as does my chopskick skills (in one resturant the kitchen staff took pity and brought out a fork!).
Eating in this manner cooking yourself, sharing food is very socialable but I have not told you about the best costum yet! The drinking rules! That makes it sound like a Korean version of Ring of Fire. They are not. These are serious rules which are executed with special care around ones elders! Ed orders Metju and Soju (Kam sa hab ni da!). He pours me a shot glass of soju (its strong stuff which tastes dangerously like water). He hands me the bottle and holds his glass up. I pour soju for him (using both hands becuase he is older than me). We repeat the process with the Metju (Korean beer). So the rule is you never pour for yourself. Simple. But again amazingly sociable. The effect is that you are always watching out for your friends glass and if you do fancy some more yourslef you pour for them knowing this is the way your glass will be refilled. I ameditaly LOVE this social custom.
So that was my first night in Korea, my introduction to Korean food and the first of many nights enjoying Soju. Today is my last day in Korea. Goeun and I are going to go to a musical, then we are all going for a SHABU SHABU tonight. Shabu Shabu is another amazing korea food but one which I feel needs a visual explaination to do it justice so that story will have to wait for another time! p.s ....again i apologise for the grammer, spelling ect but considering it took me nearly 10 mins to realise that 'cuisine' was not spelt with a 'Q' life really is to short for me to go over the whole piece.

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Comments

[Babs]

YUM YUM!
It all sounds deliciously exciting. So glad you're enjoying yourself.