Food, Glorious Food

When I told my friends I was coming to Korea I had a mixed response.
Some informed me, should I not already know. “They eat dog there.”

A few of the witty ones came back with jokes like, “mmm, sweet and sour dog for tea.” I laughed heartily.

Whilst other, more open minded and liberal, friends responded with, “ahhh, cool, a new culture. That’ll be really interesting... They eat dog there.”

It’s a shame that Korean cuisine is known only for it containing canine, for a number of reasons. Firstly Korea isn’t the only country that dog is eaten in. Indonesia and East Timor both count it as a delicacy, and it’s a frequent fixture on menus throughout China. But then China is known for so many other things, such as Dim sum, bamboo and executing the mentally ill.

The main reason that it smarts to hear Korean food has such a limited reputation abroad is that it’s so good; fresh, spicy and full of flavour. The British really could learn a great deal. In Chuncheon city there is a market stretching 500m along a road side. It’s open every morning and sells seasonal fruit and vegetables grown within the city limits. Go in winter and you’ll see entirely different produce than you would in spring, summer or autumn.

It’s not limited to just one market either. On any number of backstreets, in any number of cities there are small stalls selling locally grown produce or snacks made to order. Snacks made from fresh ingredients; fast food as it should be.

Incidentally, most of the stalls are run by women, who are generally referred to as ‘adjemars;’ the translation being ‘old woman.’ One wonders about the reaction of a woman in England, over 40, should she be referred to in this way. Some kind of beating would most likely ensue, together with harpy like shrieking. A result of the Confucian system is that Korean people know their place in life and are happy with it.



Eating out in Korea is a group affair. Most meals are ordered for a group, with individual choice not available in most evening restaurants. A meal is a social event, bringing people together, rather than just a time to fill up on calories. Indeed, the sight of somebody eating alone is rare, and if you ever do see them, it’s restaurant policy that they sob between mouthfuls, and wish openly that they had friends. Or so the lady told me ... honestly.

In most eateries the main option for groups is meat; slab upon slab of meat, each with a different name. Ask most Korean children what each name means and they can happily tell you, along with what part of which animal said meat came from. In the UK children would most likely respond to such a question with ‘you what?!? It’s just chicken innit!’ Regardless of the meat in question.

However, should you manage to get beyond this defence against knowledge, then you may see there is a growing trend of children not being able to recognise onions, or knowing that chips come from potatoes. Rumours have it that some children have even started to inject liquidised ready meals. The gap between producer and eater has become a chasm, and is widening with each sale of Tesco chicken poppers.

In Korea the restaurants generally have a picture of the animal you’re about to eat, on the sign outside. This animal is usually in cartoon form and looking far happier than I imagine it would be if it knew its end. This is also the case with places that do serve dog. But beware! The cartoon dog can also mean pet store, where they sell overgrown and coiffed guinea pigs and call them puppies. Asking for them in a soup can have disastrous consequences.

However, there is a flip side. Despite the knowledge of where food comes from, there is no effort to ensure the quality of life, and meat of animals through free range or organic production. Finding free range meat is impossible. Indeed there have been a number of cases of bear meat still being eaten, by council officials no less. The bears are clubbed to death on order, having been taken from cages containing up to 20. Shockingly bear cubs can be ordered for takeout meat, for home slaughter. Boiling them alive has been reported as the preparation of choice, in a number of cases.

Whilst this isn’t a lecture on how free range meat production is far more beneficial, not just to animals, but to the human as well (nutrient levels are increased, fat lower and protein higher in free range) it is a true shame that a nation that has everything in place to be an undiscovered culinary great is being held back by such an atrocious disrespect of where staple restaurant food comes from.

I’d love to say that this is the sole reason that Korean food isn’t world renowned, but sadly it’s probably just because Korea itself isn’t. Maybe it’ll take the execution of some rebellious students to sort that out.