Japan Korea
The first verified kingdom in Korea was established between 400 and 600 BCE, consolidating several walled cities. Various kingdoms rose and fell until the kingdom of Silla united the entire peninsula in the fifth century, ruling for about 400 years.

Periods of turmoil alternated with periods of stability but Korea remained in Korean control until conquered by Japan in 1910 - not to be liberated until 1945.

In 1945 the Russians occupied the northern regions and the U.S. occupied the southern regions. The two could not agree on a unified government and Korea has been split into North Korea and South Korea ever since. (dotted line on map). We will deal mainly with the cuisine of South Korea because they don't even have food in North Korea.
Click on Map for larger view.

logo
Home

Asia
Asia

©2006 Clove Garden

Korea has a very homogenous population, almost everyone there is Korean and speaks Korean, a language of uncertain origin and unrelated to Chinese. Korea has long used an alphabetic script called hangul rather than Chinese pictographs, though today both Chinese and Roman characters may be scattered in.

Korean culture has long been strongly influenced by Chinese Confucianism but tempered by Buddhism, Taosism and Shamanism. Since partition in 1945 the government of North Korea has supressed all other religions in favor of Godless Communism, and in South Korea Christian missionaries have been hard at work. South Korea is now about 25% Buddhist, 27% Christian and 46% claim "none of the above"

Christianity has often been overly agressive in Korea, engaging in destruction of Buddhist art and burning of temples. Some of the churches have rather "unusual" interpretations of Christianity, and some of those now have significant followings in the USA. Sung Young Moon's Unification Church for instance.

Korean Cuisine - Overview

Korean cuisine shows kinship with Mongolia in its emphasizes on beef rather than the chicken and pork favored in neighboring China. Of course, with so much coastline fish is almost as important as it is in Japan.

Korean cuisine is quite traditional, though some Japanese and a fair amount of Chinese influence can be seen. An unusual feature is the degree to which chili peppers are used, Korean chilis are mild compared to the firey pods of the Caribbean or Southeast Asia, but they are hotter and used in greater quantity than in other Asian cuisines that far north.

The signiture dish of Korea, without which no meal would seem complete, is kimchee, fermented vegetables usually seasoned with salt and chili flakes, and often with fermented shrimp, fish and/or oysters. Basically it's spicy sauerkraut, just not always made from cabbage.

Customs

In your own home you can do whatever you please - see my article Western Adoption of Asian Food. Should you, however be invited to dine with Koreans, there are rules.

  • Don't, whatever you do, blow your nose at the table. This will get you exiled to a "reeducation" camp somewhere in North Korea where they don't even have food.