When it comes to discovering or comparing the cultures and ways of life of different countries, food inevitably comes up. I have already addressed this issue HERE and HERE.
And there is no lack of irrelevant and prejudiced questions about that too:
"They eat strange stuff in Korea, right?"
If this video is to be believed, it's hard to say no, but it's something I'd like to qualify a bit. Of course it all depends on what you mean by "strange."
The covid crisis has showed that there are prejudices in the West about Chinese cuisine, and Asian cuisine in general, when it was assumed that the epidemic had started from a market in China where pangolins were sold.
And it is true that in Korea, you can actually see "strange" things at the market. Korea is a Peninsula, so you can find all kinds of fish, seafood, shellfish, not to mention seaweed. Just walk down the Jagalchi market, in Busan, and you'll see what I mean. I'm not a seafood lover, so I am not really comfortable there, but can we say that all this is "strange"?
Let's say that from a French point of view there are many unusual things to eat in Korea (like "penis fish" to name but one). Even Kimchi, a staple food in Korea along with rice, can be disconcerting when you try it for the first time. But in my view, a lot of Korean food can be called "different", "new", but certainly not "weird".
Wait. Let's take a closer look. If you walk through a market in Busan, it's likely that you'll see eels being skinned alive and still wriggling while they're being grilled... (Video available HERE, Graphic content advisory!) One may find this disturbing, but I'd like to stress that Koreans are not the only ones who mistreat animals to cook them. In Korea, I have been asked about the way the French cook ortolans (more information HERE). Even if this dish is (fortunately) not one of the most popular in France (it may even be forbidden now), we have to admit that this is weird too, not to say creepy.
And what about foie gras?
Let's not forget that for Koreans, we are the ones who eat strange, even disgusting foods. Snails, of course, frogs (even if I saw some on a market in Busan, as I mentioned here), but also rabbit meat (which is quite rare in Korea. In France, Her is always horrified to see whole rabbits on the butchers' stalls), liver, offal of all kinds, not to mention our smelly cheeses (some of which, like Roquefort, are even covered with mold!)
The other day, I prepared a simple grated carrot salad with a little oil, lemon juice and parsley. My mother-in-law found it very "weird"...when she eats shrimp heads!
In short, there are quite a lot of culinary differences between France and Korea, to say the least, but the expression "strange stuff" bothers me because it sounds too pejorative.
This being said, I'd like to talk about a sensitive subject that sometimes comes up too.
"Have you tried dog meat?"
To put it simply: yes, it is possible to eat dog meat in Korea (and no, I haven't tried it). But you should also know that it's something that is less and less common (especially among the younger generations). I've visited Korea regularly since 2015 and I've been living here for three years, and I've seen a restaurant serving dog meat on only one occasion. So don't imagine that all Koreans, or even a majority of them, eat dog meat. According to Wikipedia, about 4% of Koreans consume dog meat. In a way, it's a bit like Ortolan back home. The dish does exist, but it is not common. Recently, President Moon Jae-In even raised the issue of a possible ban on dog meat consumption. I don't know if he will be able to pass this before his term ends in spring 2022, but it shows that there is progress on this issue.
Long story short, forget your prejudices and try Korean food, there are so many delicious dishes to discover!
