Korea

A Land of Peaks, Seas, and Fields

boseong tea fields

Korea is a land covered by mountains, it is a peninsula, and it was primarily an agrarian society until the 1980s. Being isolated on a peninsula allowed Korea to hold onto its culture and tradition.

To the eastern coastal province of Gangwon-do has the famous Yeongdeok Black Haired Crabs. These huge crabs are steamed or boiled in a spicy soup and the insides of the crabs are used to make a delicious mixed rice. The mountainous Chungcheon- has Dak Galbi: Spicy Chicken Barbecue. This dish started as a favorite among University students in the area and it caught on to become famous around the entire country.

To the southeast we have South Korea’s second largest city, Busan. Busan has the bustling Jagalchi Fish market which is famous for O-deng: a pressed fish snack. And near Busan, you can go to Mount Geumjeong where you can get grilled, steamed, or baked black goat.

To the Southwestern tip of Korea we have Jeolla province. It’s the food heartland of Korea. In Boseong, there are terraced mountains that produce the best green teas. In Jeonju, there is the Yeonggwanggulbi Jeongshik: a meal made for the emperor, which has the sun-dried corvina fish. Jeonju is also where famous bibimbap originated.

On Jeju Island, the Haenyo Diving Women dive each day to search for abalone and shellfish. The island is also famous for their citrus fruits. The Jeju Orange are prized fruits that are often given as gifts.

Confucianism:

the Philosophy of Sharing and Plenty

Korean food culture is deeply influenced by Confucianism. Because of Confucianism, the idea of sharing is very important according to Korean table manners. Also there is a very high level of respect for elders and parents, so the way a person eats is a reflection on the parents. Confucianism is also where the idea of dynamic balance and the 5 elements comes from. There is also a strong belief in the hues (black, white, red, yellow, and green) of the food. They believe these hues affect mood and how the body operates. Strong relationships are very important-Koreans rarely eat alone.

Buddhism:

The Philosophy of Serenity and Mindfulness

Buddhism was introduced to Korea in 372 AD by Tibetan monks. To this day there are temples all over Korea and a large number of people practice the faith. Buddhism introduced vegetarianism and temple cuisine. Temple cuisine is usually made without chilies, garlic, onions or other strong flavors because it was believed they could arouse the monk’s passion. Tea is also important for it was drunk between student and teacher during open forums about the religion.

temple food