Korean dining etiquette

Koreans are very particular about their diet. There is a saying that "food is one of the five blessings". Now I will take you to understand some contents of Korean dining etiquette, hoping to deepen your understanding of Korean culture.

The characteristic of Korean food is the "five flavors and five colors", which is composed of the five flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty and the five colors of red, white, black, green, and yellow. The daily diet of Koreans is rice, kimchi, doenjang, gochujang, pickles, eight delicacies and doenjang soup. The main ingredients of Bazhen cuisine are mung bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, water tofu, dry tofu, vermicelli, Chinese toon root, Tibetan vegetables and mushrooms.

Characteristics of Korean diet:

Koreans especially like to eat chili. Chili noodles and chili sauce are indispensable seasonings. This is due to the fact that the climate in South Korea is cold and humid, and growing rice requires resistance to cold and moisture, just as kimchi is an essential winter non-staple food with Korean national characteristics. Every November, after the cabbage and radish are washed and dried, various seasonings such as pepper, garlic, onion, and seafood are added, covered in a large vat, and sealed for half a month to one month before consumption. Every housewife has a unique craft and secret recipe for making kimchi, so the taste of kimchi varies from house to house.

Koreans like to eat beef, chicken and fish, but do not like mutton, duck and greasy food. Dog meat is one of their favorite meats.

There are many springs in South Korea. The spring water is clean, cool and sweet, because Koreans generally do not drink tea or boiled water.

Koreans are accustomed to eating on a low table, which is equipped with rice bowls, soup bowls, sauce dishes, and plates for side dishes. Chopsticks and spoons are also used for eating.

Korea’s famous local dishes mainly include: various sashimi, Mokpo fish, Gwangju stewed suckling pig, roast beef, raw beef stomach (i.e. beef louver), ginseng chicken, fairy pot (That is, Yuekouzi soup, similar to Chinese hot pot).

Korean people’s diet is inseparable from crispy products, and there are many types, mainly kimchi and pickled fish.

Korean people love soup. Soup is an important part of the Korean diet and is indispensable when dining. There are many types, including miso soup, dog meat soup, etc.

Koreans often eat desserts, pastries and pasta, mainly including maltose, honeyed nuts, cakes, steamed cakes, steamed cakes, armor cakes, oil cakes, cold noodles, etc.

Koreans’ daily drinks include alcohol and soft drinks. Samhae Liquor is a kind of turbid liquor, and its history can be traced back to the Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo periods. Because it is brewed by farmers, it is commonly known as agricultural wine, which is mixed with clear honey, but has low alcohol content, is refreshing and delicious; in addition, there are also long-storage sake and amazake suitable for winter brewing. Soft drinks mainly include homemade scented tea and persimmon juice. The former has the same name as Chinese scented tea but has nothing to do with it, while the latter is mostly consumed on New Year's Day.

Supplement: When dining in a large Korean family, the elders are the centerpiece. Usually, each person has one dish, with rice as the staple food and side dishes as non-staple food. The portions of the dishes include three, five, seven or nine dishes. and Twelve Dishes (imperial meal), meal etiquette is highly valued and is often used as one of the important criteria for judging whether a person is well-educated or not.

Some basic dining etiquette:

Before dining

1. When taking a seat, both the guest and the host should sit cross-legged on the floor.

2. Spoons and chopsticks cannot be stacked on the bowl.

3. When dining with elders, the elders should use their chopsticks first.

When dining

1. The spoon and chopsticks cannot be picked up at the same time, only one of them can be picked up.

2. Not being able to pick up the rice bowl or soup bowl is not only rude, but also regarded as the behavior of a beggar.

3. Drink soup with a spoon first, and then eat other meals.

4. Food such as rice and soup should be eaten with a spoon, and other food should be eaten with chopsticks.

5. Can’t make any noise.

6. Do not use spoons or chopsticks to stir up food, and do not pick out inappropriate food and put it aside.

7. Do not leave food on spoons or chopsticks.

8. Put the shared sauce or food on your own plate before you can enjoy it.

9. If you encounter bones or fish bones that cannot be swallowed, you should quietly spit them into paper towels and wrap them instead of spitting them randomly on the table.

10. If you want to sneeze or cough, you need to turn around and cover your mouth with a handkerchief or tissue. Do not disturb others while they are eating.

11. Eat at the same time as others. Only when the elders have put down their tableware can you put down your own tableware.

After meal

1. After eating the food, use soup to clean the rice bowl.

2. Return the tableware to its original position.

3. Used napkins must be folded and placed back on the table.

4. When using a toothpick, you must cover your mouth with your hand and throw it away quietly after use.

The main characteristics of Korean food are spicy and sour.

The staple food is mainly rice and cold noodles. Their favorite dishes include kimchi, roast beef, roast dog meat, ginseng chicken, etc. There are not many varieties of Korean food, and most of them are relatively bland.

There are many drinks in Korea. Korean men usually drink well, and they often drink soju, sake, and beer. Most Korean women do not drink alcohol. Koreans generally do not drink porridge and clear soup, believing that only the poor do so. Koreans generally do not eat anything greasy, oily, or sweet, and they do not eat duck, mutton, or fatty pork.

Korean people still pay attention to "men are superior to women". When men and women sit together, women should automatically sit at the bottom of the table and must not sit higher than men. Women must not talk loudly in front of men.

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