How to Eat Korean Food Without Embarrassing Yourself – A Unique Culinary Experience

 Korean food is truly distinctive and is well worth trying, be you a foodie, someone eager to sample new cuisine or a K-drama fan curious about the yummy-looking meals that are often featured! Of course, as with any culinary experience, there are some traditions that one should be mindful of as well. This will not only help you enjoy the meal as it should be but also save you from any embarrassing moments when dining out. Here are some things to keep in mind.

                                             Img via Wikimedia Commons

Practise Chopstick Use

As you may know, chopsticks are a standard piece of cutlery for a typical Korean meal. Generally, these chopsticks are flat rather than being pointed or rounded which is the case for those used in Japan and China. Usually made from metal, these chopsticks are handy to use though if you have never tried it before, it always helps to get in some practise beforehand and it's not as easy as it may look!

You can take heart that a spoon is also part of the place setting and is used for eating rice instead of chopsticks. Also, keep in mind that it is generally considered impolite to eat by lifting the bowl of rice; in fact, lifting other dishes off the table to eat from is thought of as being rude too.

Know About Dish Placement

The various dishes and the way you place them are also important to know about. For example, rice is generally the central part of a Korean meal and the other dishes are essentially accompaniments to this. A meal will typically also include a soup or stew bowl and where you place the rice bowl in relation to it is key; the rice bowl should be placed to the left of the soup or stew bowl since having it on the right is traditionally used to symbolise death and is done when remembering ancestors who have passed.

Also, keep in mind that a stew or soup is meant to be enjoyed with rice though how you choose to do so can vary; some alternate between taking mouthfuls of rice with sips of soup while others may put rice into the soup or stew and eat it together.

Have an Idea About Side Dishes

An integral part of a culinary experience is the side dishes or "banchan" which are popularly served at dining venues that offer Korean barbecue. These are not appetisers, but side dishes that provide variety to your meal and are generally eaten with the rice, while they are also used to refresh the palate. Options not only include pickled preparations like kimchi, but many other dishes too such as rolled omelette, stir-fried dried anchovies, potato salad, seasoned spinach and stir-fried zucchini.

Depending on the meal and size, you can have a few banchan or as many as 20 sometimes. You can savour such dishes not only in Korea itself but at an authentic Korean restaurant Bangkok has to offer including the likes of Kongju at Pathumwan Princess Hotel.

Balance Your Portions When Wrapping It

In a typical Korean meal that includes meats or seafood, you will also be served leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage or perilla; these are called ssam and instead of eating them as is, you can use it to wrap a delicious bite-sized portion of rice, meat and a spicy paste / sauce known as ssamjang.

Before wrapping the various elements with the leafy vegetable, make sure you don't put too much since it should ideally be eaten in one bite. Additionally, ensure that you balance your portions; this means that you should have the right amount of rice, meat and ssamjang that complement each other rather than one overwhelming the rest.