Korean Cuisine: An observation

What I've learned since I started working at an office in which I'm the only foreigner:

The major difference between Korean cuisine and Western is, not the high quantities of garlic, hot-pepper paste, or cephalopods, but the fact that all the food is shared. I went to a great little Korean place on Sixth Street in Racine, and the food was pretty authentic (and delicious). The owner even made her own kimchi. But the meal was totally American, right from appetiser to dessert.

Koreans, when they eat, usually have their own bowl of rice, and then share a variety of banchun, often translated as 'side dishes.' But that doesn't really capture it because the "side dishes," together with the rice, are the meal. In fact, calling them 'side dishes' in English, and the fact that we don't have a better word for it, exactly emphasizes the point I'm making here. The whole structure of a Korean meal is different from the structure of an American, or a French, meal. They do not have appetizers, entrees, main courses, salads, deserts, or side dishes. Occasionally for a large meal, you will have one big helping of meat, but that too is shared. Usually, you just have a bunch of banchun, especially salty things like dried fish or seaweed, kimchi, a bit of cooked meat, or some finely chopped veggies.

This is a great system, I think. When I'm with friends, I'm always sticking my fork into their food anyway. There is no such thing as food jealousy here. But in an office, you can imagine the difficulties. Everyone, especially the boss's sister (who often hangs around) assumes that all the food on the table is fair game. And inevitably, some people bring better or worse things, and there is always a bit of tension as to who is getting a free ride (or anyway, that's how I perceive it). Imagine what it must be like in elementary school! And, as the foreigner, I can't tell if I have to stay out of the system or what. I mean, I don't really know what banchun is or how to make it, so I usually just have my own food, which sits in a little bubble at the edge of the table. (Resolved: Tonight I will stop at the banchun shop, where they make fresh banchun for busy housewives, and bring something tomorrow.)

So, next time you're having some ethnic food, stop and think whether you're having it ethnically. From what I know of Thai and Indian food, there is supposed to be a lot of sharing going on, too. The meal experience is just as important as the food, and this is something that is often overlooked at Americanized ethnic restaurants, even when the food is very good.

One final observation (which did not originate with me): While French/Western cuisine is focused on flavor and texture--aesthetics--Chinese/East Asian cooking is basically an extension of medicine. Much attention is given to what your food will do inside of you, and how it will safely get out. When we talk about cuisine, we would be short-sighted think only about aesthetics. More than merely food or flavor, cuisine is a way of eating and a purpose for eating.