Korean Cuisine: An update

So, I brought some banchun to work yesterday, and it was a huge success--mostly because someone else brought a heap of bulgogi (trans: delicious beef), and I was able to eat it qualm-free. I can get used to this.

While I'm here, I'll let you in on another related observation I've made about Korean eating habits: Koreans generally do not talk while they're eating; they save the conversation until after the meal. But this is not, I think, just etiquette, since it's not wrong to talk a little while you're eating. I think it's just necessary given that all the food is shared. If you're the one who wants to get involved in an extended discourse about politics over dinner, then you're the one who goes home hungry. Your best bet, when eating a Korean style meal, is to gulp down the food as quickly as possible. Luckily, eating with chopsticks prohibits taking big bites, so even if you eat as fast as you can, you're not too likely to choke.