Globalization of Korean Food

                Have you ever heard of "bear soup" or "dramatic pot" in the Korean food menu?  Actually, there is no such thing as bear soup and dramatic pot in Korea. Then, where are these words from? It is because of google translate. For example, "Gomtang" is a Korean soup which is made by boiling beef brisket, oxtail, and tripe for many hours. "Gom" is a homophone for another Korean word that means bear. If someone looked up that word in google translate, "Gomtang" would be translated to bear soup. Most Koreans know this is wrong and laugh, but it is seen as disgusting and hateful for foreigners who just hear the name. In other words, they think the soup is made out of actual bear.

seoulcolors.com/2011/01/infinite-challenge-creates-a-taste-of-korea-cm/

                To spread the Korean food into the world, it needs to have standerized names. As technology is becoming more developed, people around the world are able to communicate more efficiently.  A lot of information is exchanged through social network services.  For example, when someone from Korea posts a picture of Korean food onto social media sites, others around the world can easily see the post. Also, more people are starting to become interested in Korea, so the number of tourists coming to Korea is increasing. However, it is not likely that korean food is ready to be introduced to the world. It is lacking in using homogenized English names for Korean foods yet. For example, kimchi has several names, such as kimchee and gimchi. Most people are familiar with kimchi, but the official name of kimchi is gimchi (www.korean.go.kr). However, kimchi is the most well known spelling, so it is allowed to be used.

                Most Korean restaurants in the U.S. serve Korean immigrants, but not many American audiences. However, most Chinese , Japanese and Thai restaurants in the U.S. serve their foods to various people who are foreign to their traditional dishes, including Americans. Many people often believe that Korean food is very spicy and smelly with unknown ingredients. Also, Korean BBQ is not healthy because it is often smoky, too sweet, and salty. To globalize Korean food, it needs to blend and transform as an attractive taste for foreigners. Bibimbap burgers and Bulgogi tacos are good examples. Those are  Korean and western foods combined together.The bibimbap burger is especially  good at the 'Social Eats' resturant in NYC. It won the "Best Burger in America" award in 2011(eater.com). That was off to a great start. 

Bibimbap Burger @ Social Eats Licensed under CC

                On the other hand, opponents believe that the transformation of Korean food is not the only way to globalize. If traditional Korean food is blending in with western food, that may cause misunderstanding for foreigners about the Korean convention. Also, they are concerned that the unique features of Korean traditional food will gradually disappear.

                However, globalization of Korean food does not mean that most Korean foods have to be transformed. It is important to introduce our traditional Korean dishes to the world, but the opinion that  the conventional Korean food should be spreaded might inturrupt the globalization of Korean food.  Additionally, it is necessary to use the standardization of Korean food names to spread the Korean dishes into the world.

References :

www.koreanfood.about.com           

www.korean.go.kr

www.eater.com

Does Kimchi Cause Cancer or Reduce Cancer?

             Stomach cancer (gastric cancer) rates are high in parts of Asia, especially in Korea. Experts demonstrate that helicobacter pylori infection and cigarette smoking are well known risk factors of gastric cancer. Also, salted foods and processed or grilled meats have been suggested as factors of gastric cancer (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Salty foods such as kimchi, soybean paste, and pickled fish may contain N-nitroso compounds which cause stomach cancer. However, kimchi experts illustrate that kimchi is a healthy food which reduces the risk of various cancers. Some people suggest that kimchi causes gastric cancer, and others demonstrate that kimchi has anticancer properties. Why are there competing claims?

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                Kimchi is a low calorie, high fiber, and nutritious side dish. It has plenty of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin C (organicfacks.net). Also, kimchi is rich in essential amino acids and minerals like calcium, iron, and selenium.  It contains many good compounds like capsaicin, chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, and isothiocyanates.

                Usually, kimchi is made from cabbage, which is well known for helping the body get rid of wastes and toxins. Experts say that the cabbage in kimchi contains the healthy flavonoids which are known to slow down the growth of cancer cells. Glucosinolates are another powerful cancer fighter because they convert to isothiocyanates. These compounds show preventative effects for a variety of different cancers. Other ingredients of kimchi, such as garlic, scallions, ginger, and chives, have anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds. Thus, kimchi is a valuable food that assists in reducing the risk of cancer.

                Ironically, some studies report that kimchi contains N-nitroso compounds, which are most likely carcinogens that cause cancer. Kimchi experts say that over brined kimchi, too much fish sauce, and fermenting for too long can cause N-nitroso compounds. However, when kimchi experts study kimchi's anticancer properties, they usually use 2-3% salty kimchi. Now selling kimchi in markets has 1.87% salty on average and 73.5% of kimchi on sale has 1.5-2.0% salty (foodnews.co.kr) Therefore, not too salty and suitably fermented kimchi is healthy.

               Overall, there are many factors for gastric cancer like genetics, infection with a related bacteria (helicobacter pylori), and life style. Though the gastric cancer rate is high in Korea, kimchi is not the only risk factor for that disease. Rather than being a culprit for this disease, kimchi is a healthy food which has anticancer and antioxidant properties.

Fermented Kimchi and Unfermented Kimchi

Fermented Kimchi and Unfermented Kimchi

                Have you heard about unfermented kimchi, Geotjeori? Most people are familiar with fermented cabbage kimchi. However, there are so many kinds of kimchi such as kkakduki (spicy radish), oi sobagi (cucumber), pa kimchi (green onions), bossam (rolled kimchi), nabak kimchi (radish water kimchi) and chonggak kimchi (young radish). Experts say there are hundreds of varieties of kimchi. Both fermented and unfermented kimchi have similar ingredients, but have different brining time and storage.

www.flickr.com/photos/tpapi/3202348871/ Licensed under CC

                 In traditional fermented kimchi preparation, early Koreans stored kimchi underground in large clay jars to keep it cool during the summer and unfrozen during the winter. To prepare for the long winter, the varieties of kimchi were made during late fall and winter. While people stored kimchi underground to preserve food, the kimchi started to ferment. The kimchi fermentation starts in a day or two at room temperature. If the weather is warmer and more humid, then the kimchi will be fermented faster. Nowadays, people use modern kimchi refrigerators that control the temperature at a steady -3◦C to 0◦C to store delicious kimchi even longer.

www.flicker.com/photos/ranna/343662516 Licensed under CC

                To make a common fermented cabbage kimchi, cabbages need to be cut and salted. It depends on the temperature and the cabbage condition as to how long it needs brining. Approximately, it requires 3-4 hours in the summer and 7-8 hours in the winter. After the cabbages turn salty and soft, they are mixed with other ingredients like radishes, scallions, and seasonings such as garlic, ginger, red pepper powder, fish sauce, and sugar. Usually people mix the seasonings with a sweet rice flour paste.  Also, some people add fruits like apple or Korean pear to make kimchi more delicious. Others add oysters or small shrimps, but it all depends on the region.

                After a long period of eating fermented cabbage kimchi during winter, early Koreans made Geotjeori when they wanted to eat more of a fresh side dish. Geotjeori means lightly salted. It is popular during the spring and the summer when the newly grown napa cabbages are in season. These days, it can be enjoyed at any time, because cabbage is always available in markets with the development of agriculture. Summer napa cabbages tend to be small with thinner leaves, and they are perfect to make lightly salted kimchi. Unlike common cabbage kimchi, Geotjeori is not fermented. That means it is eaten as soon as it is made. This unfermented kimchi does not have as much depth in flavor, but it is fresher and crunchier. It can be kept in a refrigerator for about one week.

 http://flickr.com/photos/ayustety/1397520548/  Licensed under CC 

                Geotjeori kimchi ingredients are as similar to the fermented cabbage kimchi, but the brining time is different. Unlike cabbage kimchi, Geotjeori is brined for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. It mainly depends on the temperature and the cabbage condition. In contrast to fermented kimchi, Geotjeori does not have good bacteria since it is not fermented. However, it is rich in fiber, and it contains vitamin A, thiamin (B1), riboflavin(B2), vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

                Over all, there are many different kinds of kimchi, and they are each made a little bit differently. The fermented cabbage kimchi and the unfermented kimchi, Geotjeori, have similarities and differences. The ingredients of both kimchi are similar, but the major difference between the fermented cabbage kimchi and Geotjeori is the time to be salted and stored. In contrast to the unfermented kimchi, the fermented kimchi has much more good bacteria.  Even though these are different types of kimchi, they are still delicious and healthy Korean foods. 

What factors make Korean food healthy?

                According to The International Prevalence Adult Obesity (revised August 2013), the percent of adult obesity of the United States is 35.9%(2010). On the other hand, the Korean adult obesity rate is 4.1%(2010). What causes make difference between United States and Korea? Most Koreans eat steamed rice (Bahb) with mixed grains, soup (Gook) and Kimchi , and some kinds of side dishes (Bahnchan). The calories of this common meal are less than 400 calories. Some other special Korean foods have more than 600 calories, but those are for special occasions. Most dinners' maximum calories have fewer than 600 calories. Compare that to eating plain cheese pizza that has 350 calories per slice (Pizza Hut). If people eat two slices of cheese pizza and drink some soda, their calories will be more than 750 calories. This has more calories than ordinary Korean food.  Therefore, Korean food is healthy due to low calories, multi- grains, vegetables, and seasonings.              

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           Steamed rice (Bahb), is the main food in Korea. There is such a saying, “Bahb is better than medicine,” and “Live with the power of Bahb.” Bahb is the basic resource of nutrition for Koreans.  Because of the awareness that white rice is not healthy by itself, most Koreans try to avoid the pure rice. Instead, people usually have multi-grain rice and beans. The grains that most Koreans use are barley, brown rice, black rice, black bean, oat, sorghum, millet, adzuki bean, kidney bean, peas, sweet rice, and so on. Multi-grain rice contains nutrients, fiber, and other healthy compounds that are found naturally in the grain such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The multi-grain rice is one of the factors that makes Korean food healthy. 

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               Usually, Koreans eat steamed rice with soup and some side dishes. There are so many kinds of soups and stews. The most common soups are soybean paste soup and Kimchi soup. These soups have tofu and plenty of vegetables such as spinach, potato, onion, zucchini, napa cabbage, radish, green pepper, and so on. Soybean paste is a good source of protein and vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Also, soybean paste helps the anticancer effect and lowers blood pressure.  By eating healthy Korean soups, people can reduce their calories and eat vegetables. Furthermore, people can  lower the risk of cancer and heart disease.

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                Kimchi is a basic traditional Korean food. Koreans use Kimchi to make dumplings, pancakes, soups, fried rice, mixed noodles and so on. Kimchi provides plenty of minerals and vitamins, as well as aiding digestion. For example, Kimchi offers lactobacillus and other good bacteria that help digest and boost the immune system. Kimchi is usually made with napa cabbages and radishes. There are plenty of red pepper powder and other seasonings like garlic, scallions, ginger, onion, fish sauce, salt, and sugar. Notably, red pepper powder contains capsaicin which is good to protect blood vessels and boost metabolism. Kimchi is another reason that people think Korean food is healthy because it has a lot of vitamins, fiber, and good bacteria.

                These are some reasons why Korean food is healthy; the multi-grain rice, soups, and Kimchi. Korean food has plenty of good factors like low calories and many good nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Having vegetables with healthy seasonings like red pepper powder leads to healthy people. Also, many kinds of fermented food like Kimchi are good to digest and improve the immune system. Thus, Korean food is healthy for all types of people.