Korean Food and the Influence of Westernization - Essay Example

Contents Introduction 3 The Interview 3 Describe your cuisine? 3 How do you produce the food at home and for social occasions within the community? 4 Where do you shop? 5 With whom do you share your traditional food? 6 Have your traditional dishes and events changed since you moved to America? 6 Conclusion 8 Works Cited 9 Food and migration Introduction This paper seeks to highlight on the various aspects of the Korean immigrants in relation to food and migration. The Koreans are the seventh largest group of immigrants in the United States of America. The figure was observed to rapidly grow between 1970 and 2007 (Asianinfo.org, 1). The other groups of immigrants starting with the largest include the Mexican, Filipino, Indian, Chinese, Salvadorian and finally the Vietnamese hold the sixth position. Most Korean immigrants in the US are from South Korea. The paper presents an interview with a member of the Korean community who will answer questions relating to his community. The Interview Describe your cuisine? Community Member: Korean food is known to symbolize the Korean identity (Asianinfo.org, 1). It is a very special ethnic feature. Koreans find it very special especially when serving their guests with their dishes. A visitor is usually asked if he or she has eaten upon arrival. If not, a very tasty meal is served. Meal times are therefore considered as a good opportunity to give their best through their meals. Korean traditions dictate that all the dishes are served together including pickles and side dishes. Normally, the main dishes would be placed at the centre of the table to enhance easy access of food by members sharing the meal. Rice is the staple Korean food. In other words, the common ingredients in the Korean diet are rice, soy sauce, vegetables and tofu. The food is usually seasoned with additives such as ginger, garlic, scallions, pepper (black or red), sesame seeds, soy sauce and sesame oil (Asianinfo.org, 1). Blander grain dishes include noodles, barley and rise. In addition, sea food and fish also form part of the Korean diets. How do you produce the food at home and for social occasions within the community? Community Member: Koreans regard meal times as social occasions which bring the entire family together. Koreans are not known to classify certain foods into categories like breakfast, lunch or dinner in their homes. Korean cuisine is all about serving all dishes at the same time. Koreans prefer fresh and balanced diet. The number of side dishes determines the type of dining table to be used. According to Nash (1) the three types of dining tables include the seven-chop, five-chop and three-chop. A traditional Korean family was made up of different ages. This factor had to be considered when preparing food. It therefore called for special cooking techniques in order to handle the large quantities of food involved. The women took active roles in cooking. Food was therefore prepared in a variety of styles in order to highlight on the contemporary culture of the Korean’s. They are known for their standard meal made up of rice (staple food), soup, spicy Korean pickle (kimchi), meat or fish (broiled) and a variety of vegetables. A fruit serving is usually reserved at the end of a main meal. As a national dish Kimchi is usually served in all meals. This special dish can have a mild to very spicy taste. The varieties of vegetables from which it can be prepared include turnips, cabbage, cucumber or radishes. Korean dishes are also associated with salads commonly referred to as namul. Sukju is the most common type of salad among the Koreans. It is usually prepared out of bean sprouts. Other additives include soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, sesame oil among others. This type of salad is not difficult to prepare thus making it easy to serve. Kamja guk is a common soup served during breakfast (Korean Food, 1). This dish is usually made up potatoes and spiced with chunks of tofu and chopped onions. The scarcity of red meat in the community resulted into a situation where it is usually reserved for special social occasions. The development eventually grew in to the Korean culture. Mandu, the Korean dumplings are usually served during winter celebrations. Apart from fermented recipes, pickled vegetables and fish are common during the winter celebrations. It is believed that this type of diet is a rich source of essential vitamins and proteins. Mandu is made by deep frying wonton skins in addition to cabbage, bean sprouts, onions and beef as ingredients. Despite the diversity of cultures, immigrants from Asian regions share their traditional dishes in relation to cooking techniques and composition of meals. Social occasions are usually graced with snacks and deserts in addition to a variety of dishes. Their food is therefore prepared by way of barbequing, boiling, steaming, stir-frying and deep-frying. The intended ingredients are carefully chopped before the cooking process commences. The social occasions can also be divided into rituals and ceremonies. Ceremonies required special food. Ceremonies are made up of birthdays and weddings while rituals consist of funerals, shaman’s offerings, temple foods and ancestral rites. The temple food is prepared with exception of strong flavors like ginger, spring onion, leek, garlic and rocambole (Nash, 1). Meat is also not included. Another dish that is closely associated to the ceremonies is rice cakes. They form a very important component. Tea is also common in the Korean tea ceremony. The five distinct tastes of the tea include pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Where do you shop? Community Member: The traditional Korean diet is based on fresh agricultural products. In the early days, Koreans obtained their ingredients from their farms. Times have changed and Korean immigrants in the USA purchase the ingredients from local supermarkets. It used to be very difficult as Korean immigrants had to make very long trips to the cities in search of the ingredients, ready food and a variety of spices. On the brighter side, globalization through the introduction of the internet has necessitated online shopping (Nash, 1). There are quite a number of Korean food online stores including H-Mart, KGrocer.com and Koa Mart. With whom do you share your traditional food? Community Member: Korean immigrants share their cooking with the other Asian cultures including the Japanese and Chinese (Korean Foods, 1). They eat using chopsticks. The nutrient composition of the Traditional Korean cuisine is similar to the Mediterranean diet. This can be attributed to the fact the diets are mainly plant based as opposed to meat which is consumed in small amount during special selected occasions. Have your traditional dishes and events changed since you moved to America? Community member: The change in lifestyle due to economic development has modified the Korean diet to a significant degree. Initially, every Korean meal was made up of rice as the main dish. Currently, quite a good number of urban Koreans eat eggs, milk for breakfast and toast using forks and knives as opposed to the traditional chopsticks. Nash (1) asserts that quite a number of studies reveal that since Koreans moved to the US their eating habits are increasingly changing with time. This development means that they are adapting to the western culture thus the inevitable modifications as much as they would want to stick to their traditional cuisine. The most significant shift has been from the well known vegetarianism to non-vegetarianism. A typical example of this scenario is that the ethnic delicacies are being prepared by traditional ingredients purchased from American supermarkets. This development indicates a change in origin of their traditional ingredients. The Koreans always observed strict rules and principles for their traditional dishes. The food had to be low in fat and instead rich in fiber. An emerging trend, however, is that the Koreans now entertain high saturation of fat, low fiber and animal protein (Korean Food, 1). The tendency or the trend to eat fast foods from the various convenient stores in the US has also caught up with them. This change of lifestyle especially in relation to their diet has increasingly made the community vulnerable to chronic diseases. Conclusion It is evident that Koreans have a very beautiful and attractive cuisine. Their diet still stands out despite the change in lifestyle or rather the influence of westernization. The fact that many restaurants across the globe are adapting a few aspects from the Korean cuisine shows how popular it is. Works Cited Asianinfo.org. “Food in Korea”. 15 Mar. 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2011 http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/food.htm. Korean Food. “Types of Korean Food”. 25 May 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2011 http://visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_1_1_1.jsp. Nash, Amy. “Countries and Their Cultures: Korean Americans”. 29 Oct. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2011 http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Korean-Americans.html. Read More