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[HanCinema's Digest] Food Lover's Lane

Kevin Virgil explores North Korea's food markets, find out why metal chopsticks are so popular in Korea, see how Korea is experimenting with new ways to help minimise food waste, and Beyond Kimchee has a simple recipe for a healthy 'snake bean' dish.

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"What I Un-Learned in North Korea: Plastic Food? Try Micro-Brews and Coca-Cola"

This the third instalment of Kevin Virgil's report on his trip to North Korea. In this post, he talks about his experiences of North Korea's food markets and industry: "The one we visited functions as a state-owned collective. Most of the traders are women. Cramped in a long line, they stand shoulder to shoulder beckoning customers to the wares set out in front of them. Seeing my video image, a friend who was in China in the early 1990s said it took him back to that time".

…READ ON LINKEDIN

"CULTURE QUIRK: METAL CHOPSTICKS"

Are you a chopstick master, or stick-fumbling newbie? Metal chopsticks will soon give you the answer, because while many are skilled in the art of wooden chopsticks, becoming efficient with the metal variety in Korea is a challenge, and one with an an interesting history behind it: "Out of all the Asian countries, only South Korea uses metal rather than wood, bamboo, or plastic as the material for their chopsticks. This practice started centuries ago in the time of the Joseon dynasty when one of the Joseon kings, paranoid about an attempt being made on his life, started using chopsticks made of solid silver thinking that the silver would tarnish if there was any poison in his food. His higher officials followed suit and over time, the use of metal filtered down to the rest of the population".

…READ ON THE ANTHROTORIAN

"Reducing Food Waste in Korea"

Recently France made it illegal for restaurants to through out their food waste, and worldwide we are seeing a move to becoming less wasteful day-to-day. In Korea, there are 'smart disposal systems' that citizens can use with their ID cards to help curb food waste: "For residents, this strict regulation has created incentives to lower waste (or learn some small scale composting skills!), but some might argue that it is excessively strict. No one can argue, however, that it hasn't made a difference: in a relatively short amount of time, waste in neighbourhoods with a pay-by-weight system decreased their food waste by 30%".

…READ ON GUELPH FOOD WASTE RESEARCH PROJECT

"Snake Beans with Beef Sauce"

Holly over at Beyond Kimchi ("Real Korean Food and Beyond") has a fresh recipe for making 'snake beans' with a beef sauce. As always, Holly's presents clear instructions compete with great images to ensure this healthy dish turns out right. Total cooking time: 10 minutes!

…READ ON BEYOND KIMCHEE

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