[HanCinema's Digest] Food Lovers' Lane

Published on 2016/04/16

Discover what single Koreans eat on "Black Day", The Washington Post explores the foods found at restaurants owned by North Korean defectors, new "yogurt mobiles" are causing a stir, and My Korean Kitchen has steps for making pork belly BBQ.

"A Korean Noodle Dish for Lonely Hearts"

Sam Sifton, writing for The New York Times Magazine, examines what single South Koreans eat when companionship is hard to come by for "Black Day" (14 April): "a celebration of loneliness and sorrow".

...READ ON THE NEW YORK TIMES

"The weird world of North Korea's restaurants abroad"

It seems that more and more North Korean restaurants are popping up despite the fact that defection is rather rare. In this post from The Washington Post, you'll discover a little more about what goes on in a North Korean restaurant and what's on the menu: "As Korean food has risen in popularity around the world, Pyongyang has opened a number of state-run restaurants in other countries. And while these restaurants may function as a form of soft power, promoting North Korea around the world, their immediate aim is more simple: They provide hard cash for the financially isolated Hermit Kingdom".

...READ ON THE WASHINGTON POST

"New Yogurtmobiles in South Korea Cause a Stir"

No, they're not ice-cream trucks, they're yogurt ladies! Around Korea you find women whizzing around neighbourhoods on bikes delivering yogurt directly to residences, but the days of peddling around may soon be over as new "yogurtmobiles" take to the streets. "Whipping up a yogurtmobile wasn't a smooth process, even in a place where innovation is part of the culture. Manufacturers were baffled. Officials couldn't figure out how to classify them. Some of the delivery women didn't know how to drive".

...READ ON THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"Korean Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal-Gui)"

Oh, Sue, you never disappoint! One of the most popular Korean dishes foreigners rave about is Samgyeopsal-Gui, and in this post on My Korean Kitchen you'll find Sue's simple steps (complete, as always, with stunning images of the process) for making Korean pork belly BBQ: "According to recent research (2016), average Koreans consume 21kg (46 pounds) worth of pork belly meat annually and it accounts for more than 50% of total meat consumption. What's more, there's even a Samgyeopsal day (삼겹살데이, March 3rd), which was created to encourage pork belly BBQ consumption in Korea".

...READ ON MY KOREAN KITCHEN