Suffice to say, most Korean food is usually at least a bit salty and a lot spicy. Picture unidentified raw meat grilled in it's own juices and smothered in red-pepper paste. Now add a side of white rice and kimchi (fermented cabbage). Getting thirsty yet?
With all that in mind, I can't understand the way Koreans consume water. There is rarely if ever water initially provided at a meal. In many Korean restaurants, if you want it you've got to go fill your own cup from a water cooler. And the cups themselves are only good for a gulp and a half. Korean people rarely if ever actually drink water during the meal. They'll drink beer and soju (a somewhat syrupy spirit) but not even bring a water glass to the table.
At the end of the meal they'll toss back one glass of water almost like it's a shot.
In my school's special teacher lunch room, I am the only person ever drinking water during my meal. One English teacher even warned me once that older Korean people might be offended if they saw me drinking water at the table.
What gives? This can't be healthy, can it?
A question for Michael Pollan about Korean water habits.
Saturday, May 23, 2009This entry was posted on Saturday, May 23, 2009 and is filed under eating habits, meals, water . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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1 comments:
From a Korean perspective (I'm Korean) - I was taught to drink as little water as possible while having meal. Although drinking water in general is encouraged in Korea, drinking while having your meal is thought not to be good for your digestive system, because it is believed to cause strain on your digestive system by diluting gastric acid and other enzymes essential for digestion. What a medical doctor would think of this, I'm not sure. Hope this helps you!
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