Meals - Korean Style

Today I shared a meal with other Korean American Adoptees in the Austin, TX area. This was my first time meeting these people in person but there was an instant connection. One that comes from a shared history as transracial adoptees.

One thing I noticed as I was eating and socializing is that the table is designed to share both food and conversation. I thought back to the meals that I have enjoyed the most. They are always when I am sharing food and conversation. Meals where multiple items are ordered and we are able to taste all the different items. Many Americans still prefer to order their own meal and eat the whole thing (my husband included). But there is something in this ability to share dishes.

I read the following from Jane Jihye Kim in an article she wrote in LinkedIn A True Passion for Eating and Sharing Food Culture in Korea

Side Dishes (반찬 Banchan) in Shared Meals

Korean food culture also emphasizes the importance of side dishes or “반찬” (Banchan), which have become so integral to the meal that they’ve earned a spot in the Oxford Dictionary. Unlike many other cultures where each person eats their own individual dish, Koreans share side dishes on the table. This creates a sense of communal eating.

This resonated so much with me and I feel like I am starting to understand more of what may make me the person I am.

As I prepare to go to Korea, I’m psyching myself up for eating and seeing strange foods. I have been to H Mart stores and have seen fish with the eyes still in them. In the past I have always sent a fish back that still had the eyes in them. I didn’t want the fish to look anything like what it was when it was alive. However, I also know that in Korea, as in other Asian countries, this is the norm. So I’m planning to immerse myself completely in the food and culture. Although I will say that the live squid may have to stay off my adventure list. Sorry Mel and Heather