Why Do Koreans Eat So Much Kimchi? – Seoulistic

Why Do Koreans Eat So Much Kimchi?

Kimchi is Korea’s representative food. It’s delicious, healthy and it goes good with everything. And Koreans eat it pretty much everyday,  for pretty much every meal. It can’t be THAT good can it?! Find out why Koreans eat so much kimchi!

In addition to being super healthy and uber delicious, kimchi goes perfect with all Korean food. And pretty much 99% of the Korean population eats it pretty much everyday at every meal. That’s because Koreans need that fresh feeling in their mouth. No joking… they NEED it! So even if they’re not eating Korean food, non-Korean restaurants in Korea will serve SOMETHING that will give that fresh feeling (i.e. pickles, pickled radish, etc.).

Do you think kimchi gives you that fresh feeling??

 

Keith
Keith
Keith Kim is a Korean-American who has been living in Korea for almost a decade. Being in a unique position as both a Korean and a non-Korean, he's put all his experience and knowledge for surviving in Korea in Survival Korean . Read it to learn how you can survive in Korea. Follow him on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

9 Comments

  1. Wendy says:

    I love kimchi!

  2. Jazi says:

    I’ve never had kimchi or radish, which is why I don’t understand what is meant by “fresh feeling.” I love pickles, but I can’t imagine eating them everyday. They don’t feel what I think is “fresh,” either. Just sour. What do you guys consider “fresh.”

  3. Jules says:

    @Jazi

    Imagine trying to eat a whole block of cheese. It would start to feel pretty rats and start not being very pleasant to eat huh? Well, if you ate, say, a pickle half way through, the next bite of cheese wouldn’t taste so bleh.

    Did I make any sense? Sounded better in my head.

  4. GIM says:

    The reason Koreans eat kimchi so much is that, when they were children, their mothers served it at every meal and did not let them go play until they finished everything on the plate. When they complained to their grandmothers, the grandmothers always asked, “Don’t you want a fresh feeling in your mouth?” When they got older, it was already fixed in their heads that a meal is not a meal if there is not kimchi. Consequently, they never feel satisfied without kimchi.

    Min Song A, you stated near the beginning that Koreans almost eat kimchi every day. How do you almost eat something? And if you do not quite eat something, what do you do with the leftovers? (I am just playing with your head. You have a lovely voice, and I really enjoy your videos, especially when Keith acts as your straight man. Best wishes.)

  5. Brittany says:

    I ate Kimchi at the Korean restaurant, Seoul Garden in Raleigh and I ate one at a Korean church in Raleigh, also.

  6. Just a random Korean University Student says:

    I think it’s about being used to. Lots of Koreans(especially over mid-age) find some food like cream-sauce spaghetti to be too greasy for their taste. And feel like having something more…anti-greasy. Like some vegi salty, bit spicy sauce with almost no fat at all.

  7. aloissa says:

    Thats really interesting, I have been very curious about kimchi for a while now, but I don’t do well with spicy (peppery) foods and I heard that its very spicy so I have never tried it. But I can understand the concept of “this is not a meal unless it has…”, I live in Brazil and here a meal is not a meal unless it has rice, beans (salty not sweet) and meat (usually beef), sometimes a salad and a fried egg too. Anything else is just added, like oh pasta? great… still having the rice and beans though… As for the “fresh” feeling for me that would be lime or lemon. I like to add that to everything hahaha not sure if it’s the same though.

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