Not any more, though. Reports of a rather fun “drinking culture” competition hit the presses this week. The story even made it into the free newspaper handed out in the London Underground. Battered by criticism from the media and civic groups, Goesan’s county government decided to stop awarding its “Drinking Culture Prize” to its county … [Read More]
Category: Food & Drink (page 17)
British-owned culture cafe opens in Bucheon
Thanks to Peter Orange for letting me know about an interesting new venture in Bucheon (부천): Cafe Nicolia, run by British / Korean couple Nicholas and Lia Young. From their website, it looks like a version of Seoul Selection, but obviously with more food and, I’m guessing, fewer books. On my rare visits to Seoul … [Read More]
Pet/food
To celebrate my impending arrival in Seoul, a controversial topic prompted by a chance conversation with a work colleague in Hong Kong, where four men were recently jailed for slaughtering two dogs for food. The Letter from China blog helpfully provides extracts from the relevant Hong Kong law banning the practice: Dogs and Cats Regulations … [Read More]
Korean alcohol consumption
It’s always nice to know that people are occasionally reading the stuff I write. Aidan Foster-Carter was prompted by my post on the Asian craze for fine wine to trawl his compendious archives, and he forwarded me this interesting piece on Korean alcohol consumption. Though out of date, it does confirm that when it comes … [Read More]
Kaya in top 10 unusual restaurants
In last Saturday’s Times, in The Knowledge listings supplement (7-13 October), there was a list of top 10 unusual restaurants in London, as ranked by Square Meal. Kaya, 42 Albermarle Street, is in the list. This is something of an oddity among the ranks of sleek, modish Mayfair restaurants, but it’s well worth seeking out … [Read More]
The Asian fine wine craze
The FT’s rather silly How to Spend It magazine had a feature this weekend on the growing popularity of fine wine in the far east, particularly the top Bordeaux. The main picture accompanying the article was of a glamorous young woman sipping a glass of red, purportedly in a fashionable Seoul wine bar. The article … [Read More]
Cooking in the danger zone (2)
Not much to report on this programme. Nothing sensationalist. The most interesting thing was that the BBC crew was shadowed by a Korean TV crew who were interested in how the Beeb were going to portray the dogmeat industry. And there was a beef farm where although the cattle weren’t free range they seemed fairly … [Read More]
Cooking in the Danger Zone: South Korea (BBC4)
Following on the success of zany TV series like Holidays in the Axis of Evil (the DPRK show was rather good, I thought), and mindful of the sadistic pleasure we take in watching minor celebrities eating kangaroo testicles in jungle reality shows, TV execs are now going to treat us to “Cooking in the Danger … [Read More]
Is Samphire available in Korea?
Samphire is this decade’s rocket. Ten or 15 years ago, no-one had heard of the peppery salad leaf. At one yuppy dinner party in the early 90s I recall having eaten it boiled like spinach (can’t remember what it tasted like), and you could only get hold of it by growing it yourself. Now it’s … [Read More]
Koreans masquerading as Japanese (and vice versa) – a visit to Yoshi Sushi in Hammersmith
There’s a presumption that when you go to an ethnic restaurant the staff are going to be from the country whose food is on offer. Of course, it’s not always the case. The first counter-example I came across in respect of London Korean restaurants is Young Bean Kwan, where I can often be found stuffing … [Read More]
The world’s biggest bibimbap?
From the Chosun Ilbo: Students make Korean traditional dish bibimbap, an assortment of vegetables and rice, for 1,000 people during a spring festival at Ewha Womans University, which marked its 120th anniversary on Wednesday. [Read More]
Korean boffins develop space kimchi
What would we do without the Chosun Ilbo? In preparation for the journey into space of the first Korean astronaut in 2008, scientists are working on a way to make kimchi without having the little friendly bacteria turn into space aliens. The solution is gamma radiation, plus special packaging to ensure the red juice doesn’t … [Read More]
Eric promotes Spam
Not the unsolicited email, but the processed pork luncheon meat so ridiculed in the Monty Python sketch. As Rowan Pease said in her recent talk on the hallyu in China, the only way for stars and studios to make money out of hallyu is via celebrity endorsements; but it’s certainly puzzling that such a (to … [Read More]
62% of Koreans can’t use chopsticks
According to the Chosun Ilbo, “only 38 percent of [Korean] adults, split almost evenly between male and female, [are] able to use chopsticks in the correct manner.” The problem could threaten Korea’s future intellectual prowess. Professor Kim Phil-soo at Daelim College who conducted a survey of 252 Korean adults said: “chopsticks require a person to … [Read More]