Supermarkets, Kimchi and Tea: Spending Time in Seoul, South Korea

All of these new things you would not find in supermarkets in your home country, but they are popular and part of the diet in Korea. In the fruit and vegetable section you see types of fruit that are unfamiliar to you and a few vegetables that you do not recognise. Pig's heads and types of fish you have not seen before for example, become noticeable. Certain things such as yoghurts, washing powders and soft drinks may be pretty much the same worldwide, but a stroll down the meat section in England or America.

I have always felt that visiting a supermarket in a new country is a good way to get an initial insight into the new culture. Before talking more about Kimchi, which I am sure most Koreans have looked for in the index of this book (before considering if this book was worth buying) let's talk first talk about supermarkets in Korea.
In Korea, Chinese medicine seems to be very popular and as a result, supermarkets often stack traditional remedies such as deer antlers, which are thought to be able to give energy and strength. On first seeing them, I thought they looked unappetising, particularly with them being cut into thin bloody slices. They are nevertheless very popular as a remedy and are also quite expensive. I tried a medicine that contained deer antlers extract, ginseng and other herbs and my taste buds did not quite agree with the taste BUT I felt more energetic. I think though that the way in which the taste made me almost jump out of my skin had something to do with the sudden burst of energy I felt. I get the same feeling from drinking a full bottle of Soju!
As well as certain types of meat, Korean supermarkets often offer a great selection of items such as 'Tofu' (dubu) and 'Kimchi'. Tofu comes in many different types in Korea, usually varying according to the consistency. Tofu tastes great in soups, especially in one of my favourite soups 'Sun-Dubu'. I prefer the soft tofu of 'Sun-Dubu', more than the hard Dubu which I also experienced in soups - but cut into slices or diced, and fried.
The speciality of Korea, which I had expected to find everywhere and which was everywhere, is 'Kimchi'. Kimchi may be mentioned many times in this book and it is unavoidable. It is like writing a book about England without mentioning football, pubs and London; or writing about America and not mentioning the 'B' word - Bush or baseball; or writing about the French and not mentioning how much they hate visitors speaking English rather than French in their country.
The importance of Kimchi became clear almost as soon as I arrived in Korea. Not only did the subject of this phenomenon in Korea come up in conversations in classes, but there are also dozens of variations of Kimchi on display in the many supermarkets. It was clear early on from my students, that Kimchi is more than just a food. It is a necessity. A passion. An essential ingredient of Korean culture! Many students told me off how when they go abroad, they miss Kimchi more than anything else. One student said that he missed Kimchi even more than his own family and friends, when abroad.
Ch'ungch'ong Provinces have Gul Ggaktugi (oyster and sliced radishes) and Hobak (pumpkin) Kimchi. Kangwon Province has Chanran (fish paste and sliced radish) Kimchi and Ojingeo Mu-u (squid radish) Kimchi. Cheju island for example, have Haemul (seafood) Kimchi and Nabak (square cut radish). I learned after a few months in Korea that there thought to be over 100 different types of Kimchi and different types of Kimchi according to the area of Korea.
I actually like Kimchi quite a lot and I never hesitated to eat Kimchi when this cabbage, garlic and chilli based food was on the table in front of me. My own favourite is Myeolchi Kimchi - made with a dried fish base and strong seafood taste. Many English teachers in Korea love it as well. I could never eat it for breakfast though. Many people from Anglo countries dislike Myeolchi Kimchi, but they do often like other types of Kimchi. The fact that many Koreans eat Kimchi at every meal including breakfast shows the depth of passion for what is considered a National treasure.
In addition to an amazing colourful display of different varieties of Kimchi, ready-made Korean specialities such as Korean pancakes, cold glass noodles, cooked vegetables and sautéed mushrooms can be found. A warning though! Be careful of Korean bread, as things are not always as they seem. What looks like a normal Western loaf of bread, can when you bite into it, leave you with a mouthful of cream. The centre of the bread is often full of cream and it can be quite a surprise the first time: not because there is anything wrong with cream, but just because you are not expecting it, and you are caught off guard. I do not know why there is cream inside the bread, but there is. It could be because Koreans usually eat rice at every meal, rather than bread, hence bread for Koreans is more like a dessert. Maybe it is a new thing in Korea just to keep the Westerners on their toes!
As an Englishman, the tea section in a supermarket can be very important. Green tea and barley tea are common in many Korean supermarkets and the quality is always good. The problem for an English person though, is that black tea is the most common type of tea drank and in Korea, the only black tea you can normally find is Twinings. Twinings and all other black teas I found in Seoul, were less than half the strength of black teas on sale in England. When I visited the U.S., I always had the same problem finding a good quality cup of black tea so these days when travelling, I usually take some good tea bags (a good brand of Indian tea on sale in England) and a travel kettle. I even have to send it to my English, Australian and South African friends who work in Korea. Tea is probably as important to many British as Kimchi is to Koreans. In the English language there are even expressions which use tea in the expression; such is the importance of tea in British culture. A typical expression is: "I wouldn't visit the South Pole for all the tea in China". Not "(to do something) for all the tea in China" is a common expression in British English to express when there is no way you would do something. Maybe there is a proverb or expression in Korean involving Kimchi.
Travel diary of living in Seoul, South Korea

Ginseng - is this Your Cuppa Tea?

In fact, like many traditional remedies, it has been claimed to be a cure for almost everything. They believe that it relieves stress, improves circulation, increases quality of life, cures flu, cures impotence, and even that it can stop cancer. Ginseng is a plant with a very important role in traditional Chinese medicine.
It is one of the biggest-selling items at Chinese-run shops, sold both to Chinese people and believers in traditional medicine. Obviously, scientists are quick to point out that it is difficult to test whether ginseng actually has any effects at all in a scientific sense, but that doesn't stop it from being wildly popular.
This huge demand has led to problems with the supply of the more potent wild ginseng, as it is being harvested faster than it can grow back, meaning that ginseng users have recently had to rely more on farmed ginseng. Today, ginseng is grown not only in China, but also in many East Asian countries such as Korea and Vietnam, and in the United States and Canada.
Areas where scientific tests seem to indicate that it might make some difference include impotence and cancer, but nothing has been proven conclusively. The fact that two cultures discovered it separately without influencing each other makes it seem more likely that there could be some truth in the traditional claims about ginseng. Although ginseng is usually thought of as a Chinese remedy, the ginseng that grows in America was independently discovered by Native Americans, who also used it for its medicinal properties.
Ginseng isn't that expensive in small quantities, so if reading this has made you curious, why not give it a try? There are many ways to eat and drink ginseng: the most popular is tea, but it is also possible to make soups, put it in food, or even just eat the plant's leaves as it is.

Ginseng Tea

However, it should only be a secondary boost to health and not curing diseases or illnesses. Experts in Chinese medicine recommend that it should be drunk daily or whenever one is feeling unwell. The Chinese have been using ginseng tea for their health for thousands of years.
As a result, there have been great exports of ginseng to China or overseas Chinese communities, as well as Korea. It was discovered that the weather and soil conditions of the United States and Canada are suitable for growing ginseng.
Ginseng tea is probably the most popular use for Wisconsin ginseng. American ginseng is sometimes referred to as quinquefolium. The principle ingredients of American ginseng tea are panax quinquefolium, herbal lysimachiae and radix glycyrrhizae.
The ginseng slices are very popular, because they have already been sliced into thinner pieces and are ready for use. When using the whole root for cooking or ginseng tea, it is often sliced or broken into smaller pieces so that it does not have to simmer for long. The tea can be made from the whole root, slices, ginseng tea cut or ginseng tea bags.
The ginseng can usually be reused for about 2-3 cups of tea and then eaten if desired. Just add the ginseng to hot water and allow it to steep for about 4-5 minutes, or as long as you like, depending on how ""strong"" you like tea. Ginseng tea is very simple to prepare.

This is about 5-8 slices, about 1 teaspoon of ginseng tea cut or powder, or one tea bag. When making ginseng tea, it usually takes about 2-3 grams of ginseng per cup of tea.