Korean food is inherently designed to be a communal activity. With the exception of individual rice bowls, Korean food is traditionally put out in the middle of the table for everyone to dig in at the same time. This goes for both banchan (side dishes) as well as main dishes. Most people don’t have any problems with banchan as chopsticks are great for picking up individual pieces of food. But where many people new to Korea feel a bit of culture shock is with the main dishes (mostly stews). Main dishes are traditionally ordered for the entire table. So the 4 other people you’re sharing your kimchijjigae with will stick their spoons in the same pot, take a sip, and dip again for another mouthful. To some, that will be culture shock in the form of spit swapping, but in Korea, it’s just a very normal way of eating. Although nowadays there are some people that are trying not to do this, there are still many Koreans that love to dip, dip and dip.
Tip: If you feel uncomfortable with this, ask for another dish to pour your own food into first. Find this tip, along with other useful tips for eating like a Korea local here.
Language tip: 앞접시 주세요 (apjeopsi juseyo) – please give me a (small) dish
Do you have your own Korean culture shock experiences that have made you feel uncomfortable? Share with us in the comments!