Two Similar Food Cultures in North-east Asia
Influenced by the colonies, new cultures in Asia are often combined with the original one and become a country’s unique culture. Most of food cultures are related to the different weather may with some historical reasons. Korea and Japan are situated in the close place and having the similar climate, but their food cultures seem mostly analogous but slightly different. People can distinguish one from the other in categories of pickled foods, the hotpot culture, and cold foods.
First, both Korea and Japan are famous for making pickled foods, which are kimchi and Nukazuke. In Korea, kimchi is well-known and it symbolizes Korean food. Families pickle not only Chinese cabbage, but also white radish, radish leaves, and scallion. Some Koreans eat it with rice or put it into the hotpot, and others have it with meat and lettuce. As for Japan, there is a conventional food called Nukazuke. Families put vegetables such as cucumbers and carrots in a box or a can of rice bran, waiting them to ferment for several days or months. The rice bran usually are used from generation to generation. In conclusion, pickling is a wisdom of food from ancestors to preserve them for a long time, going through four seasons.
Another part of Korea and Japan’s food culture is the hotpot culture. To enjoy the delight of having a meal with friends and family, a hotpot is necessary in both countries. In fact, this hotpot culture is originated from China. Many thousand years ago, people in a kind of worship activity put all the food into a container called tripod, which is the prototype of the hotpot. In Korea, there is Army Base Stew. People add sausages, diced ham, and lots of cheese in this dish. Most of time people will have instant noodles in it, too. In the Korean War, American armies are lack of food sources, so they put the remainder into a pot. While in Japan, the more famed pots are Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki. The former tastes refreshing since it uses only bonito and kelp, the latter adds soy sauce and a little sugar so the soup is saltier. No matter what the flavor of the hotpot is, it represents reunion in most of Asian countries.
Finally, people in Korea and Japan have raw and cold foods in winter. People usually prefer hot and warm foods rather than cold ones. For instance, cold noodles are common to see in Korea. When it comes to the cold noodles, it is the food for winter due to its ingredients. The noodle’s main ingredient, buckwheat, can be harvested in every season in the ancient time, so the noodles becomes the main food in winter. Moreover, there is sashimi in Japan. Japan is a country surrounded by sea. It has the geographical advantage to get fresh seafood easily. Hundreds of years ago, only a few people ate sashimi, and more of them lived close to the ocean. Whether the weather is cold or not, these cool foods are always be an option for meals.
Though Korea and Japan are neighbors, we still can find the differences of the food cultures in pickled food, the hotpot culture, and raw and cold food. Thanks to the globalization, we can taste them in Taiwan. After they are brought to Taiwan, the flavor adjusts to meet our taste. By doing so, some foods are not that authentic. It will be better to go abroad to have local dishes. To sum up, every food culture is precious and unique. It is fortunate that we have various food cultures around the world.
Sources:
Wikipedia-Hotpot
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%81%AB%E9%8D%8B
部隊鍋-維基百科
https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%A8%E9%9A%8A%E9%8D%8B
涮涮鍋-維基百科
https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B6%AE%E6%B6%AE%E9%8D%8B
Creatrip- Why Is Naengmyeon (Cold Noodle Soup) A Winter Food In Korea?
https://www.creatrip.com/en/blog/9567
Creatrip- 韓國泡菜文化
https://www.creatrip.com/blog/5076
Wikipedia-Sashimi