Name: AZUL, JHON ENRIC

Topic:

DINING & COOKING TIPS

• Never point your chopsticks.

• Do not pierce your food with chopsticks.

• Chopsticks should be returned to the table after every few bites and when you drink or
stop to speak.

• Do not cross your chopsticks when putting them on the chopstick rest.

• Do not pick up food with your hands. Fruit should be speared with a toothpick.

• Bones and shells should be put on the table or an extra plate.

• Try a little bit of everything. It is acceptable to ask what something is.

• Refuse the first offer of second helpings.

• Finish everything on your plate.

• Indicate you are finished eating by placing your chopsticks on the chopstick rest or on the
table. Never place them parallel across your rice bowl.

 When you leave a social gathering, say good-bye and bow to each person individually.

Every culture in the world has its dining etiquette that embodies the values,
traditions, and civility of its people. Knowingly or not, parents often teach their
children to discipline through family meals, and the ways of eating that enhance
enjoyment.

For Koreans, having good table manners brings harmony to everyone sharing the
meal, and lets you truly savour the myriad of rich flavours together. So, the next time
you enjoy a Korean meal, remember these 10 basic rules:
1. Say ‘I will eat well.’
Say ‘Jal-mukkes-seub-nida’, which means ‘I will eat well’, or ‘I will enjoy this meal’ – a
polite show of appreciation for the food you receive and the person who cooked it.
It’s akin to saying grace before eating, ‘Bon appetit’, ‘Itadakimasu’ for the Japanese,
or a simple ‘Thank you for the food’.

2. Elder first
Like most Asians, respect for elders is a core value in Korean culture that is also
practised at the dining table. Typically, the elder picks up his/her chopsticks first to
start off the family meal. If you happened to be the eldest? Well, don’t keep everyone
waiting!

3. Start with soup

Begin your meal with a taste of soup or stews. This warms your tongue and preps
your taste-buds for the flavourful dishes to come.

4. Bowl, chopsticks and spoon

Chopsticks are for dishes, a spoon is for rice and soup. Don’t hold your chopsticks and
spoon together at the same time, never use your chopsticks like skewers, and never
stab them in your bowl of rice – which is a funeral ritual. A Korean meal typically has
an array of shared dishes, so don’t poke or dig around them with your chopsticks,
pick what you want, and enjoy it from your personal dish plate. Keep your rice bowl
on the table at all times while eating.

5. Don’t hoard
Sharing is caring, cliché as that may be, but absolutely true in a Korean meal. So,
make sure everyone can enjoy the shared dishes. Always take just enough from each
time, and don’t hoard a pile of food on your personal plate and bowl.

6. Balance your flavours

Korean meals have many tastes and flavours from the combination of soup/stew,
rice, meat and veggie dishes. Temper the spiciness with rice and soup, and balance
the heat of meat with cooling veggies. Basically, enjoy every dish at the table. Being
choosy means missing out.

7. Eat calmly, chew thoroughly

Unlike some cultures where slurping is actually a sign of loving the food, Koreans
prefer quiet enjoyment. So, sip your soup or stew slowly to savour every taste. Don’t
 wolf down your food, or chomp with your mouth open; but chew and appreciate the
warmth, excitement and umami flavours in every mouthful.

8. Stay focused
Enjoying your food and company is more important than scrolling your phone. So,
don’t. No TV, magazine or newspaper either, please. Focus on your meal and
conversations with your loved ones at the table.

9. Pass with both hands, pour for others

When passing bowls, glasses, or dishes, always use both hands to show respect. For
Koreans, it’s also considered rude to refill your drink, especially for alcohol. Always
pour for others at the table, and let them fill yours.

10. Finish with grace

After you filled your tummy and satiated your taste-buds, finish by placing your
chopsticks and spoon beside your bowl or plate, not atop. Also, make sure there are
no leftovers. And finally, say ‘Jal-muhguhs-seub-nida’, which means ‘I ate well’, to
show your love and appreciation.

1. COOKING TIPS

1. Get the right ingredients

Korean cooking is pretty straight forward if you have the right ingredients.
Fortunately, the majority of the most important authentic Korean ingredients have a
long shelf life, so they can be bought in advance in one go and kept on standby for
whenever you need them.

2. Be open to new flavours

Many people assume all Korean food is ridiculously spicy and full of garlic and ginger,
perhaps because some of the nation’s most famous dishes are! However, there are a
great range of dishes that are not overly spicy, or pungent, and those that are can
easily be adjusted to your taste when cooking. However, as with any new cuisine, you
should approach it with an open mind. For example, something like kimchi, a
fermented, spicy cabbage, smells far stronger than it tastes! It is served with pretty
much every meal in Korea and very quickly becomes an addictive must-have with
every meal!

3. Make some side dishes ahead of time and have them stored in your fridge

If you are new to Korean food, you would be forgiven for thinking that an average
meal takes hours to cook, as there are so many side dishes served alongside the main
dish. In fact, most Korean side dishes are either fermented or pickled or naturally
preserved in some way, so they can be made in advance and stored in the fridge,
ready to dip into as and when needed. We would recommend making some kimchi,
pickled garlic, seasoned lotus root, dried seasoned anchovies and spicy dried squid.
The recipes for all of these dishes are in our book Our Korean Kitchen, and all of them
last for weeks, if not months, kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Then all you
have to do is cook a simple Korean dish, and serve it with a little of each of the side
dishes, and you have an epic Korean meal right there!