Bugs as Food

Un-Kosher Delights

Some foods are against my usual diet simply because they are as far from kosher as any food might get. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try them on this once in a lifetime trip to South Korea. And that is why when on my trip to a Buddhist temple I happened to stumble upon cooking silk worms... well I had to give those a try.

And I am very glad I did. They tasted like shrimp (also not Kosher, but who is counting right?) with a slight hint of almonds. The texture was a little of a shock since they weren't overly chewy or crunchy. And the "goo" inside, to me anyhow, was where the majority of the flavor came from. The broth or sauce that they had been cooking in was not very flavorful or at the very least didn't overpower the flavors of the protein itself.

Having never had this type of food I do have to admit that my western mind took a moment to grasp that these little bugs were normal cuisine to the town people of Yeongneung. But after watching several locals pick the stall at which I ate I decided to give it a go.

I'm not sure yet if their are other bugs out there that Koreans find appetizing but my appetite for these little morsels has been spiked. It has always been fascinated to me what different cultures find to eat in the parts of the world G-d has placed them. And this to me is a gateway into the culture of resilience that has flourished in Korea and its people for centuries.

So as my role-model says... "If it looks good, eat it!"

Day One in Osan

Welcome to Korea

My first day out in Korea was marked by the smells first and foremost. They seemed to drift out from every store front, off the table tops of street vendor carts, and from the sewer unfortunately. But I didn't mind the difference between here and home. After all, this is the city and a different country. So with an open mind I decided to simply focus on the first two.
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And that is how I wound up stumbling upon yakumandu. This wonderful little dumpling snack is filled with some meat, rice, and bean sprouts before being fried. The beautiful crescent dumplings were excellent on their own but were amazing dipped in the soy sauce the vendor provided.
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Best of all was the fact that the snack was 8 dumplings only cost 3,000 Won. So it was cheap but still hit the spot when it came to my adventurous taste-buds.
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This snack led me to the market. And the market has all the fixings I will be using in the days to come. There were fish, squid, crabs, clams, poultry, beef, lamb, and eels. On top of this was the offerings of wonderful veggies and fruits of all sorts. Finally the spices and mushrooms topped off the market offerings to tantalize my imagination.
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So with my feet sore and my stomach emptied... I decided to plop down at a local eatery.
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Gogigui is the greatest way of dining ever made in my opinion. This Korean dining experience was a check mark on my bucket list. It is defined by the grill embedded in the center of the table. The meat is brought to the table raw and is then cooked right in front of you. While you wait for the meat to cook the sides are available to eat.
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Bean paste, soy sauce, and kimchi mix with the banchan to make a meal in and of themselves. Rice here is sticky so it is easy to eat with the steel chopsticks Koreans use. And all of this can be put on a leaf of lettuce to make what we have been calling "Korean Tacos".
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All and all, I am loving Korea. And this is just the start of a new chapter of foodie adventures for me and you the reader.