South Korea is renowned for its food, entertainment, and tourism, largely due to the influence of Korean dramas, and celebrity endorsements. The strong food culture attracts tourists and students to visit or even migrate there. Upon arrival, I initially struggles to adapt to Korean food and so found myself busy always cooking Malaysian food with the limited ingredients I had brought from Malaysia. However, I have recently been immersing myself in South Korea's rich food culture and have found it to be a fascinating experience.

One of the most memorable experiences I had was when I visited a local fish stew restaurant. The portion sizes were significantly larger than what I was used to back home, and it took me by surprise because in my home culture, we used to share several dishes in moderate portions when dining out with family or friends. But in South Korea, meals come with generous side dishes and are meant to serve three to four people. If I hadn’t been informed, I might have mistakenly ordered a portion meant for a group and struggled to finish it by myself. 

I learned the unique way of eating ‘dakgalbi’ from a Korean friend which added to my understanding and appreciation of Korean cuisine. My Korean friend showed me how to consume all the stir-fried chicken first before finishing up the residual sauce to flavor the fried rice at the end of the meal. Nowadays, when I eat ‘dakgalbi’, I make sure to wait for the fried rice at the end, making sure I don’t feel full until then. I’ve also noticed that I now always crave for kimchi as a side dish with every meal. I am adapting to the Korean eating culture very well.

Living in South Korea has allowed me to explore a wide variety of Korean food, and I’ve taken the opportunity to learn how to prepare Korean dishes in my way. While I have embraced this eating adventure, I’ve also gained a newfound appreciation for Korean food and the culture. One day, I realized that I was finally living in the country I had longed to move to since I was 17 years old.

Author Name: Amilya Nationality: Malaysian

Major/University: Graduate School of Integrated Energy-AI, Jeonbuk National University