That's a good question. Breaking down any country's national food is hard. It's made even harder for South Korea because just the concept of a South Korea is a very new concept. Historically, 70 years is very recent, especially when the culture surrounding the country is thousands of years old. Korea has been a one Korea for a lot longer than it's been two. This long standing connection shows within its food as well. In one of the few pieces of scholarly work released on Korean food in the United States, Sonia Ryang's "Eating Korean in America: Gastronomic Ethnography of Authenticity," Ryang covers the concept of Naengmyeon (냉면), or cold noodles, is one that spans the harsh border between the two Koreas. North Korea has its type of naengmyeon that it holds dear and has even opened a few restaurants around the world selling it. So what then do we make of South Korean food? Can it even hold its own title?

As I've stated in the landing page for this website, national food is a larger part of national marketing project. National branding is an important way to increase positive international sentiment for ones country. The idea is that if more people eat my country's food and listen to their music, the more likely they'll be willing to speak up for my country within international issues. Exporting culture is only one part in a larger wheel of national branding and public diplomacy, but they can have a substantial impact on the everyday person. This is certainly the case for South Korea as of recent.

Branding something as a national food can be quite problematic, as food tends to be regional and there can be a lot of overlap between countries that exist within the same region. However, we have also seen the important role the creation of a national cuisine can have for a country. Ryang speaks on South Korea's recent dive into creating a national cuisine, starting with Kimchi (김치). The government has even gone as far as denouncing other countries, particularly Japan's, own forms of pickled vegetables as inauthentic, in an attempt to redefine kimchi as a wholly Korean entity. Ryang states that "once outside Korean national boundaries, Korean food finds itself associated with national identity and authenticity rather than with particular regions or secret multigenerational family recipes (Ryang 4)." However, within Korea the existence of regional specialties and a general lack of uniformity are found. Things that counteract the idea of a singular national food identity.

So, for those who are unfamiliar, what does Korean food look like? During my four month stay in South Korea, I came across Korean food in all different forms. From your 'mom and pops' to your large chain restaurants, I saw something different with each meal. Some of the dishes I had were recognizable from the few Korean restaurants I had eaten at in the us, but many were not. I came to learn that Korean food is more than just KBBQ, there's a whole world of traditional and modern takes on this centuries old cuisine.

Korean food is known for being healthy. This idea was something that was pushed by the South Korean government and mainly comes from eating steady diet of kimchi. Korean love for kimchi is no joke. You can't go to a restaurant that even vaguely serves Korean food without coming into contact with some sort of pickled vegetable. I think many Americans that are aware of kimchi, only really think about the cabbage variety, but there is so much more. One of my Korean exchange student friend's favorite is cucumber kimchi. Needless to say, kimchi is a staple within the Korean diet. Samsung even has the latest designs for kimchi fridges displayed right next to their standard ones.

Kimchi isn't the sole marker of Korean food, though it is a strong one. In the US, Korean barbeque (KBBQ) has made quite the impression. From San Francisco to St. Louis and beyond, if there's a Korean restaurant in your town, there's a strong chance that its a KBBQ one. Even in Cincinnati, the food truck Red Sesame has created something new by combining KBBQ with another American favorite, Mexican food. Within Korea, the most popular dish to treat yourself to at a KBBQ restaurant is by far Samgyupsal (삼겹살), or pork belly. South Korea's love for pork belly is so strong that in 2020 Netflix released a documentary entitled Korean Porkbelly Rhapsody (this is one of three documentaries all on the topic of specific Korean dishes, there is even one on Naengmyeon). My first and only encounter with Samgyupsal was on Thanksgiving day, in an attempt to do something special for the American holiday even if I was far from home. Personally, I find it too fatty but that might just be blasphemy to the greater Korean community. Regardless of my personal tastes, it is still something worth giving a try.

By far my favorite Korean dish is something called Soon Du Bu Jjigae (순두부찌개), or soft tofu stew. A melody of oysters, egg, vegetables, and the namesake soft tofu, the dish instantly became a comfort meal during the cold winter nights of Seoul. I could wax poetic about it but I would rather you just try it yourself. Korean food is a rich ocean of flavor and texture that stands out as unique to the American pallet. Whether it's Bimbimbap (비빔밥), Pajeon (파전), Kimchi Bokkeumbap (김치 볶음밥), or Bossam (보쌈), there is probably a dish out there that's perfect for you. So, why not give your local Korean restaurant a try the next time you go out.

Over the years, Korean food has been on the move. Well, Koreans have and with it goes their cuisine. Before the Japanese occupation of Korea, most Koreans stuck within the homeland. Even after the fact, it was small groups of farmers making their way to China and Japan. The boom of the South Korean diaspora came in the 1960s, when the South Korean economy was starting to grow and, in order to control the population, the government actively encouraged emigration (Choi, 15). Currently, there are over 7.3 million Koreans residing abroad. The top five countries being the US, China, Japan, Canada, and interestingly enough Uzbekistan. Though, the United States and China lead by the millions, each hosting over 2 million Koreans. The Korean diaspora has made it into 193 different countries all around the world (). Within the US, Koreans make up the tenth largest immigrant population and are the fifth largest from Asia. By far, California is the most popular place for Koreans to reside, being home to around 30 percent of Korean Americans. Las Angeles and its Koreatown being the favorite city. After that comes New York City and Washington D.C (Esterline et al).

Over the years, Korean culture has made itself more known to the American public. Pop culture is probably the number one export from the country but food is up there as well. The more we familiarize ourselves with things like food, the more we come to learn about the culture behind the cuisine. South Korea has been quite successful in marketing themselves to the American populous but how deep does that understanding go? How much has Korean food been able to integrate itself into everyday life? How receptive has America truly been to the invasion of the so called Korean wave. All of these are questions I have sought out to answer through my project. Perhaps looking into the restaurants behind the cuisine, we can come to learn more about the brand that is South Korea itself.