When people talk about discovering a new culture, most times it’s through music, movies or travelling. For me it wasn’t like that. I discovered Korea in the most unexpected way, through food. Yes, food brought me closer to Korean culture, and honestly, I didn’t see it coming.
It all started when a friend of mine made me try something called kimchi. At first, when I heard the name, I thought it was some kind of snack or maybe noodles because that’s the only Korean thing I hear people talk about a lot. But he told me it was a fermented vegetable dish. To be honest, I wasn’t too sure about it because fermented vegetables didn’t sound so nice in my head. But my friend insisted, and I gave it a try voluntarily.
The first bite felt strange. It had this sour and spicy taste that my tongue wasn’t used to, but then after a few more bites, I started liking it. It was different from the normal food I eat every day, and I think that’s what made it interesting for me. That was the day I realized Korean food is on another level. The taste was something new, and I found myself thinking about how they came up with this kind of dish.
After that day, I became curious about Korean culture, even though I haven’t gone deep into it. I know some people will say What about K-Dramas? Of course, I’ve heard a lot about them, and I know they are very popular, but I won’t lie, I don’t have much time to watch movies. My schedule is usually tight, so I can’t sit and follow episodes for long. But I respect people who enjoy it because I’ve seen how much love Korean movies have around the world.
For me, food was the easiest way to connect. Eating kimchi opened a small door into a culture I didn’t know much about. It made me realize how food can bring people closer even without speaking the language or living in the country. Now, whenever I see Korean food videos online, I actually stop and watch because I want to learn more. Who knows, maybe one day I will try cooking kimchi myself or even visit Korea to taste it from the real source.
I think discovering a culture through food is a beautiful thing because it feels natural. You don’t force it. You just taste something new, and suddenly you feel connected in some way. That’s my small experience with Korea for now. Hopefully, I will explore more in the future, but for now, kimchi remains my first and closest step into the Korean world.
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