A Korean-American Lunch Story
Have you ever been super excited to dig into your lunch because you’re starving or just really looking forward to the deliciousness that awaits? But then you open the lid and it clears out the room. Or maybe you were eating in your dorm room or office and you started hearing people say “What’s that smell?” (If I had a dollar for every time I heard some one say that….Right?)
Come on be honest! It’s so happened to you!
It doesn’t even have to be Korean food. And it doesn’t even have to be a cultural/ethnic thing. It’s just like anyone who reheats fish in the office microwave is going to be universally hated. Strong smelling anything in confined spaces isn’t going to go over well.
What’s that smell? Oh, it’s just Mommy’s lunch
One day not too long ago, the fam (hubby, myself, and our toddler) sat down to have lunch. It was a busy day so all of us had something quick and easy. Our boy had chicken nuggets and the hubby had a frozen pizza. And I made myself cold, spicy noodles (bibim naengmyeon).
I set my noodle bowl on the table where they were already sitting and I walked away to fetch something to drink. That’s when I heard our son say “poopy?” To which my husband replied, “did you fart?”
I thought nothing of the exchange since it’s a common place conversation in our house. (Hey, if you have a child, or an adult who is childlike, in your home then you know that toilet humor and discussion is commonplace.) That is, until I sat down and the realization washed over all of us that the smell under question was emanating from my lunch. Our kid made a scrunchy face. You know that scrunchy face that all little kids make when something isn’t to their liking?
Instead of feeling offended, I sheepishly laughed and slurped up my yummy, albeit odiferous, noodles.
This Happens More Than I’d Like to Admit
Meals with a Korean bent to them have been long loathed in our house by my husband and young son. The only exception being if there’s no Korean red chili spice or fermented aspect to the meal, then it’s all good. So Korean BBQ night is always a huge hit, as long as there’s almost no side dishes (i.e. banchan).
It is, of course, the smell that bothers them. I don’t blame them for feeling that way. It’s not what my husband is accustomed to. He didn’t grow up with it like I did. (He didn’t even have sushi until college. So judge if you must, but please be kind.)
And, my son isn’t a fan of anything with a pungent odor. Being so young, his taste buds and olfactory nerves are in full working order so everything tastes and smells more prounounced. And even then, I know lots of kids who didn’t like the ethnic food their parents ate. My own sister was one of them!
Their Loss is My Gain
One of my Korean friends asked me once if that bothered me. She hoped to marry a Korean man and have delicious Korean meals together. (She did and they do!)
Honestly, it’s totally fine with me that my hubby isn’t Korean food because his loss is my gain! I don’t eat Korean food often and certainly not daily. So if I have a craving for some kimchi, dried seaweed laver, or whatever it is, it had so better be there. This way, I don’t have to worry about it.
The Culture, as well as the Food, Permeates
Ingredients for Korean food are ever present in the house, even if I don’t get around to making any that week. And it is slowly growing on the fam. It’s important for me to expose them to the food, especially kimchi, because it is so much a part of Korean culture. Koreans eat rice and some form of kimchi at every meal. There’s even an annual Kimchi Festival! (Oh how I would love to go!)
Growing up, we ate Korean food probably 95% of the time. The other 5% were attempts by my mother to make things like spaghetti or burgers (with a patty that was 3x bigger than the two pieces of white bread “buns”). Or we would get a pizza. Oh, but there was always, ALWAYS a side of kimchi. Even though English was spoken in our home, Korean was at the table. Jal meokgesseumnida (I will eat well)!
How about you? Are you also the only consumer of Korean yumminess in your home? And are you banned from eating it too close to other family members as well?