FatManSeoul

Is kimchi vegetarian-friendly? Is it vegan? Is it kosher?
Well, in its standard form in Korea . . . no, no, and no. Why?
김치는 과연 진정한 채식주의 음식인가?  Vegan (우유, 달걀 등 동물성 식품을 일채 먹지 않다) 들 위한 음식인가?  그리고 유대교 법에 맞게 준비된 정결한 음식인가?  한국에서 보편적으로 먹는 김치로 따지자면 결고 [...]

Seems like everybody is talking about 찔레꽃 these days. Of course, they’re all talking about this:

Here at FatManSeoul though, we’re going to talk about these:
and all the delicious things you can do with them.
Wild roses have been used in food and medicine for centuries, and have become vital ingredients in many different kinds of [...]

Oh My News에서 빼빼로 데이 역사 설명!  And a little wikipedia-lovin’ here (영어) and here (한국어).  Gotta love those completely commercial holidays invented out of the whole cloth!   And of course, the 빼빼로 홈피!

From business journalist Daniel Gross in today’s Slate Magazine:  Do Starbucks spell financial doom?  Gross connects the density of Starbucks in a country’s financial capital with the catastrophic financial losses of the past few weeks.
My tentative theory: Having a significant Starbucks presence is a pretty significant indicator of the degree of connectedness to the form [...]

Oftentimes you’ll see bulgogi, galbi, and samgyeopsal translated as “Korean Barbecue.”

Fatman hates this translation. While the use of the term varies slightly worldwide, in its home country, America, barbecue has a very specific meaning. Barbecue is a method of cooking using indirect heat. Whether the heat source is burning charcoal, wood, or a gas flame, [...]

The uberblog of Koreablogs, The Marmot’s Hole, found a fascinating article about the increased popularity of Korean and Asian food across America - including at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky:
The new Korean menu at Murray State University in Murray, Ky., is a hit, and the best proof is the empty plates. Dishes come back [...]

Fatman wonders if some of this is a false trend, or at least partially unrelated to the recent economic downturn.

From the Korea Times:
Despite the slow economy that is forcing consumers to tighten their purse strings, a Pizza Hut restaurant in southern Seoul is enjoying a busier lunch time these days, as customers are up by [...]

The Korea Times has an update on more products found to contain melamine:
Lotte Confectionary’s “Choudy”
Nestle’s Kit Kat Mini
Mars Korea’s Peanut Snickers Fun Size and M&M’s
that’s in addition to the already identified:
Misarang (custard and coconut flavor)
Nabisco Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches
Lipton Milk Tea Powder
Cadbury chocolates
Creamer and coffee products that contain creamer imported from Hong Kong
Danyang Day Bright’s [...]

Eid el-Fitr celebrations mark the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting for observant Muslims.  We’d like to wish everyone a happy Eid, and send them over to Auntie Beeb for a primer on celebratory cuisine for this holiday.  Then head over to this LA times article for an account of Eid in Afghanistan, complete [...]

It was a poorly kept secret that Julia Child, the beloved French Chef, had been an OSS (Office of Strategic Services- a precursor to the CIA.  No, not that CIA) spy during World War II.  Too tall to join the military (188cm!), she served her country by working at OSS headquarters and in the field [...]