Being a Vegetarian in Korea (Part II): Weight-loss in Korea

A Popular Snack in Korea: Cooked Silkworm Larvae

I’m not sure how weight-loss works with Koreans, but let me shed light on how it works with foreigners. During my orientation, two girls I knew claimed to drop pants sizes within their first week of arriving.  Not possible, right? Not without some major medical operation…  but feeling my pants hang off of my body last week at work, the word “belt” comes to mind.

1. The Traveler’s Diet

As a traveler, I always feel like there’s something in the food of a different country, that despite how fried, oily or creamy something is… you lose weight.  I take great groans in keeping fit or at least “looking it”. In Thailand,  I lived on street food and almost everything I ate had a level of “deep-fried guilt” to it (even the bugs!) Yet upon my return, I was pounds lighter ! How’s that possible? Many who travel to Asia claim the same experiences. I understand the stress of navigating a foreign place or the constant movement to get your sightseeing in. Maybe all of that burns calories…

2. The Smell of Foreign Diet

There is such a thing as too foreign, too fast. For the past three weeks, my stomach has unconsciously balled itself into a fist and won’t come out of its corner. It’s actually developed serious “trust issues” with food here and not because the food is bad  (quite the opposite, in fact).  Why then? It smells…well, “foreign“. There, I said it at the risk of sounding like a totally  ignorant traveler. It’s not Moroccan-foreign, Indian-foreign or even funky N.Y.C. Chinatown-foreign (and N.Y.C. Chinatown funky can smell pretty funky). It’s that special blend of “Korean Spicy Mystery Meat & Fish…“-foreign, mixed with the perfume of food fermentation and herbal musk unknown to me.  If you’ve ever had a Korean family living in your apartment building, then you know what I’m talking about. Those “aromas” are something you’ve never laid inner or outer nose upon before. I’m not saying it’s all bad, just ALL DIFFERENT.

Admittedly,  my visual memory attempts to “place the scent” and this doesn’t help the situation. It chimes in flashback images of Korean Fear Factor foods I’ve seen on the streets,  strange ocean life that I pass by in neighborhood restaurant fish tanks on my way to work or the knowledge that on my block there’s a restaurant that serves dog. As a result, every sip or bite  is a reluctant “taste test”, until my tasting buds open and give me a green light.

From my Photo Album: Korea-Food

School cafeteria lunches are something I look forward to- they’re really delicious and it helps me familiarize myself with Korean food in a safe trial-and-error environment. I can see my food and there’s a supportive staff to tell me what it’s all about if I ever question it. There’s always a form of soup, rice and panchan that I love; yet, the moment I come within 20 feet of the lunchroom, the whiff of foreign hits me and my stomach still clenches…

From My Elementary School in Daegu

Cooking is an option I am aware of. The ridiculous problem- you’ll laugh- even the neighborhood grocery stores and fresh markets smell foreign!  I’ve tasted vegetables that hit my mouth as “wrong” and fruits and veggies in winter don’t taste sweet or the same as… well, anywhere else I’ve been! It’s a weird personal food phase I’m going through; but generally, I’m put off by a lot of things right now.  Perhaps it’s the fear of getting sick, accidentally biting into mystery meat hidden inside dishes or having that one bad reaction that will turn me off to Korean food for the rest of the year. Bad experiences with food? You only need one. Enough of them can turn you into a vegetarian. Advice: Proceed with caution.

3. The Kimchi Diet

Kimchi came into my Hawaiian palette at an early age and I count myself fortunate for this. Kimchi is literally served at every meal here, even breakfast! As a result, it’s also made it to the top of my “safe foods” list along with tofu, tangerines and yogurt.

4. The Asian Diet: Good habits vs. fatty ones

Many say Asian diets are healthier than Western ones:

a) Koreans (like the Japanese) love things which come in miniature sizes.

Portions are generally smaller than Westerners portions. Jumbo Big Gulp drinks? Try kiddie cups! Whenever the teachers at my school excitedly offer me coffee in the morning (everyone has their own hot-pot and instant coffee mix) – they hand me a “half-filled kiddie cup” and I have to make the tiniest mouth to sip it!  Drinking water after eating (in Korea they drink their water after meals) will get you a whole-filled kiddie cup! I thought I would fall down from dehydration but these sizes are something you eventually get used to.

b)  The Korean diet is heavy with vegetable panchan (free “side dishes” which go with your meal)

This is often refilled so you can eat as much as you like. Rice is another filler and staple. Meat however, is a precious commodity and often, small portions of lean meats such as fish and poultry are used.

From EPIK Program Feb 2010

c) Korea is a health conscious country.

Not only would it surprise you to see everyone from children to grandparents and ajummas gravitate to the mountains for hiking during weekends (my short video here), but Koreans don’t like fatty, greasy, oily foods. Therefore, much of Korean food is prepared with a good health in mind. Aside from red chili paste, you won’t find your food drowning in many curries, gravies or dripping from a deep-frying pan.

5. The Asian Red-Face Diet

Just how spicy are Korean foods? Most Korean foods are spicy on some level; and this can signal good things for the metabolism! Whenever I order a dish that comes “extra spicy”, my face heats up and feels the way some Asians look when they’ve had too much beer, wine or soju– a bright pink, inflamed red and sometimes, even purple.  I don’t have Asian Red-Face genes- only on rare occasions but when I hit Korean Extra Spicy, my eyes tear, my face feels like it goes purple with heat, and my nose wants to flood into Niagara (and nose blowing is something you never do while eating; it is bad etiquette in Korea).

* Note: I recently (as of April 6)  found this site explaining Korean food and its different types of dishes. This is helpful to those who are research curious as to what Korean food offers and what you can work with or around.