Open Writing

I recently returned to Britain after a long period in Seoul. I miss South Korea but I am relieved to get back to a British diet. Korean food is very spicy and I can't stomach it.

Traditional British food is often very plain and is to be savoured more for its warmth and texture than its taste. Mashed potatoes, roast parsnips, pies, porridge oats and human-shaped biscuits called gingerbread men are among the things that I missed the most.

Here in London to my delight I have made some new Korean friends. Kim Hyun-sook, Yoon Jiyoung and Jung Sinae are female postgraduate students at Brunel University in West London. They are all good cooks and I often see them preparing Korean dishes. It's not difficult for them to find the ingredients because this is an international city and almost everything is available.

I decided to ask them what they thought of British food. Their answers helped me to understand what life is like for Koreans living here. They also made me think about the influence that culture has on food choices.

Hyun-sook said:

"I started eating western food in Australia when I was 28, beginning with stuff like toast and butter. Bread and butter is available in South Korea but most people prefer Korean food.

"I was in Australia for two years and my impression was that the food was very multicultural. When I returned to Korea I missed Chinese seafood noodles and a favorite Thai dish. In Korea we tend to just eat Korean food and even our Chinese restaurants are more like Korean fusion.

"This is my third trip to the U.K. and I've been here for three or four weeks. For me as a Korean, English food is very boring and stodgy. You don't use any spices.

"On my second trip I had an English breakfast, which is sausage, baked beans, tomatoes and bacon all on one plate with toast. It was too much, particularly in the morning. I think English people like meat.

"Here in Britain and in Australia the meat has a different kind of smell. I think Korean animals must have a different diet because Korean meat doesn't smell like that, and it must also be something to do with the way it is processed. I don't really like English beef because of the smell.

"I like English cheese because you have much more variety here. In Korea we only have a handful of different kinds of cheeses. You also have many more different types of bread than we do. In Korea bread is treated as a delicacy, but for you it's an everyday food.

"Last year I visited a British house and I had home cooked roast beef, boiled vegetables, mash potato and gravy sauce. It was really nice. I liked the gravy because it made the vegetables more exciting. I think gravy isn't well known in Korea."

Sinae said:

"Every culture has its own characteristics and there are reasons why some customs arise. I didn't know why English food was so simple.

"In the past I knew that English fashion and design was quite elaborate so I expected the food to be the same. A British person explained to me that the flavor of the original ingredients is important, so now I understand why English food is so simple. It's like Japanese food, they also like the natural taste.

"I think people could be disappointed when they come to Britain and have fish and chips. But if they understand why fish and chips are so simple, they won't be disappointed. I like simple food so I like fish and chips. I found it tasted better than people said.

"I haven't had much experience of British food yet. I've had a kind of bread called a crumpet, which is like our sulbbang without the same alcohol taste. I've also had scones and tea. I think tea is very important here."

Jiyoung said:

"British families are very individualistic. When I stayed in a British house I saw them eat with their plate on a cushion sitting on their lap. I think that this is a British custom.

"British food is always on one plate. In Korea we eat from many different plates during a meal. British food is simple and quick. I think the simplicity of British food can be explained by the people's individualism. They eat separately and quickly so they don't want complicated meals.

"I used to live in Italy and there the families eat together. One meal takes a long time and they have many courses on separate plates. That is because the Italians are very family oriented."