One of the staples of my diet here in Korea is an assorted mixture of rice and unknown Korean vegtables. It's called Bibimbap, and it is incredible. Eating bibimbap for the first time is a somewhat daunting task. If you look at the picture, you can clearly see that there are several, unidentifiable "vegtables" in that mixture. The reason they are unidentifiable is because of my good friend, the language barrier. An example of a typical lunch time conversation between myself and my KATUSA pal Ha:
Me: (picking up some strange dangly odd colored food particle) Ha, what's this?
Ha: Ummmm. . . Begtable! (continues eating)
And the meal procedes. But once we get through the "what is this" phase, and I just start eating without asking, bibimbap is a delightful entre, suitable for any meal. In Korea, they don't have the same concept of breakfast as in the US, any food can be a breakfast food, kimchi, rice, bibimbap. The same foods that are lunch and dinner can be breakfast.
But I like to view bibimbap as a Korean salad, a healthy alternative to the greasy lunch offered by any of the American Dining facilities nearby. And as it is so very much a part of my dietary habit, I will definatly make an effort to locate it when I return to the United States.
1 comment:
Sorry you couldn't identify the vegetables within dolsot bibimbap. I can see some mushrooms, lettuce, bean sprouts. After all, a great, delicious, and healthy Korean dish.
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