My First Taste of Kimchi

Put a star on the calendar. I did it! In spite of deep personal reservations over trying any sort of new or different food (especially one that does not have the most pleasant of aromas -- I know, you thought I was the adventurous type; well, I am when it comes to new places, but I'm not when it comes to new tastes), in spite of all that, I did it. I finally took my first bite of kimchi at lunch today with my Korean colleagues.

The undergraduate law faculty (among whom I am the only American) had been kind enough to select a restaurant for our weekly lunch meeting that specialized in a beef broth soup -- They didn't tell me, though, that the "beef" parts were, for the most part, unidentifiable cuts of some internal organs (I think -- I hope). The darker pieces of beef actually tasted a bit like small cuts of roast, but the lighter chunks were slices of stomach, I'm told. I didn't eat them. The soup broth was quite tasty, though, and with a spoonful of rice, the combination was actually hearty.

So after a few healthy helpings of the beef soup, I picked up my chopsticks (yes, I'm actually getting the hang of them) and reached over the table and nabbed my first portion of kimchi. It was made from several varieties of lettuce and cabbage mixed together. It looked a lot like a tossed salad with a bunch of red dressing and flakes of red pepper. Maybe it was my seasonal congestion, but for whatever reason, I could not sense the distinctive aroma as potently as I had on prior occasions. Maybe this was a "mild" kimchi.

In any case, I dropped the collection in my little white dish (sort of your own serving plate) and then selected a smaller portion and quickly popped it in my mouth. No, I didn't hold my nose! I was told by some other American that holding one's nose on your first experience with kimchi didn't really "count"! Anyhow, I had enough nasal congestion today to serve as a shield, but once I had the kimchi in my mouth, I began to sense its aromatic effects. Within moments my sinuses were opening and the flavors proceeded to play upon my palate. Wait a minute -- this isn't all that bad! In fact, its pretty good. Good enough for several more bites.

Although I still feel very much like a stranger here, I think I may have taken a significant step in my journey to learn more of what it means to live in community with my Korean brothers and sisters. Food, in certain ways, does indeed form community. And a willingness to eat the food that characterizes a culture brings one into a deeper realization and practice of community.

For those of you who may be interested in learning more about kimchi and especially its beneficial effects, here's a link to an interesting website: The Beneficial Effects of Kimchi