Re: Typical Korean Food Day

I don’t know if we’re typical, but I can tell you my mother (full Korean) and my (half Korean but one that eats mostly Korean foods) eating habits are.

Breakfast

Mom and I basically eat the same things in the morning: rice with hot or cold corn tea, some banchan (typically not the spicy type) or just throw in some small anchovies. Some days she eats hot rice with a raw egg thrown in…a personal “ick” for me though. We both snack on a piece of fruit between breakfast and lunch. She snacks more than I do, but I eat larger servings at each meal than she does.

Lunch

I’m at work so I take things that are lunchbox friendly and not overly strong smelling as my co-workers aren’t as open minded as I’d like: rice, Korean egg omelette, soy simmered egg or beef, seasoned spinach, simmered zucchini, sweet stewed potato, and seasoned dried squid are some of my faves. For dessert: fruit. Mom prefers something more hearty like rice, a spicy soup, and spicy kimchi.

Dinner

My mother is a die-hard carnivore. Has to have meat at every dinner. Usually beef or pork. I’m more of a soup and stew gal. A spicy mackerel stew or spicy beansprout soup makes my day. And I prefer fish (broiled mackerel, fried salted yellow croaker, or steamed whole tilapia…we both have a thing for the eyeballs) and chicken (spicy stewed with potatoes and carrots or simmered soup-like with tons of garlic).

One thing though. We never have as many side dishes as when we eat out at a Korean restaurant. Usually just one or two types of kimchi and maybe one non-kimchi side dish along with any soup or meat we’re having.