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How do you convince someone that Korean and Japanese Cuisine is good and tasty ?

Aetherius

Well-known member
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Ok, for the last few years, i try to convince my parents that korean and japanese cuisine is tasty.

For them, when they hear about korean cuisine, they think grilled dogs or stinking cabbage that smell like sh*t and japanese cuisine, raw fish.

But there is so much more....

So, you have any idea how or what i can serve my parents to convince them that those cuisines are tasty ??
 
Do they like sea food in general?

Then they will love Japanese/Korean

Just start them off with something a bit more mainstream than seaweed or sushi.
 
What's your ethnicity by the way?

German. Born and raised in Germany in 1975. My Parents are Danube-Swabian Germans, fled from Romania in 1965 due to prosecutions of Germans as the result of WW2. They´ve been raised with the Royal Austro-Hungarian Cuisine aka K&K Cuisine.

Do they like sea food in general?

Not so much, but they love veggies and meat.
My Mum had taken over the last few years so-called Omega-3-Fatty-Acid Pills due to her cholesterol levels, since then she developed
a disdain for fish and seafood in general.
 
German. Born and raised in Germany in 1975. My Parents are Danube-Swabian Germans, fled from Romania in 1965 due to prosecutions of Germans as the result of WW2. They´ve been raised with the Royal Austro-Hungarian Cuisine aka K&K Cuisine.

So any sauerkraut? Kimchi is like a spicier version of sauerkraut really.
Not so much, but they love veggies and meat.
My Mum had taken over the last few years so-called Omega-3-Fatty-Acid Pills due to her cholesterol levels, since then she developed
a disdain for fish and seafood in general.

There's always Korean barbeque...
 
So any sauerkraut? Kimchi is like a spicier version of sauerkraut really.

Ive tried it several times. Not just one or two times, but over the last few years, at least half a dozend times.
I´ve tried all sorts of kimchi, not only the classic version (the pickled cabbage), but also other variants, such as water raddish kimchi.
The results were the same. As soon as my mum smelled the, ok, granted, the very pungent smell of the kimchi, she turned into a fury,
yelling, how anyone with a sane mind can eaten something that rotten. Then there are colorful words like "crapped in the pants" and "diarrhea", just to mention a few.

There's always Korean barbeque...

Unfortunately, we don´t have that many korean restaurants in my area, and none of them serve korean BBQ.
 
Ive tried it several times. Not just one or two times, but over the last few years, at least half a dozend times.
I´ve tried all sorts of kimchi, not only the classic version (the pickled cabbage), but also other variants, such as water raddish kimchi.
The results were the same. As soon as my mum smelled the, ok, granted, the very pungent smell of the kimchi, she turned into a fury,
yelling, how anyone with a sane mind can eaten something that rotten. Then there are colorful words like "crapped in the pants" and "diarrhea", just to mention a few.

??! Some of the sauerkraut I have tired are even more sour than some of the simplest kimchi. But this sounds almost like how Westerners react to durian.


Unfortunately, we don´t have that many korean restaurants in my area, and none of them serve korean BBQ.

That puts a damper...
 
??! Some of the sauerkraut I have tired are even more sour than some of the simplest kimchi. But this sounds almost like how Westerners react to durian.

I got no problems eating stinking food, in fact i love the stuff, like Limburger Cheese or Stinking Bishop.
I also tried Durian. Despite it´s very pungent smell, the flavor and taste of the fruit was mild and very pleasant.

That puts a damper...

A few years ago, there were TWO korean Restaurants in my Area. However, the owners of one of them retired, due to their age, so there is only one Restaurant left.
And that restaurant is serving stuff like Mandu, Bibimbap, Kimbap, Japchae, Bulgogi, Kong-Bulgogi, Dwaji-Bulgogi, Kimchi-Jjigae and KFC (Korean Fried Chicken).
 
I got no problems eating stinking food, in fact i love the stuff, like Limburger Cheese or Stinking Bishop.
I also tried Durian. Despite it´s very pungent smell, the flavor and taste of the fruit was mild and very pleasant.

Well you are a rare specimen.

A few years ago, there were TWO korean Restaurants in my Area. However, the owners of one of them retired, due to their age, so there is only one Restaurant left.
And that restaurant is serving stuff like Mandu, Bibimbap, Kimbap, Japchae, Bulgogi, Kong-Bulgogi, Dwaji-Bulgogi, Kimchi-Jjigae and KFC (Korean Fried Chicken).

Bulgogi can be both stir fried or bbq. It kind of depends how it is prepared. That's probably the closet thing to serious meat if you want them to try.
 
Well you are a rare specimen.

Well, my late dad had the same taste as me.
Heck, he was even more into smelly foods then i am.
His favorite food was Romandur (a variant of the Limburger Cheese) with raw egg and onions. He mixed the stuff and put it on the radiator, so it could "mature".
It was a sure way to empty a room. This food stinks to high heaven.

Bulgogi can be both stir fried or bbq. It kind of depends how it is prepared. That's probably the closet thing to serious meat if you want them to try.

They are doing a, hmm, pan-fried version....
It is still very tasty.

Wait... sushi isn't mainstream?!

Sorry to disappoint you., but no, it isn´t.
Sushi is mostly served for special occasions, well, at least the high qualtiy version of Sushi. Yes, there is even the fast food variety of sushi, but i don´t like the flavor.
Mainstream food is Ramen, Soba, Udon, Oden, Curry, Katsudon, Yakitori, Onigiri, Omurice and Okonomyaki, just to mention the most popular food items.
Of course there are many other types of cuisines and foods in Japan.
 
Well, it is Europe. Unless you are living in the more cosmopolitan parts, like London, Paris, Frankfurt, you might get less of it.

Well, my late dad had the same taste as me.
Heck, he was even more into smelly foods then i am.
His favorite food was Romandur (a variant of the Limburger Cheese) with raw egg and onions. He mixed the stuff and put it on the radiator, so it could "mature".
It was a sure way to empty a room. This food stinks to high heaven.

I wonder how your parents got along when it came to food 😂


They are doing a, hmm, pan-fried version....
It is still very tasty.

Pan-fried, doesn't matter. I used to go to Korean restaurants where they probably stir fried and served them on a heat plate.
 
As a Korean, I would suggest starting with less spicy foods. Something sweet perhaps, depending on the taste of your parents. You might also have to cook them by yourself since it appears availability is rather low in your place.

Here are some recommendations:

Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs) - My Korean Kitchen

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) - My Korean Kitchen

Korean Seafood and Green Onion Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon) - My Korean Kitchen

Korean Potato Pancakes (Gamja Jeon) - My Korean Kitchen

Korean Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk) - My Korean Kitchen

So any sauerkraut? Kimchi is like a spicier version of sauerkraut really.
Some variants are. But more well-known ones are quite different in flavor from saurerkraut. A lot spicier, for example.

Wait... sushi isn't mainstream?!
Nope. It's considered a treat even there.
 
Heh, sushi restaurants are dime a dozen here, with a lot of activity. There are four or five within five minutes walking from my place.
 
Sushi is love, sushi is life
 
As a Korean, I would suggest starting with less spicy foods. Something sweet perhaps, depending on the taste of your parents. You might also have to cook them by yourself since it appears availability is rather low in your place.

Here are some recommendations:

Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs) - My Korean Kitchen

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) - My Korean Kitchen

Korean Seafood and Green Onion Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon) - My Korean Kitchen

Korean Potato Pancakes (Gamja Jeon) - My Korean Kitchen

Korean Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk) - My Korean Kitchen

The mentioned restaurant has the following foods on the menu:

- Mandu
- Misoguk
- Kimbap
- Tteokbokki
- Bibimbap
- Japchae
- Bulgogi
- Dwaeji-Bulgogi
- Dak-Bokkum
- Kimchi-Jjigae
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Kimchi
- Banchan
- Rice


...he was from Germany...

Southern Germany, near the town of Nuremberg.


I wonder how your parents got along when it came to food 😂

Well, my late dad made the stuff when my mum was not around.... :ROFLMAO:
You could image, what happened when he tried to eat the stuff when she was around.
 
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Wait... sushi isn't mainstream?!

Eh I would avoid introducing someone to a cuisine by feeding them raw fish from the get go :p

As for mainstream I live in poor rural Greece! We got 1 that is one Chinese restaurant here and there was an exclusive seafood place that got bankrupt right fast.

When people aroung here, hear vegan they either think you sneazed or give you their condolences :p
 
Eh I would avoid introducing someone to a cuisine by feeding them raw fish from the get go :p

As for mainstream I live in poor rural Greece! We got 1 that is one Chinese restaurant here and there was an exclusive seafood place that got bankrupt right fast.

When people aroung here, hear vegan they either think you sneazed or give you their condolences :p
I had to suffer through a vegan wedding, so yeah, I get what you mean.
 
- Tteokbokki
- Bibimbap
- Japchae
- Bulgogi
- Dwaeji-Bulgogi
I personally recommend these.

- Korean Fried Chicken
This is basically American-style Fried Chicken marinated in the sauce. Perhaps not exactly 'traditional', but still good.

- Banchan
I don't know what this would be, since Banchan is a word for relish/side dish as a whole. Looks like it's going to be six types of vegetable dishes of some kind, possibly namul.

A good, handy dish, but seaweed may be an obstacle to your parents.
 
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I personally recommend these.


This is basically American-style Fried Chicken marinated in the sauce. Perhaps not exactly 'traditional', but still good.


I don't know what this would be, since Banchan is a word for relish/side dish as a whole. Looks like it's going to be six types of vegetable dishes of some kind, possibly namul.


A good, handy dish, but seaweed may be an obstacle to your parents.

I think Bulgogi would be a good and solid choice then, since they also like meat dishes.
 
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