숭례문 Sungnyemun (also known as 남대문 Namdaemun)
After being nearly destroyed in 2008 by an arsonist seeking revenge against the government, the gate will re-open to the public this April. They’ve rebuilt it using traditional methods and seem to have improved security around it as well. I’ve been waiting a long time to take visitors here again.
(Image taken after the scaffolding was removed, credit Korea Times)
Full story at the Korea Times.
Two articles on cold weather and staying warm.
This gallery contains 3 photos.
Easy to Learn Korean 388 & 391 The temperature is hovering around 0 degrees Celsius and I’m sure there are foreigners in Korea trying to figure out their hot water and apartment heating controls. Korean apartments are heated by a … Continue reading
Had to run some errands today and noticed water coffee in the local mini mart (picture center). I haven’t seen it before and it made me think about the types of drinks that people like.
In Taiwan and China, for example, bottled tea is very popular. Sadly there aren’t many choices for bottled tea in Korea. There’s the American sweetened variety, the diet type for slimming, and barley tea. However, Koreans do love their coffee and there’s at least one coffee shop on every block.
One of the healthy benefits of Korean cuisine is the abundance of fermented foods such as kimchi, doenjang, and gochujang. And let’s not forget all the pickled side dishes.
Did you know that fermentation occurs naturally during the pickling process?
During the fermentation process nutrients go undamaged and the food stays healthy in it’s raw form. Korean dishes are not just healthy; they demonstrate a unique and distinct taste that becomes addictive with time. I’ve been eating Korean meals almost exclusively for 9 years can feel the benefits. Koreans also eat few processed foods. Since the cost of labor is relatively low, most dishes are made from scratch. I’ve tried very few processed boxed or bagged meals with the exception of ramen, spam, and fish cake ^^. Sadly, all three of these are found in my favorite dish. Can you guess what it is?
One thing to watch out for in Korean food is your sodium intake. This is because sea salt is the critical ingredient in pickling.
Fermentation = 발효 (bal-hyo)
Processed food = 가공 식품 (gagong sikpum)
Easy to Learn Korean 59 & 60 – Kimchi
http://tinyurl.com/EasyKorean59
http://tinyurl.com/EasyKorean60
A fun and accurate list about Seoul.
http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/life/50-reasons-why-seoul-worlds-greatest-city-534720
