September 2019
Contents
While in Korea · Written by Min Yea-Ji Illustrated by Yuhaill
Table Manners
Su-hyeon¡¯s parents invite Jessie and Pedro over to their house for the Chuseok (Full Moon Harvest) holiday. Jessie and Pedro get a crash course on Korean table manners before going to Su-hyeon¡¯s home.
Su-hyeon: The three-day Chuseok holiday starts next week. Do you guys have any plans? if you don¡¯t, how about coming over to my house on the first day of the holiday? My parents say both of you are more than welcome.
Jessie: Oh, really? Thanks. This is my first time being invited to a Korean home.
Pedro: Me, too. This is great! I should learn what to do in advance since Korean culture is quite different from Western culture.
Su-hyeon: Great. Then you guys are all coming to my house next week.
Jessie: But please tell us what we should or should not do when invited to a Korean home for a meal.
Su-hyeon: Don¡¯t worry so much about formality. Many households eat meals quite casually. But I will go over a few things so both of you know what to do.
Jessie: Oh, really? Thanks. This is my first time being invited to a Korean home.
Pedro: Me, too. This is great! I should learn what to do in advance since Korean culture is quite different from Western culture.
Su-hyeon: Great. Then you guys are all coming to my house next week.
Jessie: But please tell us what we should or should not do when invited to a Korean home for a meal.
Su-hyeon: Don¡¯t worry so much about formality. Many households eat meals quite casually. But I will go over a few things so both of you know what to do.
Su-hyeon: A Korean set menu has all the dishes on the table served at once. It¡¯s different from a Western meal, which is often served in courses. In Korea, rice is placed on the left and soup on the right. The spoon is placed on the left and chopsticks on the right.
Jessie: I was quite surprised when I first saw how many side dishes are placed on the table.
Su-hyeon: Younger people usually don¡¯t grab their dining utensils and eat until the older people at the table do so. When pouring or receiving alcohol from someone older, one must hold their cup or bottle with both hands. When drinking, one must slightly turn his or her back to the older people at the table.
Pedro: I picked up on that from my social life (smiles).
Su-hyeon: Why am I not surprised? Then you also know that you shouldn¡¯t stick chopsticks in a bowl of rice or lift your soup or rice dish when eating, right?
Pedro: Of course. Sticking chopsticks in rice is done in rituals for the dead (holds his head proudly).
Jessie: Wow, you do know quite a bit, Pedro.
Jessie: I was quite surprised when I first saw how many side dishes are placed on the table.
Su-hyeon: Younger people usually don¡¯t grab their dining utensils and eat until the older people at the table do so. When pouring or receiving alcohol from someone older, one must hold their cup or bottle with both hands. When drinking, one must slightly turn his or her back to the older people at the table.
Pedro: I picked up on that from my social life (smiles).
Su-hyeon: Why am I not surprised? Then you also know that you shouldn¡¯t stick chopsticks in a bowl of rice or lift your soup or rice dish when eating, right?
Pedro: Of course. Sticking chopsticks in rice is done in rituals for the dead (holds his head proudly).
Jessie: Wow, you do know quite a bit, Pedro.
Su-hyeon: It seems Pedro knows quite a lot, so there¡¯s not much more for me to tell you.
Jessie: I know one. You shouldn¡¯t pick your teeth or blow your nose during a meal in Korea.
Pedro: That¡¯s right. Jessie knows her Korean table manners well.
Jessie: Yep. In Germany, it¡¯s considered rude to snuffle during a meal but blowing your nose during the meal is rather common. I was quite surprised when I found out that it¡¯s the opposite in Korea.
Su-hyeon: In the past, the etiquette in Korea was to not talk during a meal. A few households are still like that, but our family likes to talk while eating.
Jessie: I know one. You shouldn¡¯t pick your teeth or blow your nose during a meal in Korea.
Pedro: That¡¯s right. Jessie knows her Korean table manners well.
Jessie: Yep. In Germany, it¡¯s considered rude to snuffle during a meal but blowing your nose during the meal is rather common. I was quite surprised when I found out that it¡¯s the opposite in Korea.
Su-hyeon: In the past, the etiquette in Korea was to not talk during a meal. A few households are still like that, but our family likes to talk while eating.
Jessie: Pedro, let¡¯s buy some drinks and refreshments when we visit Su-hyeon¡¯s house as housewarming gifts. What do you think?
Pedro: Sounds like a plan. I thought I was going to be lonely during the Chuseok holiday, while all my Korean friends and acquaintances will spend time with their families. It feels really nice to be invited.
Jessie: I agree. It feels so good to be invited to a Korean household.
Su-hyeon: Do you guys know that the main Chuseok food is songpyeon (moon-shaped rice cake)? Let¡¯s make songpyeon during the holiday.
Pedro: Yep, I do know about songpyeon. I heard a Korean superstition that if you make a pretty songpyeon, you¡¯ll have a pretty daughter.
Jessie: Really? Wow, you really DO know a lot.
Su-hyeon: Yep, Koreans have long said that dexterity leads to fortune. You guys can come over with no worries.
Pedro: Sounds like a plan. I thought I was going to be lonely during the Chuseok holiday, while all my Korean friends and acquaintances will spend time with their families. It feels really nice to be invited.
Jessie: I agree. It feels so good to be invited to a Korean household.
Su-hyeon: Do you guys know that the main Chuseok food is songpyeon (moon-shaped rice cake)? Let¡¯s make songpyeon during the holiday.
Pedro: Yep, I do know about songpyeon. I heard a Korean superstition that if you make a pretty songpyeon, you¡¯ll have a pretty daughter.
Jessie: Really? Wow, you really DO know a lot.
Su-hyeon: Yep, Koreans have long said that dexterity leads to fortune. You guys can come over with no worries.
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