Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!


‘약식동원’ is an old Korean idiom that means “Food is the medicine”. Since ancient times, Koreans have believed that food and medicine have the same origin and good food has the same effect as medicine. It also means that both health and illness are caused by the food they eat and how they eat them. The belief that ‘medicine should only be used when food has failed’ has influenced the creation of traditional Korean medicine.

‘약’ is a Chinese word for ‘medicine’

‘식’ is ‘food’

‘동’ is ‘same’

‘원’ is ‘source’

Rice cooked with healthy ingredients like chestnuts, jujubes, and pine nuts is called ‘약식,’ which is literally translated as ‘medicinal food’ or ‘medicinal rice’. Because ‘honey’ was also considered a medicine (약) during Joseon Dynasty, honey buckwheat wine was called ‘약주,’ and fried honey rice cake was called ‘약과’.

Korea’s famous condiment, 고추장 (Red chili paste) is usually made of red chili powder, glutinous rice powder, powdered fermented soybeans, and salt. But there’s a special 고추장 called “약고추장”. It is believed to be healthier and more medicinal since they cook 고추장 with honey and beef.

Alcohol was banned during the Joseon era, but houses with infirm patients were allowed to make ‘약주,’ since they were considered medicine.

Below is a chart that shows healthy Korean food pairings:

매일신문

http://mnews.imaeil.com/page/view/2012042614305851725


돼지고기 (pork) is supposed to be good with 새우젓(fermented shrimps); 

부추(garlic chives) is good with 된장(soybean paste), but bad with 쇠고기(beef);

쇠고기(beef) is good with 깻잎(perilla leaf);

호박(pumpkin) is good with 계란(eggs);

땅콩(peanut) is bad with 맥주(beer);

파(green onion) is bad with 미역(seaweed);

미역(seaweed) is good with 콩(beans);

콜라(coke) is bad with a 햄버거(burger).


Which food do you like to eat together? Is it a healthy pairing? To what extent do you believe that “food is the medicine”?

댓글

댓글 쓰기

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

[Korean Culture & Language] Impulsiveness and MBTI

이미지
Hello, this is Uptempo! The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has become increasingly popular in Korea in 2020, owing to people’s boredom due to the COVID-19 quarantine. Since the spring, MBTI feeds have been readily available on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms.   Below is a popular meme titled ‘ #MBTI 충동 (MBTI Impulsiveness) ’. This meme jokingly illustrates how ‘ 충동적인 (impulsive)’ each MBTI types are.   https://ddnews.co.kr/mbti-%EC%A7%A4-%EB%B0%88/ It reads: 전혀 충동적이지 않음 (Not impulsive at all): ENTJ, ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ 평균적으로 충동적임 (Average impulsivity): INTJ, INFJ, ENFJ, ESFJ 너무 충동적 (Very impulsive): INTP, INFP, ISTP, ISFP 엄청나게 충동적 (Extremely impulsive): ENTP, ENFP, ESTP, ESFP 전혀 means ‘ not at all ,’ 평균적으로 means ‘ to an average level ,’ 너무 means ‘ very , ’ 엄청나게 means ‘ extremely ’.   The above meme is another illustration of impulsiveness by MBTI types. ENFP says “ 요즘 자수가 너무 배우고 싶어 (I want to learn how to embroider). 근데 나 소묘도 배워...
자세한 내용 보기

[Korean Culture & Language] Switching between the liver and the gallbladder

이미지
Hello, this is Uptempo! “Saving face” has always been a very important part of Korean culture. Most Koreans try hard to “ 체면을 세우다 (build one’s face),” and “ 체면을 지키다 (maintain one’s face),” and not to “ 체면을 잃다 or 체면을 구기다 (lose one’s face).” ‘ 세우다 ’ means ‘to build’ ‘ 지키다 ’ means ‘to keep’ ‘ 잃다 ’ means ‘to lose’ ‘ 구기다 ’ means ‘to crumple’ or ‘to damage’ ‘Saving one’s face’ means ‘to build one’s reputation,’ ‘maintaining’ one’s face’ means ‘to keep one’s reputation,” and ‘losing one’s face’ means ‘to lose or damage one’s reputation.’ However, some people are more concerned about their profit than “saving or maintaining their face.” They “ 간에 붙었다 쓸개에 붙었다 한다. ” ‘ 간 ’ means ‘liver’ ‘ 붙다 ’ means ‘to stick’ ‘ 쓸개 ’ means ‘gallbladder’ It is directly translated to “It sticks to the liver for a second and then moves to the gallbladder to stick to it for another.” It describes the behavior of someone who switches between two opposing teams or groups for completely selfish reasons. The...
자세한 내용 보기

[Korean Culture & Language] Washing one's Identity

이미지
Hello, this is Uptempo! In July 2021, a Chinese man in his 50s got arrested for killing two people in China and fleeing to Korea. It took years to catch him because he has ‘ 신분세탁 (washed his identity) ’ . Photo by   Jeremy Sallee   on   Unsplash https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/24104555#home According to Korea JoongAng Daily, this murderer killed two people in Yantai, Shandong Province, China in 1987, when he was 20. While hiding in China, he made a new passport after ‘ 신분세탁 (washing his identification) ’. He entered Korea in 2016, and has obtained a permanent residency (F5) visa by marrying a Chinese woman who had obtained Korean citizenship a while back. The term 신분세탁 (Washing one’s identity) refers to a person’s attempt to conceal their prior identity to rebuild a new life . Prostitutes and ex-convicts, for example, are likely to strive to 신분세탁 (rebuild their lives by concealing the fact that they have ever committed a crime or worked as a prostitute).   Belo...
자세한 내용 보기