[Korean Culture & Language] 카레 in Korea

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카레(curry) is many Koreans’ favorite dish. Korean curry differs from Japanese or Indian ones in that it is spicier than Japanese curry and has fewer varieties than Indian curry. 

Originally, Indian curry is prepared by combining up to 20 ingredients, including curcumin, pepper, ginger, cinnamon powder, mustard, turmeric, and chili pepper. However, Korean and Japanese Curry mixes are thicker than Indian curry because they are made with a flour roux.



As listed in the image above, curry has a long list of health benefits. It’s known to decrease inflammation, combat cancer, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, assist digestion, etc.


However, Korean curry usually refers to ‘3분 카레,’ which is directly translated as “3-minute curry,” and refers to an instant curry. So, when purchasing curry in Korea, you should carefully examine the 원재료명 및 함량(ingredients).


Below image is a 원재료명 및 함량 for a particular 3분 카레:

[출처: 아토피에좋은음식, 화학첨가물 덩어리 카레의 비밀 'MBC PD수첩']

Along with소맥분(Flour), 팜유(palm oil), 채종유(Canola oil), 카레분 (curry powder), 강황(turmeric), 코리안더(Coriander), 후추(pepper), 쿠민(cumin), 월계수잎(bay leaves), it also includes 액상과당 (Liquid fructose), L-글루타민산나트륨(Sodium L-glutamate-scent enhancer), 카라멜색소(caramel color), 산도조절제(acidity regulator), 구아닐산이나트륨(sodium guanylate), etc



Koreans love curry so much that there’s even a famous Korean song titled ‘카레’ by 노라조. It became famous not because it’s a good song, but because the music video is extremely racist and the lyrics are confusing for everyone. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao58vQDMVlQ&t=168s

It goes:

노랗고 매콤하고 향기롭지는 않지만 타지마할

Yellow, spicy, and doesn’t smell the best, but Taj mahal.

양파넣고 감자넣고 소고기는 넣지않아 나마스테

Put onions, potatoes, but no beef. Namaste.

아아 둘이 먹다 하나 죽어도 모르는 이 맛은

I wouldn’t know if someone dies while I eat(Korean idiom to mean that something is delicious)

왼손으로 비비지말고 오른손으로 돌려먹어라 롸잇 나우

Don’t use your left hand, use your right hand to eat it. Right now.

바삭바삭 치킨 카레도 바쁘다면 즉석 카레도 오 땡큐 땡큐

Crispy chicken curry, or if you’re busy, an instant curry is good, too. Oh, Thank you.

샨티 샨티 카레 카레야 완전 좋아 아 레알 좋아

Shanti, Shanti It’s curry. I love it. I really love it

샨티 샨티 요가 화이야 핫 뜨거운 카레가 좋아

Shanti, Shanti. Yoga, Fire. Hot. I love hot curry.



This was one of the weirdest music videos I’ve ever watched. But as you know, some songs and movies are so bad they're good. 


It’s interesting how some high schoolers who covered the song became more popular than the 노라조 group. The below image from YouTube reads: We invited Busan Arts High School Curry Choir, who became more popular than 노라조.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y56A60aCbn4


Koreans love food, as I have mentioned numerous times in my articles. I’ll be covering some more songs that are related to food in my next articles.

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