[Korean Culture & Language] 1000°C Peach


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Photo by Dmitriy Koryas on Unsplash

Can you believe that nectarines are the hottest fruit on Earth? It may sound confusing, but some Koreans believe it to be so. ‘세상에서 제일 뜨거운 과일은? 천도 복숭아’ is one of Korea’s oldest jokes.

‘세상에서’ means ‘on earth’ or ‘in the world’
‘제일’ means ‘the most’
‘뜨거운’ means ‘hot’
‘과일’ means ‘fruit’
‘천도’ means ‘1000°C’
‘복숭아’ means ‘peach(es)’

In this case, ‘천도복숭아’ refers to ‘Nectarines,’ which is a type of ‘복숭아(peach)’.


Photo by Julien Pianetti on Unsplash

Then, what do you call an apple that is half bitten? (한 입 베어먹은 사과는?) A typical Korean 아재(older man/middle-aged man) would say the answer is ‘파인애플(Pineapple)’.
‘한‘ means ‘one’
‘입’ means ‘mouth’
‘베어먹다’ means ‘to take a bite out of and eat’
‘사과’ refers to ‘an apple’
‘파이다’ means ‘hollowed,’ ‘carved,’ ‘bit off,’ ‘dent,’ etc
So, pineapple may sound like a ‘dented apple’ in Korean.


Koreans use ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’ to express their laughter when texting. ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’ is an abbreviation for ‘킥킥킥’ which is a laughing onomatopoeia. What if a banana laughs? (바나나가 웃으면?) What is it called?
The answer is: 바나나킥

바나나킥 is a Korean snack that has the flavor and shape of a banana. It’s one of the most popular snacks among Korean kids, thanks to its crispy texture and delicious taste.

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