[Korean Culture & Language] Cat's getting Gimjang


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Cats sit with their paws tucked underneath them when they feel safe or to keep their heat. 

Because this position makes them look like loaves of bread, it is often called ‘cat loaf’. In Korea, it’s called ‘식빵자세(white bread position)’. 

Ex) 고양이가 식빵 자세를 하는 이유
Reasons why cats loaf

Ex) 저 아기 고양이 좀 봐! 너무 귀엽다. 식빵 굽고있어.
Look at that kitty! It’s so cute. It’s toasting a loaf of white bread(loafing).
‘굽다’ means ‘to toast’ or ‘to bake’


In Korea, apparently, cats don’t only loaf but get 김장. 

김장(Gimjang) is a traditional way of preparing and preserving Kimchi for wintertime. The Gimjang process usually begins in November when there are still many crops in the fields and markets. 

Kimchi, a spicy Korean fermented vegetable dish, is an essential part of Korean culture, as it is served as a side dish to practically most meals. Because making Kimchi is such a time-consuming and labor-intensive task, all families, relatives, and neighbors usually gather together for Gimjang. They gather in groups to chop vegetables, wash them, and season them with salt and sand lance fish sauce. 


The below video is titled ‘김장 당하는 고양이들 (cats getting Gimjang)’. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8p8gHbpx_oE

It sounds horrible at first, but it’s actually a heart-warming video of random 아줌마s getting together to bathe unclean stray cats. The video went viral after someone commented that it looked like they were doing Gimjang. Many people could see the resemblance between the two situations; bathing kittens and doing Gimjang. To make Kimchi, 아줌마s typically gather around with rubber gloves on and lay big vegetables in plastic bowls. Can you see the resemblance?

 

https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1006091061

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