Experts' Viewpoints: Remembering The Names of Ingredients in Their Native Languages

Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall: Raised in Korea, but having lived and traveled around the world for 35 years, Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall sadly realized that the richness of Korean cuisine was little known to the outside world, and even to modern Koreans. Her latest work, “Growing Up in a Korea Kitchen” (Ten Speed Press) is the first comprehensive and systematic Korean cookbook available in English, grounded in tradition an adapted for today’s kitchens. She has a “certificate” from the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris and is an award-winning novelist in Korea. Her website is www.koreanfeast.com. Asian Ingredients: Let us encourage the practice of using the names of ingredients in their native languages. Italian chefs, restaurants and cookbook authors do not use French names when describing their cuisine. Italians call tomatoes pomodoro and French call them tomate. While the ingredients may be the same, in many cases there are subtle differences. For example, we honor the subtle variations in fish sauce by using their native names. Fish sauce in Thai is nam pla, in Vietnamese, nuoc mam, in Chinese, yue lo, in Korean chot, and so on. Now that Asian food is spreading across the United States, it is time for Americans to develop a sophisticated understanding of Asia cultures and their cuisines. As we know, learning about a nation’s cuisine is one of the best ways to learn its language and culture, especially its national temperament. As they say, “to name it is to own it.” Trends: Concern for a healthy diet is a worldwide phenomenon. Its influences spreads one way and then another, returning as something else. The trend is taking many forms. In Korea, whether in response to a world wide trend or as a domestic reaction to the popularity of fast foods and the growing concern over unhealthy lifestyles, the, so called, “well-being” trend is an unmistakable. There is a return to old eating habits—more vegetarian country cooking. “Well-being” dishes are being added to restaurant menus. They are promoting natural foods, smaller portions, less salt and fat and more vegetables. The small restaurant chain, Myongdong Poribap, is a good example of restaurants focusing exclusively on “well-being food”. Whole grain dishes, vegetables and bean curd dishes, such as bean curd dreg stews (biji tchigae), a one step back from soontubu, are the most popular. Their restaurants are crowded at lunch. Business-men and women stand in line for open seats.