In a nation like the Philippines, it is so easy for the people, Filipinos to adapt to foreign cultures that are being introduced to us.
Several countries have entered our lives and we gladly hugged it without forgetting our own. We do not select parts of their culture that we will accept but we hug it as a whole. That is also why, sometimes we are being judged of having "colonial mentality" which is in fact not true.
Last year and will continue this 2010, our country has been raid by Korea's culture. From music, fashion, food, etc. A lot of youngsters has been hooked by this what they call the KPop Mania.
While everybody is busy dipping their "tikoy" in beaten egg and frying, a lot of people are also going gaga about this Korea's best.. Kimchi! The country's one of the best cuisine.For Korean's Kimchi is a vital part of their meals.
The word kimchi has 2 possible origins. Some people believe that it evolved from the native Korean words ji or jimchae (meaning vegetables soaked in salted water), then later changed its pronunciation to timchae or dimchae, then to jimchi, and finally kimchi Another possible origin is as a Korean pronunciation of the Chinese character Ham-tse or Kam-tse (meaning processed with salted water or pickle vegetables).(http://lifeinkorea.com)
There are different types of Kimchi, each region has its own way of making it their own and extra special. Each family also has its own recipe passed from generation to generation. There are countless types of Kimchi but the Korean Food Academy only recognizes 100.The flavor depends on ingredients, condiments, the amount of salt, and level of spice used in each region. Korea's various regions produce different types of agricultural products, and this is reflected in each region's type of kimchi. The southern provinces (North and South Cholla Provinces and North and South Kyongsang Provinces) tend to use more salt and seafood so the taste is stronger and sweeter. To the north, kimchi tastes less salty and is very mild.
Kimchi has many different tastes: salty, hot (due to red chili peppers), sour (produced by fermentation), sweet (from pickled fish paste), and other special flavors formed by diverse vegetables. It also has a texture when you chew it that differs from raw vegetables.
Koreans also make fish,pork and beef Kimchi to have variations of their famous cuisine. They also celebrate Kimchi Festival from October 15 to 18 at Gwangju-si Buk-gu Yongbong-dong Around Jungoe Park.
No wander why we accepted this culture, Filipinos also love spicy food. Even foreigners are lovin' this Kimchi too.
by Tracy Anne Cruz