The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. Along the banks of the river, especially in Seoul, pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths are available on both sides of the river. Various restaurants and cafes are located on these paths. While most bridges crossing the Han are for motor vehicles or subways only, citizens may cross select bridges on foot or by bicycle.
The Han River and its surrounding area played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to take control of this land, where the river was used as a trade route to China (via the Yellow Sea). However, the river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, barred for entrance by any civilian.
The Namhangang (Namhan meaning 'South Han' and gang meaning 'river') is sometimes, but not always, referred to as the "Han" in South Korea. The term "South Han" is understood irrespective of which side of the border one stands.
Even though "Namhan" and "Bukhan" are homophones with the acronyms Namhan (남한; "South Korea") and Bukhan (북한; "North Korea"), used commonly in South Korea, this is a mere coincidence. The hanja for the Han River is not 韓 ("Korea") but 漢 (Chinese).
What is today called the Han River has been called by different names through the course of Korean history. During the period of the Han Commanderies on the peninsula and the early part of the three kingdom's period the river was oft referred to as the Daesu (대수; 帶水). The state of Goguryeo called it the Arisu (아리수; 阿利水), Baekje called it the Ugniha (욱리하; 郁里河), while the kingdom of Silla termed it the Iha (이하; 泥河).
is it beautiful and feel romantic while enjoying the fire cracker show ?
환영합니다 and 안녕하세요 Yeah, today discussing food again~ XD Today, I'm going to list down some famous Korean treats & street food that Korean eat during winter.
As you know Korea has distinct four seasons, there are different from Malaysia. In Korea, there are certain things you can do during the winter season only. Although, street food may be available all year, but there are some snacks that emerge only during the colder months. Snacks such as baked sweet potatoes, hoppang (steamed bun), bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste), and more are some of Korea’s favorite winter snacks enjoyed by all regardless of age. A major event that proceeds the winter season is making kimchi (gimjang). Let's check it out ~
Street Food 1.Bungeoppang 붕어빵 (fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste) The bungeoppang, also known as hwanggeum Ingeoppang (golden fish shaped bun), is made of wheat flour and glutinous rice flour dough filled with red bean paste. Bungeoppang is chewier than hoppang because of the glutinous rice flour. The bungeoppang bakers can be seen all over the streets of Seoul baking. Bungeoppang usually costs about ￦2,000 for five of them.
Also, a fun character analysis can be applied, depending on the way you eat your bungeoppang. Of course, it is only for fun, but let’s try to diagnose your character depending on whether you eat your bungeoppang head first, or tail first. Here's the way to test: Eats head first: An easy-going optimist, unconcerned with trivial things. Says whatever comes to mind, is passionate, but the passion can dwindle easily. Eats tail first: Cautious. A romanticist concerned with the smallest things; is slow in catching onto other’s feelings. Eats stomach first: Masculine, active, bright, and outgoing. Eats fins first: Temperamental and childish. A loner. Cuts it in half and eats the tail first: Polite, good at saving money, and a rationalist. Cuts it in half and eats the head first: Strong willed who goes through with a plan once it is decided. Stingy, and does not like to lend money.
The making
Ready to eat.
2. Hoppang 호빵 (steamed bun) Although there is no historical reason as to why hoppang is a favorite winter snack, it rarely appears among street fare during other seasons. Hoppang is made of wheat flour dough filled with red bean paste, and other types of fillings including vegetable, pizza, curry, and more. Hoppang usually costs about ￦500 ~ ￦700, you’ll see people making hoppang along the streets or in convenience store or small supermarkets.
3. Baked Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Chestnuts
Chestnuts are autumn nuts, and sweet potatoes are ripe for gathering in November. Thus, late fall begins the roasted chestnuts and baked sweet potatoes season. Baked sweet potatoes are usually baked over a hot fire in a large iron barrel. Although prices vary depending on the size, they generally cost about ￦2,000 for 3 baked sweet potatoes.
Baked sweet potatoes are sweeter than steamed sweet potatoes, and are best to eat when they are hot. Roasted chestnuts are actually broiled and they take a long time to cook thoroughly. Thoroughly cooked chestnuts are not only tastier, but are easier to peel and eat. They are usually sold in small paper bags, and cost about ￦2,000 ~ ￦3,000. However, prices may vary depending on the size of the bag or the amount of chestnuts. Baked sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts are usually found near resident houses, subway stations, or schools. Many young college students sell these snacks in the wintertime as a side job.
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Roasted chestnuts
4. Topokki 떡볶이 (spicy Korean rice cakes) Topokki is one of the most famous dishes in Korea. It has a very distinctive spicy, yet sweet flavor. Though garaetteok (long, white rice cakes) is traditionally served on New Year’s Day, it can be enjoyed year round in tteokbokki. In this famous dish, tteok (rice cake) is mixed with eomuk (fish cake), boiled fish paste and various fried items, and then is marinated with red pepper paste. The entire concoction is mixed together as it’s heated and served with a hot cup of broth (the water the eomuk was boiled in). Though it’s definitely a snack (or a light meal!) that you’ll find throughout the four seasons, the popularity of topokki skyrockets in the winter since it warms the body, fills the stomach, and seems to fight off the winter blues. Since it’s a dish that is enjoyed by people of all ages, you’ll find tteokbokki vendors on many busy street corners in Seoul, and especially in the Myeongdong and Jongno areas. The dish usually ranges from 2,500 to 3,000 won per serving with complimentary refills of eomuk broth.
5.Eomuk 어묵
(boiled fish paste) Skewers
As the cold winter winds and freezing weather settle in, Koreans begin to crave delicious eomuk skewers. Broad and flat eomuk is prepared on skewers, then boiled in water flavored with radishes and kelp. This creates a richly flavoured broth, which can be drunk while eating the skewers. The eomuk is not spicy at all, so everyone, including young children and foreigners, can enjoy it. It’s good to eat Eomuk with tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes) as it perfectly compliment’s the tteokbokki’s spicy taste. A tip for eating great eomuk: select an eomuk skewer that has been brewing in the broth for a long time and dip it in the soy sauce marinade. These days, as well as the regular eomuk skewers, red-colored eomuk is becoming popular. It is marinated in red pepper paste and boiled in only a small amount of broth, so it has a distinctive spicy flavour. An eomuk skewer will usually cost anywhere from 500 won to 700 won, and they are sold on almost every street during the winter.
Before the cook
After the cook :]
6. Hotteok 호 떡
(Korean-style sugar pancake)
Hotteok is a simple and sweet snack. During the winter, places such as Insa-dong are dotted with Hotteok vendors serving up these delicious little pancakes. Hotteok is made with dough from glutinous (sticky) rice flour and filled with a spread made from sugar, peanuts, and cinnamon. The round pancake is then lightly fried in oil. Be careful when you take that first bite! The hot brown-sugar filling is often very hot and can scorch your lips if you’re not careful. Like many of the other street foods in Korea, Hotteok is a steal at only 700 to 1,000 won.
Korean Treats
1. Gimjang 김장
Kimchi
Kimchi is the quintessential Korean food, and comes in numerous varieties. Wintertime Kimchi-making is known as ‘gimjang,’ a time during which households (typically housewives) in Korea prepare and store kimchi in massive quantities for the winter months. Several decades ago, the kimchi made during gimjang was the only vegetable available in the winter; if you didn’t make your kimchi during the ‘gimjang’ period, you would have to go without vegetables until the following spring. Each year, the fall’s final harvest includes the major ingredients for kimchi – Chinese cabbages and radishes. Thanks to modern farming techniques, vegetables are now available throughout the year; however, this annual tradition of pre-winter kimchi-making remains strong.
An important part of gimjang is the storing of the final product. To allow for proper fermentation, gimjang kimchi is best kept near 0℃ with minimal temperature fluctuation. In the past, special holes were dug in which kimchi jars were covered buried and covered with straw mats to ferment during the winter. Today, most Korean households have two refrigerators. One is just your average refrigerator while the other is a uniquely Korean appliance used exclusively for kimchi storage.
Preparation
Start to eat
2. Red Bean Porridge PatJuk / 팥죽 of Winter Solstice Dongji /동지
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and has the most hours of darkness. After the winter solstice, typically on or around Dec 22, the days gradually become longer, slowly chasing away winter as the sun regains its strength.
A traditional Korean winter solstice event is making and eating red bean paste porridge (called ‘patjuk’ in Korean). Red beans are boiled and small balls of glutinous rice are added, making a thick and sweet porridge. Red beans symbolize the chasing away of evil spirits, and the rice balls symbolize new life. Therefore, eating a delicious bowl of patjuk on winter solstice was believed to chase away all illnesses. Also eating the same number of rice balls as one’s age symbolizes the successfully passing of the year.
In the olden days, Koreans would sprinkling red bean paste porridge around the yard and share the dish with neighbors to chase away evil spirits. At the time, many also believed that a warm winter solstice meant the coming of disease and death while a cold, snowy winter solstice meant a prosperous New Year.
Although the winter solstice is not a major Korean holiday like Chuseok or Lunar New Year’s Day, Korean families do get together to enjoy a sweet bowl of red bean paste porridge and wish each other a healthy and prosperous New Year. These days, numerous porridge restaurants offer patjuk anytime of the year. A bowl usually costs 5,000 to 8,000 won.
3. Manduguk 만두국
(dumpling soup)
Manduguk (dumpling soup) is a delicacy that warms the body and mind, and is enjoyed by almost all Koreans during the cold winter. Beautifully prepared dumplings are filled with minced beef and vegetables, then added to a hot broth along with sliced rice cakes and boiled to perfection. This is traditionally served on New Year’s Day. These days, pheasant meat, as well as pork and beef, is also added to the dumplings to make Pheasant Manduguk. This pink and yellowish dumpling soup is made with natural vegetables. Although eaten throughout all the four seasons, Manduguk is especially delicious in winter and is even tastier when enjoyed with gimjang kimchi (kimchi prepared during winter) or cold mulkimchi (watery kimchi). Manduguk usually costs about 4,000 won to 6,000 won per bowl depending on the region and the restaurant.
Before boil in soup
Ready to serve
That's all for today~ Keep searching if you want to know more. 고마워
Like every cultures in the world, they have their own stereotypes and superstitions. Korea is no different. According to stereotypes on blood type, they believe that one's blood can determine one's personality.
The following list is not comprehensive, but you'll get the picture;
Blood type A - Introverted, considerate, self-conscious, patient, unable to express emotions well, and tend to be perfectionists. Blood type B - Creative, individualistic, self -centered, inconsiderate and passionate. Blood type AB - Critical, indecisive, unpredictable, emotional and are most likely to be geniuses. Blood type O - Leaders, easygoing, friendly, outgoing. BONUS INTERESTING INFOS!
...and dating. Dating superstitions. I'm sure some of you are very interested to know XDDD
Well, the followings are not true, but they're fun and wacky;
Korean Dating Superstition #1 – If you pour yourself a drink, you’ll be single for 3 years.
Korean Dating Superstition #2 – If you give your Korean boyfriend or girlfriend shoes as a present, they’ll run away or they’ll cheat on you.
Korean Dating Superstition #3 – If you take out your wisdom teeth, you’ll breakup with your Korean girlfriend or boyfriend.
Korean Dating Superstition #4 – All men in Korea have to go to the army. If you cry when your boyfriend goes, you’ll break up!
Korean Dating Superstition #5 – If you catch the bouquet at a wedding, you have to get married within 6 months, or you’ll never get married. (At Korean weddings, you choose a friend – usually someone engaged – to catch the bouquet.)
Next shopping complex would like introduce to all reader. A place where S.M. Entertainment & JYP entertainment located.
Apgujeong-dong 한명회 韓明會
A residential, fashion, shopping, and educational district in the Gangnam district of Seoul. The dong originates from a pavilion with the same name founded by Han Myeong-hoe (Hangul:한명회 Hanja: 1415 - 1487), a high-ranking government officer during the Joseon dynasty.
The area contains upscale department stores, shops, boutiques, private educations, cafes and restaurants. It is also the location for headquarters of entertainment agencies, such as S.M. Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. The Café Pascucci coffee chain in Apgujeong was used as one of the main filming locations for Seoul Broadcasting System's 2001 drama Beautiful Days, starring Lee Byung-hun, Choi Ji-woo, Ryu Shi-won, Shin Min-a, Lee Jung-hyun and Lee Yoo-jin
It is served by Apgujeong Station and Sinsa Station on the Seoul Subway Line 3.Currently, it is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Seoul.
This area of Seoul soundly represents the 'Economic Affluence' found south of the Han River. Apgujeong-dong and the surrounding areas are home to many of Korea's richest families, especially those with newfound wealth. Its large, private houses, expensive, imported cars, and dozens of high class import shops is where many people go to be seen. Many of the local children have been educated overseas or otherwise spent much time abroad, so many people can be found who can speak English (and other languages) well.
However, it also showcases the reckless indulgence of the upper class, with their showing-off, liberal sexual relationships, and concept of spoiled rich kids. The area is famous for it 'Orange People,' 'Yatas' (meaning 'Hey, jump in!'), and 'Natas' (meaning 'Hey, I am going to jump in!').
The name of the area originated from the pavilion name built by a powerful politician named Han Myung-Hae of the Chosun Dynasty, whose pen name was 'Apgu.' Although the pavilion no longer exists, it is believed to have stood where the Hyundai Apartments were built. In Chinese, apgu variously means 'being away from mundane matters and business, staying at a serene and quiet lake side,' and also 'having a good time with sea gulls.
Apgujeong-dong is the place for teenagers who are very sensitive to their styles and fashion. Their outfits look not only a bit rebellious and unsophisticated, but also deliver the image of challenge and being unprecedented. Fads related to fashion, hairstyles, and accessories that become popular in this area are often followed by the rest of the nation a few months later. Many fashion designers have shops in the area to keep tabs on the pulse of the local styles. Many trends quickly find themselves being copied into mainstream clothes sold through Dongdaemun and Namdaemun Markets.
Apgujeong-dong has already beat Myeong-dong for the title of 'Fashion Street.' It has also garnered nicknames of '1st Street of Fashion' and 'The origin of Fashion Culture.' The area is also a breeding ground for computer-related venture firms, with over 200 Internet and computer-related companies designing game software, CD-ROMs, and Internet shopping malls. Many of them are funded from local capital, a testament to the economic power of those who live here.
Chuseok, also known as the Korean Thanksgiving or Mid-Autumn Festival. If the biggest holiday of the first half of the year is Seollal (설날, Lunar New Year’s Day), then the biggest holiday of the second half of the year is undoubtedly Chuseok (추석). This festival held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is September 30th this year. Chusok is often called a great day in the middle of August. It occurs during the harvest season. Thus, Korean families take this time to thank their ancestors for providing them with rice and fruits.
A traditional Chuseok table setting for ancestral rites
The celebration starts on the night before Chusok and ends on the day after the holiday. It is usually a three day holiday – something quite rare in Korea – emphasizing the importance of this holiday. People go back to their hometowns to get together with their families to tend the ancestors’ graves and give thanks to them through solemn ancestral rites.
Naturally, because it is a holiday celebrating the harvest, food becomes a central focus. Special Chuseok foods like songpyeon (송편), a kind of rice cakes made of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts in crescent shapes with various fillings. The usual holiday foods of jeon (전) and japchae (잡채) also making an appearance.
songpyeon (송편)
Although called by different names depending on the era, Chuseok has been celebrated in Korea for centuries. Celebrating the harvest and the full moon also come hand in hand, as the full moon symbolizes fecundity and prosperity. Since the brightest and fullest moon is said to rise on Chuseok, it is more than reason enough for celebration. In the evening, children wear their favorite hanbok(한복 traditional Korean clothing). Among the traditional games played on Chuseok, the dance Ganggangsullae (강강술래) consists of people holding hands, singing and dancing in circles under the bright full moon.
In Korea, you can’t talk about the full moon without thinking about the rabbit. Mostly known that the full moon brings upon images of the “Man in the Moon” in some other country culture, but here, it’s the rabbit.
The rabbit
The rabbit in the moon is also called the “jade rabbit” (옥토끼), which is common in the folklore of not only Korea, but also China, Japan, and other countries. In Chinese folklore the rabbit is busily pounding a special medicine in a mortar for the Goddess of the Moon; in Korea, the rabbit is busily pounding rice to make tteok (떡, ddeok, rice cakes); in both cases, it is making an essence of life.
But why is there a rabbit in the moon? Legend says there once was a village where a rabbit, a fox, and a monkey resided. The three devoted themselves to Buddhism and spent much time in its study and practice. One day, the Emperor of the Heavens looked upon them and to test their faith, told them to bring him something to eat. The three set off to fulfill his wish. Consequently, the fox returned with fish, the monkey with fruit, and the rabbit, who could do nothing but gather grass, lit a fire with it and jumped in, offering his own self. His commitment earned the approval of the Emperor and he was placed in the moon as its guardian, with “smoke” surrounding him as a reminder of his endeavor.
This legend varies in different cultures: sometimes the Emperor of the Heavens is disguised as a poor old man, sometimes it’s not the three animals mentioned above but others. The actions of the rabbit remain consistent, however, and the results of his deed as well.
The image of the rabbit in the moon and the gyesu tree is so steadfast in Korean culture that it shows up in a famous children’s song, “Half-moon” (반달), which was written and composed by the songwriter Yoon Geuk-young (윤극영) in 1924. (The song is better known for its first verse and some people think it is the title, but it’s not.)
The lyrics are: 푸른 하늘 은하수 하얀 쪽배엔 계수나무 한 나무 토끼 한마리 돛대도 아니 달고 삿대도 없이 가기도 잘도 간다 서쪽 나라로
High above the deep blue sky, down the Milky Way, Rides a ship without a sail, with no oars they say, Ship of white, its only crew, is a rabbit white, Westward it floats along, silently through the night
Food... everybody loves this topic. Food is important, yes, but today I'm not going to be posting anything about the Korean cuisines, but I'll be sharing with you guys a little bit about the table manners in Korea according to a couple of articles that I read recently.
Politeness is very vital to the Koreans. Although some of the older traditions have relaxed in recent years this is a couple of Korean table manners include etiquette still in use today. Here goes:
Before you start eating, we are supposed to say "잘 먹겠습니다" （jal meok-ket-seum-ni-da) which means "I'm going to have a nice meal" or "I will eat well"
In the beginning of the meal, wait for the oldest person to eat first. If you are with a friend of the same age or with a business partner, you should say "먼저 드세요" （meon-jeo deu-se-yo) [Please eat first].
In addition, try to keep pace with others by eating not too fast or not too slow.
How to hold a spoon and chopsticks the right way? Well, I came across with this article in lifeinkorea.com so I thought I should share this with you guys about the right way to use a spoon and chopsticks. Of course I know you guys know how to use them but this is the Korean way :D
1. Right way to use spoon
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X
X
X
2. How to use chopstics:
Place one chopstick inside of thumb and reach to 4th finger.
Place the other chopstick between the index finger and middle finger and hold by pressing with your thumb.
Freely move chopsticks by pressing thumb and only using your index and middle fingers.
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X
The third rule is, during a meal you should not hold your bowl up. In some cultures in Asia such as in China and Japan, people hold the bowl up. However in Korea, that's not the case. You should have your bowl on your table. Moreover, you should hold one utensils at a time. Don't be going holding a pair of chopsticks on one hand and a spoon on the other.
Next, NEVER STICK YOUR CHOPSTICKS IN YOUR RICE OR ANY OTHER FOOD!! Because it looks like it's for an ancestral rite (제사 je-sa). In Korea, this is totally wrong!
When it comes to refilling your glass, always pour your drinks for others first especially those who are older or senior to you. Other than that, when someone offers you alcohol, it's not considered as polite to refuse especially from an elder. Speaking of alcohol, in Korea, it's only legal for someone to have alcoholic drinks when they're above 19 years of age.
Some Korean foods can be very spicy and some of you might not be used to it and hence you might have a runny nose. The major important manners in the Korean culture is to NEVER EVER blow your nose at the table. NEVER!!!
Finally, when you end your meal, you'll have to say "잘 먹었습니다" (jal meo-geot-seum-ni-da) which basically means "Thank you for the meal"
Thank you for reading, and thank you lifeinkorea.com and Seoulistics.com. I had a wonderful time learning!
Nope...today topics I think all the girl interest with it
Yup no doubt !! It's shooooping~
Do all KCS's follower watch the video that posted at fb?
If no , never mind...I would like to introduce all the shopping complex 1by1
Dongdaemun,Apgujeong-dong,Cheondam-dong,Sinsa-dong and so on.
Lets talk about dongdaemun...
Dongdeamun(동대문)Great East Gate 东大门
Dongdaemun Market or Tongdaemun (abbreviated DDM) is the large commercial district comprising traditional markets and shopping centers in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. A popular shopping and tourist
destination, it has been designated a Special Tourism Zone (관광특구) since 2002.
Dongdaemun Market opened in July 1905 in Yeji-dong (예지동 禮智洞), whose name means "a neighborhood for learning politeness", so the market was originally called Baeugaejang (배우개장, "market for learning"). The market was also called Gwangjang Market (광장시장) as a company of the same name was set up as market management.
The market was set in a closed structure until the Korean War, when the market was completely destroyed. The market slowly rebuilt over the years, and in 1959 a building was constructed and the market was revived. In 1998 and 1999, large shopping malls such as Geopyeong Freya, Migliore, and Doosan Tower were built in the district and the market was renovated with a modern atmosphere among the traditional market.
Dongdaemun Market is located near its namesake of Dongdaemun (Great East Gate). Korea's largest wholesale and retail shopping district has 26 shopping malls, 30,000 specialty shops, and 50,000 manufacturers. Within the ten blocks of the market area, you can find silks, clothes, shoes, sporting goods, plumbing and electrical supplies, electronics, office supplies, toys and just about everything else imaginable.
Traditionally, wholesalers operated from 1:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and retailers were open from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Buyers came from all over Korea to take advantage of the cheap wholesale prices during the wee hours of the morning, creating an unusual nightlife in the area. Now, the area stays open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., allowing shoopers to do their thing almost any time the mood strikes them. (Most stores close on Mondays and holidays.)
However, many of the new stores have been targeting college and high school students. The older 2- and 3-story buildings have narrow walkways between the stores, poor lighting, exposed plumbing and conduits, and ajumas run the individual shops. The newer high rise stores resemble department stores, having wider walkways, brighter lighting, modern stylings, loud techno-pop music blaring from speakers, and college-age people running the stores.
Dongdaemun Shopping Town and Dongdaemun Chain Store(across the street from Dongdaemun) both exemplify old Dongdaemun Market. They contain many shops catering to newlyweds, selling clothing materials, bedding, dishes and silverware, and other necessary items for starting a new household. Many couples and their parents head here before their wedding to get custom-made clothes, curtains, and bedding materials. Young couples also come here to get tradtional and formal clothes for their small children.
The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) recently opened the Dongdaemun Market Information Center to assist foreign buyers in Dongdaemun Market. Located in the basement of the Fraya Town Building, staff members can answer questions and offer assistance in English, Japanese, and Chinese. They also have some information available in Russian. The Center is open 12:00-22:00 daily.
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