Did I Call It or What: NYT Does Korean Tacos

Posted by ZenKimchi in Globalization | 2 comments

Thanks to Kim D. for bringing this to my attention.

Man, I’ve been making Ko-Mex food since my first year in Korea and discovered (out of necessity) that kimchi and bulgogi are awesome when topped with cheese, veggies and salsa and wrapped in a tortilla.  Blogged about it the Kogi taco truck, and here’s a link to pictures of an aborted post about making bulgogi burritos from two years ago.

Looks like The New York Times agrees.  I’ve also noticed that this NYT article is the buzz on the Korean Internet.

It’s another one of those articles asking, “Why hasn’t Korean food caught on?”

Which goes back to my and other food writers’ hypotheses that the government and Korean corporations’ attitudes in promoting Korean food are in a totally different dimension from reality (read the lastest SEOUL Magazine for my rant).  The funny thing is that my predictions are showing some truth.  Kimchi would best get acceptance when sneaked into a popular food as a condiment–not glorified in all its red stinkiness as the “world’s favorite food.”

And this idea, really pushed by the guy behind the most laughably pretentious Korean restaurant in Seoul’s dining history, that fine dining and bland royal court cuisine should lead the charge is suicidal in this economy.

Korean food is best when it’s cheap and honest–blue collar-peasant cuisine that comes from the heart.

Joe McPherson is the founding editor of ZenKimchi. He is also dining editor for 10 Magazine and writes and consults for multiple publications. He is the only non-Korean judge for the Korean section of the Miele Guide--but don't ever call him a food critic.

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