Hot Diggity Dog!

As a culture consumer, I live by the old adage, "when in Rome...". So it should come as no surprise now that I am in Korea, I should do as the Koreans do. While I haven't been able to see my way clear to actually adopt certain aspects of this culture, like slurping/sucking up noodle dishes, using squat toilets, cutting into a queue or wearing a surgical mask every day, I am compelled to try it all, at least once, so that I can live the experience and contribute my perspective to the world of culture. This is especially true for me when it comes to food!

In the past 4-1/2 months I have purchased kimchi stuffed dumplings, dried squid snacks, red bean paste breads, tofu chips, seaweed coated rice cakes and live fish at various markets. I have tried my hand at preparing Korean dishes at home such as sam gyap sal (grilled pork wrapped in sesame leaves), bibimbab (rice & vegetables with egg on top), kimbap (like a sushi roll of rice, veggies and seaweed), ddok bokki (super spicy street food made of rice cakes, red pepper and green onion), pajeon (very thin omelet made with flour and various vegetables, meats or seafood), bulgogi (marinated meat and vegetables) and sesame seed cookies. When eating at restaurants or from street vendors, I have ordered such dishes as raw fish with boiled quail eggs, grilled octopus, poached pig's tongue, steamed silk worms, bone marrow soup and now, bosintang or dog meat stew!

Now before you go barking up the wrong tree, let me tell you a little about this delicious Korean dish. In keeping with the ancient folk calendar, I ate bosintang (dog meat stew) for lunch on a very hot summer day. Dog meat lovers typically eat bosintang to restore the energy lost during the summer heat. This high protein food is also fed to patients following invasive surgical procedures. This is thought to ensure good health by balancing one's "ki" or vital energy of the body. The primary dog breed raised for meat, the Nureongi, is a kind of mix-breed dog, and differs greatly from those breeds raised for pets which Koreans keep in their homes. So never fear -- Spot, Rover and Fluffy are all safe.

While there is much controversy over this canine consumption issue, and each side has found itself in the doghouse on occasion, eating dog meat is simply a part of the traditional and contemporary culture of Korea. Therefore, it is my preference to let sleeping dogs lie, and I encourage any carnivore visiting Korea to get a taste of the "dog days of summer".