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[HanCinema's Digest] Food Lovers' Lane

10 Magazine track down the 10 best bibimbap spots around the country, Sue makes a beef stew (bulgogi jeongol) packed with mushrooms on My Korean Kitchen, the BBC reports on the significance of eating tteokguk for Lunar New Year, and learn more about the country's complicated relationship with dog meat.

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"THE 7 BEST BIBIMBAP SPOTS IN SOUTH KOREA"

In 2011, Bibimbap (literally "mixed rice") featured at number 40 in CNN's list of the World's Most Delicious Foods, which was determined by its readers. As 10 Magazine writer Nuran Sami notes, "South Korea's Jeonju province is most famous for the dish", but the dish is so popular that there are excellent restaurants that serve it all around the country. In this post, 10 Magazine writers have compiled their list of the seven best bibimbap joints (most of which are in, perhaps not surprisingly, the capital, Seoul). Do you have a favourite bibimbap spot that didn't make their list? Share it with us and others in the comment section below...

...READ ON 10 MAGAZINE

"KOREAN BEEF STEW (BULGOGI JEONGOL)"

"This Korean beef stew is a really hearty and comforting soup and also a perfect dish to share around the table with your family and friends", writes Sue, referring to bulgogi (Korean BBQ beef). Bulgogi is one of Korea's most popular dishes among foreigners and locals alike, and in this post on My Korean Kitchen, Sue guides us through the process of making her mushroom-packed version. "As you can see, the stew looks abundant and full of protein and vitamins!" If you've visited Sue's popular website before, you'll know that her posts are carefully crafted, contain crisp photographs of her creations, as well as detailed receipt cards at the end.

...READ ON MY KOREAN KITCHEN

"In South Korea, age is measured in bowls of soup"

Did you know that in South Korea "age is counted from the first day of the lunar year rather than individual birthdates"? That means that on Seollal (Lunar New Year) 51 million Koreans celebrated getting one year older, a tradition that is marked by one dish in particular: tteokguk. "The tradition of communal aging makes it easier to determine one's relative status", writes Erin Craig for the BBC. "All else being equal, people with the same birth year are on the same social level". So, the question to ask is not how old are you, but rather how many bowls of tteokguk have you eaten!

...READ ON BBC

"Why dog meat became a story at these Olympics and why, culturally, it is slowly changing"

South Korean cuisine has come sharply into focus in the past decade, but one item on Korea's menu has consistently caused animal rights activists to speak up. Despite pressure from local and international groups, dog meat is still served in Korea (sometimes under the euphemistic "nutritious soup"). "It's for strength", said one server in Korea; "Many Korean doctors recommend it for patients who are having chemotherapy, too". Attitudes around Korea's most controversial dish, however, are slowing changing. A recent online survey, for example, reveals that around 58% of Koreans disapprove of the consumption of dog meat. How do you feel about the direction Korea's dog meat industry is taking?

...READ ON ESPN

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