There's something fishy about this

Contrary to what may be thought, Korean food is nothing like Chinese food or even Japanese food. It is very unique. Most Korean food is either pickled or peppered or both. And a lot of things kind of taste like fish even when there's no fish in it.

Most dishes are quite spicy. Although I'm getting used to and even beginning to like spicy food, there are some meals that I can't get through without getting tears in my eyes!

Noodles and noodle soups are very popular, and they usually have a fishy taste to them. I was never a big fan of chicken noodle soup at home, so noodle soup that tastes like fish is not really one of my favourites. Cold noodles are also common. It is a bowl of noodle soup with ice cubes in it.

There are some dishes that I do really like. The meat on a leaf that I described before is really good. But it is a lot of effort for one bite. It's no wonder that most people here are so thin!

Kimchi is probably the most famous Korean [side]dish. It is spicy pickled cabbage, and it's served with every meal. I didn't so much like it at first, but now it has really grown on me.

We don't actually eat a lot of Korean food because restaurants can be intimidating. We found a couple restaurants that have coloured pictures on the menu and are rather inexpensive, so we sometimes go there. Otherwise, we only eat at traditional restaurants when we go with the Korean teachers because they will help us order and show us how to eat it! I think I have finally mastered the art of eating with chopsticks! Last night, we actually managed to order take-out from a traditional restaurant. I was proud of us!

Most traditional restaurants are relatively cheap. At the ones we have gone to, you can get a full meal for around 5,000 won, which is about the equivalent of 5 or 6 bucks. The western style restaurants, however, are very expensive, so they are reserved for special occasions only.

There are restaurants everywhere. Each one seems to focus on serving one type of food. If you want pork, find a restaurant that has a cartoon pig on the sign. There are many to choose from!

Some pigs are cooler than others.

Some pigs have wings.

And some pigs are super.

There are numerous pig restaurants to be found, but if you're in the mood for chicken, you can also find cartoon chickens.

And if you have a sudden craving for some octopus, just look for a cartoon octopus.

So far, I haven't had the desire to look for a cartoon octopus.

Chicken, pork, and seafood are the most prominent meats available. Beef, called bulgogi, is very expensive, so it's a rare treat.

In other foods, there are no turnips here, but sweet potatoes are everywhere.

A pickled radish is the new cucumber.

Rice is very different from what I expected. It's not at all like the fried rice you get with your chinese take-out at home. It's shorter, fatter, and very pasty. It's definitely easier to eat with chopsticks though. The purple rice is pretty good actually.

And, unfortunately, I don't think I'll be finding any fiddleheads in this country.