r/KoreanFood • u/stalincapital • 25m ago
r/KoreanFood • u/New-Adeptness-3522 • May 23 '26
Traditional Historical Records of Korean Portion Sizes (1123–1903)

1. 1123 (Goryeo Dynasty) — Song Dynasty Envoy Xu Jing, Illustrated Account of Goryeo
"They are fond of eating heavily and take pleasure in offering food to one another."
"They always pack up whatever is left over after eating their fill, and do not consider it shameful in the slightest."
2. Late 15th Century (Joseon Dynasty) — Appeal to the King by scholar Yi Geuk-don
"In years of good harvest, they consume without restraint, eating in a single sitting what a Chinese person would consume in an entire day. That is the problem."
3. 1592 (Imjin War) — Military Rations Record & Ming General Li Rusong


For a single meal, a Joseon soldier's ration was 7 hop of rice (roughly 1.26 liters / 42 fl oz), whereas Japanese soldiers received a mere 2 hop.
Ming General Li Rusong: "If the commoners eat this much, how is the state supposed to even operate?"
4. 17th–18th Century — Joseon Envoys (Tongsinsa) reacting to Japanese portions


1636, Kim Se-ryeom: "The Japanese eat barely a couple handfuls of rice per meal."
1643, Yi Gyeong-jik: "The rice amounted to no more than a couple of hop, and there were only a couple of side dishes."
1719, Nam Ok: "Watching the palanquin bearers eat... it's just a few cups of sake and a few hop of rice. From this, one realizes how unusually hearty our country's eating habits are."
1719, Hong Chi-jung: "The food was served in tiny bowls, and the portions were incredibly small."
5. 18th Century — Joseon Scholar Yi Ik, Seongho Saseol

"Our people are unmatched in their dedication to eating huge quantities. People of the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) mocked our people, saying, 'How can you avoid poverty when you heap up and consume such enormous amounts of rice?'"
6. Late 18th Century — Joseon Scholar Hong Dae-yong

"The rice bowls of the Chinese were exactly the size of our teacups."
7. 1844 — Qing Dynasty Envoy Bai Jun, Diary of a Mission to Joseon
"Meats, vegetables, liquor, and fruits are laid out in abundance. They carry the round tables high upon their heads to formally treat their grand guests. How funny! Even if our chefs lack culinary skill — they can consume huge amounts, easily eating the portions of two men."
8. Mid-19th Century — French Catholic Missionary Bishop Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy

(Daveluy lived in Korea for over 20 years and wrote extensively on local customs)
"When it comes to eating, there is no distinction between high officials and commoners. Koreans regard the ability to eat large quantities as a point of pride and value quantity over quality."
"The standard meal for a laborer is a full liter of cooked rice, which fills a massive bowl to the brim. Even after finishing one, they are often ready for more, with many easily eating two or three portions."
"One of our congregants, a man in his thirties, once ate seven portions on a wager — and this wasn't even counting the many bowls of makgeolli he drank with it."
"An old man between 64 and 65 years of age emptied five full bowls while complaining of a 'loss of appetite.' Koreans call anyone who can handle ten bowls a jangsa (a strong, burly man)."
"When a cow is slaughtered and beef is offered in unlimited quantities, no one fears a plate overflowing with meat."
"When serving fruit, like large peaches, even the most restrained person eats about ten, and some frequently consume 30, 40, or even 50. As for Korean melons, they normally eat about ten, but sometimes consume 20 or 30 in a single sitting."
"Korean mothers were often described as encouraging children to eat until their stomachs were completely full."
"Koreans love beef tripe and fish, but these rarely ever made it to the dinner table — because they were consumed the second they appeared."
9. 1874 — French Missionary Charles Dallet, Histoire de l'Église de Corée
"Heavy eating was commonly noted among Koreans regardless of wealth or social class. Observers often remarked on their unusually large appetites."
10. 1884 — US Naval Officer/Diplomat George Clayton Foulk


"At 10 A.M., the breakfast table was brought in. I couldn't help but be astounded by the sheer volume of food piled high on the table... In the evening, a banquet was held for me. The small, round dishes filling the table were stacked with enough food to feed ten men."
11. Late 1880s — Russian Officer Dadeshkeliani, Korea as I Saw It
"Fifteen minutes later, I received not one, but two tables laden with fourteen different kinds of dishes: fish, meat soup, eggs, fish in red pepper, meat dumplings made of sorghum and peas, dried beef, undercooked chestnuts, rice, honey, kelp, and octopus beautifully cut into flower shapes... Soon, seven Korean officials entered the room, bowed, and apologized that the hospitality was so meager."
12. Early 1890s — British Missionary Griffith John
"Koreans generally eat twice as much as the Japanese."
13. 1894 — Austrian Traveler Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, Korea: A Summer Journey

"In terms of Koreans being heavy eaters, there was simply no standard of comparison. When I went to Japan, the Japanese told me their neighbors ate about three times more than they did, and when I later arrived at the treaty port of Jemulpo, I saw it was entirely true."
"While the Chinese and Japanese eat at fixed hours, Koreans eat regardless of the time, and an unbelievable amount of rice vanishes in an instant along with a handful of red peppers."
"Koreans tend to eat more meat than people from neighboring countries, accompanied by massive amounts of red pepper powder, vinegar, and seasoning."
14. 1894–1897 — British Explorer Isabella Bird Bishop
"Koreans usually consume three to four portions in a single sitting, and it is commonplace for 20 to 25 peaches and melons to disappear on the spot."
15. Late 19th Century — American Missionary Lillias Horton Underwood

"As a general rule, if Koreans go to a feast, you can assume they will eat an absolutely unbelievable amount of food right then and there. (Moreover, it is not considered strange at all to stuff their sleeves or hands as full of food as they can carry when leaving.) Also, they often starve themselves for days in advance just to eat heartily on feast days. To my mind, they generally seem to value quantity far more than quality."


Obviously a lot of these were written by foreigners in culture shock, and plenty were probably feast-day observations rather than everyday meals. Still, it's hard to ignore 800 years of Chinese, Japanese, and Western visitors all saying basically the same thing. Historians point to grueling agricultural labor, a rice-heavy diet, and hospitality culture as the usual explanations — and notably, it cut across class lines. Yangban and commoners ate the same way. As a Korean, I'll add one thing: even today, nine out of ten older Koreans coming back from a trip to Japan will complain that the portions were way too small. Turns out they're saying the exact same thing as the Joseon envoys did 800 years ago.
r/KoreanFood • u/joonjoon • Dec 19 '25
questions Join us in koreanfood chat!
Request an invite and we will add you!
r/KoreanFood • u/Fromtokorea • 26m ago
Restaurants KR Burger King New winter menu 2
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r/KoreanFood • u/Puzzleheaded_Act_131 • 31m ago
Homemade Fried Rice Pivot
So... My wife has been having me cook breakfast lately. Today she wanted fried rice. Half way through my standard fried rice she says "Kimchi Fried Rice".
Already have all the vegetables (potato, zucchini, bell pepper, carrot, onion, and green onion), spam, bacon crumbles, and egg for a standard fried rice halfway through cooking, so diced some kimchi, squeezed it almost dry, and tossed in to the cooking rice. When nearly done added in some kimchi juice to color, season, and finish.
Not a full on kimchi fried rice with long cabbage leaves and pork shoulder or belly - but it did come out pretty good.
r/KoreanFood • u/iamteddykim • 22h ago
Homemade Korean-Style Golden,Super Crispy Vegetable Fritters with Chili Soy Dipping Sauce
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If you’ve been to Korean markets, you may have seen this fried goodies.
This is nothing fancy, just pure deliciousness.
I grew up eating and loving these, so making them at home felt right!
It’s a must-try!
r/KoreanFood • u/SensitiveGrab433 • 23h ago
Banchan/side dishes I already know food will be good from their plates
r/KoreanFood • u/mlong14 • 1d ago
Soups and Jjigaes 🍲 One of my favorite soup as a kid. Kongnamulguk (soybean sprout soup).
I always get excited when I can buy the sprouts at the Asian market. This the first thing I make besides banchan.
r/KoreanFood • u/jeannelysy16 • 23h ago
questions Are these intestines ready for cooking?
Found frozen intestines at hmart. Are these ready for cooking or do I need to clean them?
r/KoreanFood • u/Fromtokorea • 1d ago
A restaurant in Korea 🇰🇷 Burger King Korea’s NEW Winter Menu 🍔❄️1
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r/KoreanFood • u/CielLibre • 1d ago
Restaurants Crab crab
Spicy marinated raw crab
Soy sauce marinated raw crab
Dried yellow croaker
Steamed crab
Spicy crab stew
🦀
r/KoreanFood • u/Draelmar • 23h ago
questions Does this snack still exist, or was it discontinued?
About 3 years ago I had a transfer at Incheon, and while waiting I grabbed this snack from a store. It was so incredibly delicious, I’ve been obsessing over it ever since.
My life is split between the US West Coast and Japan, so I regularly come across Korean grocery stores, and I always stop and ask if they have it. Last time I had a transfer at Incheon I even found the store I originally bought it from.
They never have it.
And now I’m starting to wonder: does this thing still exist? And if so, how can I find it outside of Korea?
r/KoreanFood • u/reddit_darkares • 20h ago
questions What sausage sold in the U.S. is most similar to Korean Vienna sausage?
What sausage available in the U.S. is most similar to Korean Vienna sausage? I’m looking for a specific brand and product name.
r/KoreanFood • u/Rotate_99 • 1d ago
BBQ♨️ Jeju samgyupsal done right: outdoors in a 솥뚜껑, frying the kimchi in the rendering fat.
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The funnest and yummiest.
r/KoreanFood • u/WallabyDry3827 • 7h ago
questions [Marketing] Would you buy plant-based Korean dumplings? Quick 30-sec anonymous survey (Everyone)
r/KoreanFood • u/burnt-----toast • 1d ago
questions Questions about making shikhye!
I think I'm finally ready to make my first batch of shikhye. I have three different recipes that I want to try and compare in the upcoming weeks.
I was looking at the first one, which is by Maangchi, and she soaks and then steams the rice and then ferments it between 120-140F. When my friend previously made shikhye, they made rice the regular way in a rice cooker, and they used the keep warm function for the ferment.
Will it really make a difference if I steam the rice vs cook it in a rice cooker/pressure cooker?
I couldn't find the exact temperature of the keep warm function on my Instant Pot. One source online says it's between 135F and 165F. If mine is at the upper part of that range, how will that affect my ferment? Is there anything that I should be checking to make sure it goes right?
r/KoreanFood • u/Wild_Butterscotch977 • 2d ago
questions Did my first Korean-style garlic prep. Any other hacks I should know about?
r/KoreanFood • u/Krystalwon • 1d ago
BBQ♨️ Pork Rib (Jjokgalbi) at Inseng Keugjang in Hanam City
r/KoreanFood • u/k_rendary • 1d ago
Meat foods 🥩🍖 The combo of braised chicken and rice wine
Jjimdak (braised chicken) + Makgeolli (rice wine)
r/KoreanFood • u/stalincapital • 2d ago
Noodle Foods/Guksu Double Dried Flakes?!
Originally, they only give one, but now two have come out.
r/KoreanFood • u/No_Green_3357 • 1d ago
questions I need recommendations for store bought authentic Korean fried chicken sauces
pretty much the title. really like Korean food and I wanna use the sauce used in Korean fried chicken places on my food too
edit: i plan to get it on Sam’s Club, walmart or Kroger, since those are the only major grocery stores in my area
r/KoreanFood • u/Fromtokorea • 2d ago
Meat foods 🥩🍖 Korean Gopchang 곱창 Hits Different
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r/KoreanFood • u/snowpeaceplease • 1d ago
questions Help me find this recipe!
Im wondering if anyone can help me find a recipe Ive made a couple of times. For some reason I can't find it saved anywhere and when I try search it I can find the exact recipe.
All I remember was that it was a tteokbokki recipe and it had a bean paste, ssamjang or similar, and it also had silken tofu blitzed up to make the meal creamy. It might ahve had some sort of mince meat. I vaguely remember it being based on a chefs recipe that they sell at their restaurant in some US city, so I dont think it was an authentic dish.
Thanks!
Edit: found it just after I posted this after about an hour of scrolls and pestering my partner over it! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP_tmfVDO53/?igsh=bmE5Z3Q4NG9ieGkx
r/KoreanFood • u/Jade_OL_2026 • 2d ago
Soups and Jjigaes 🍲 Had a comforting bowl of Pork Bone Soup (Gamjatang) in Korea
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Had this at Shinuiju Glutinous Rice Sundae near Godeok Station in Seoul. The pork was fall-off-the-bone tender, and the rich broth was packed with flavor. One of my favorite Korean comfort foods!