Food no doubt plays an important role in conveying emotions. From nostalgia to happiness to even sadness, food is a way to many of our hearts. Think about the delicious soup your mother made when you were sick, the tasty barbecue you had with your cousins, or the first time you tried sushi with your best friend. Those foods are not just food anymore, but an important aspect of your friendships and relationships.
When it comes to media, K-dramas are incredible at portraying food and its essential role in storytelling. Not only has Korean food provided K-dramas with storylines, it has also resonated with many as a symbol of culture. Even as it makes the Korean audience nostalgic, it also awes the non-Korean audience with the use of various Korean dishes to drive a story.
Adoringly known as Korea’s ‘national grandmother,’ Kim Young-ok’s character in ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ was stimulated by her love for cooking. Young-ok’s simple yet heartwarming meals to outsiders were her style of accepting them and making them feel at home. In the same drama, Lee Sang-yi’s spontaneous visit to the seaside town to grab a bowl of hot chicken porridge prepared by Kim Seon-ho has a deeper meaning to it. It hints at the emotional connection food creates and how it bonds people.
In some K-dramas, like ‘Let’s Eat,’ food is the driving factor of the story, but in other dramas, food just acts as a way to help tell the story better. Food can be used to add more detail to a moment or an emotional scene, like the gutsy and usually upset heroine sitting in front of a bowl of bibimbap in dramas like ‘Full House’ and ‘My Name is Kim Sam Soon’.
Food can also help show the bonding between characters as they get together over food, whether it’s a bowl of udon like in ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’ or friends, family, and lovers coming together over tteokbokki in ‘Vincenzo,’ where tteokbokki takes centre stage as the main menu in a cart bar, a gathering place for key characters.
Gifting food is also the most obvious way to show affection. Dramas are full of gifts of cake boxes and deliveries of cold bottled beverages, and so on. A simple vending machine energy drink can signify characters trying to say ‘Hello, please notice me!’ or ‘I see that you’re upset; let’s talk about it’.
Eating together is also a big part of Korean culture. While other cultures show affection with hugs, kisses, and words, these gestures are less common in traditional Asian culture. Instead, one of the main ways love is expressed is through food.
Making someone a meal or sharing a meal with them is a way of saying ‘I care for you’ or ‘I appreciate you’. Mealtimes are also usually when conversations happen. Spending time together during meals counts as quality time. It’s why eating together is such a significant thing in K-dramas.
Food shapes generations as well. From recipes passed down to classic meals that stay in the family, food is something personal and a secret ingredient to bringing families together. A common greeting in Korean culture is ‘Have you eaten?’ It’s often the first thing that is asked as a greeting. Therefore, it’s usually common for drama characters to ask each other if they have eaten.
Korean dramas and films are a delight to watch, but if you know a little more about the symbolism of food and sharing food in Korean culture, you can start to read between the lines.
While K-drama food is perhaps most responsible for introducing international viewers to a new cuisine and making us crave certain foods, food in dramas is a way to our hearts. Whether it’s the warmth of a home-cooked meal, preparing food with someone, or food being offered to you, Korean dramas shed a lovely light on the various underlying meanings of food and its ability to convey emotions and feelings.