The Decolonized Korean Dish with Giaae Kwon

The Stephen Satterfield Show

Giaae Kwon is a food and culture writer who divides her time between Brooklyn and Los Angeles and author of Decolonizing Korean Food in volume 11 in Whetstone magazine. It’s an incredible article and if you haven't had a chance to read it, you can find it on our website, whetstonemagazine.com.

Giaae and Stephen talk about the Korean dish kimbap and how many Korean dishes are often referred to as the Japanese version of a dish, that’s in part due to Japanese occupation and colonization in Korea. The Japanese occupation of Korea impacted food in many ways but two areas significantly, as Giaae writes: “Japan industrialized food, and it brought the West into the Hermit Kingdom, from building European-style department stores to making bread a more accessible part of food culture. As Korean agriculture and manufacturing were siphoned off to support Japan’s military, both directly and indirectly, Koreans’ access to their food began to change. Korean rice was exported to Japan; canning factories were established to can fish and beer for Japan’s use; and soy sauce was industrialized and made in a Japanese style.” Giaae writes at length about these shifts in foodways and identity in her article.

They also chat K-Pop and how music was greatly influenced by US Military and soldiers in Korea in the 1940’s.

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