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Total OT - Korean food?

K&HK&H Posts: 3,368 ✭✭
edited November -1 in Parenting and Life
We have an exchange student from Korea here for the year. She's lovely, and she is E's new BFF (a whole separate topic), but I don't think she likes our food! Eek! She says she likes everything, but she really doesn't eat much... so far I know she doesn't like mixed food (a huge issue because we're big casserole and one-dish dinner people), she likes sweet, she likes meat (we don't eat meat), and she doesn't like dairy at all (which we love)... She's eating jelly sandwiches for lunch, grapes, and cereal, plus picking barely at anything else. If we go out she'll scarf down a grilled chicken sandwich or some other meat thing... but if we ask her ahead of time she'll say she's not hungry because she doesn't want us to pay more for her food when she could wait (several hours) and eat food that is already at home.

Does anyone know anything about Korean food and what we could do to make our food in any way similar to hers? Or at least more approachable? I'm sure she'll adjust at some point if we just keep trying.. but it's a bit exhausting!
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    babymakes3babymakes3 Posts: 433 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    do you have a Korean store you can take her to? Every Korean restaurant I have been to has had the food served separate from each other then you mix
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    ZenZen Posts: 2,942
    edited November -1
    First of all, white rice! Make it or have it available. It's served with every meal. Next up, vegetables. She probably knows how to prepare them (cooked) and it will be fun trying new ones with her. And last up, fruits. Usually follows a meal in lieu of dessert. Doesn't have to be Asian. Grapes, pears, apples, melon. If you can get to an Asian store, great. If not, just take her with you to the grocery store and have her point some things out.

    As far as casseroles, that's gonna be a big jump for her. Usually Asian cuisine (when not being marketed to Americans) are lots of single-item dishes served as a meal. But very rarely mixed together.

    Shiloh's adopted grandmother has had over 30 exchange students and over the years I've gotten to know a number of them. For the most part, they loved learning about and adapting to American culture. But they also loved sharing theirs :)
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    old mamaold mama Posts: 4,682 ✭
    edited November -1
    Why don't you ask her to prepare a meal for the family...Korean style. I used to belong to wonderful adoption group...before we moved and everyone including us had adopted children from Korean. They would have pot lucks and there would be many very spicy mostly dishes. I do know they are NOT into dairy. She is trying hard to be a good guest but I would guess she is also very hungry!
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    tc0104tc0104 Posts: 579 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was going to suggest, if you feel comfy asking for her to share a traditional meal from her country once a wk, and adapt to your diet. If she likes to prepare food, has the time, it would be fun to learn a new cuisine and include her more in your meals.
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    K&HK&H Posts: 3,368 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks everyone! I think part of the problem is meat. She really likes it! And there seems to be a lot of beef here that she doesn't get at home, so she wants beef a lot. We've had two dinners out (church potluck and friend's house) this week where she got some different food, I guess we'll just keep trying different things and asking her what she likes and doesn't like.
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    palegreenpalegreen Posts: 1,478
    edited November -1
    DP is 50% Thai, so we have a lot of Asian items around the house. When we visit her mom, she always has white rice, fish sauce (Squid Brand is our personal fav), and chili paste available at every meal. I know Thailand and Korea are different, but my point is, she may have certain staples that she is used to having at every meal. Take her to the Asian market and have her pick out some staple food items that she likes. If she's up for cooking for you, I'd totally take advantage of that! Yum! Just ask her to sub tofu for your portion of the meal.
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    GaBeekeeperGaBeekeeper Posts: 916
    edited November -1
    DP's Dad's partner is Korean and she always has white rice in her rice steamer. Her nephews came here to go to school and she cooks for them. One of their staples is Kimchii and if you can find a korean store they will usually have some made fresh. You can buy it already made in jars, but it's not as good.
    They always liked beef thin sliced and marinated in a korean sauce not sure what that is. But also lots of tofu. Does she like tofu?
    A typical korean meal is served with lots of side dishes, kimchii, rice, mung bean's steamed, and then meat or tofu.
    Also, kimchii soup is very good.
    I don't really know too many korean recipes but I found a real good book, I can get you the title to you.
    Hope this helps
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    kittykitty Posts: 146 ✭
    edited November -1
    Cabbage dishes, dry seaweed, meat with sauces.. usually korean sauce.. but its kinda a teriyaki sauce so if you can't find korean sauces she would probably like the teriyaki.
    Rice as others mention but ask, because my daugher hates rice, me I cut it out of my diet but my hb still loves it.
    Lots of green vegatables
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