Wondering about grocery shopping in Korea? Let’s discuss the realities of moving to a new culture and the struggles in Korea. Grocery shopping in South Korea Moving to South Korea can feel like a shock in the kitchen!! Grocery stores have different organizational logic, companies package differently, veggies taste different, and so much more. It’s likely that you are going to notice a difference in how everything cooks and tastes. It’s going to take a while to get used to all the new vegetables, fruits, meat cuts, and more. When I first arrived, I had a mental breakdown because nothing that I made tasted right. I learned that every fruit, vegetable, and other ingredient was just a little bit different. Adjusting for things like different sweetness levels, acidity, or bitterness nearly drove me to drink. Ok, it actually drove me to drink, but I just kept cooking until I found my groove again. For a year, I decided to only cook with ingredients produced in South Korea. It was a challenge that truly changed how I look at food. Don’t get discouraged! Dig into studying the new ingredients, ask questions, and try all the new things! Why do the foods taste different in South Korea? This is part of the uniqueness of culture. When you move around the world, each location has a different view of how much salt, sweet, bitter, sour, or spicy is ok to eat. This change can impact you deeply and emotionally. Many, maybe even most, ex-pats get very angry about these changes. The new tastes may feel like an attack on all that is right and sacred during a very stressful life change. The funny part is that when you go back home, you will feel like food is weird there! Life is funny that way. We evolve without even knowing it. What surprises exist in the grocery store in South Korea Don’t be too scared, but be ready to be overwhelmed on your first trip to a Korean grocery store. It’s going to take you a lot more time to do your grocery shopping than you originally planned. Here are some of the culture shock points: Since all of this change is overwhelming, we recommend going to the grocery store before you need to buy anything and just walking around. Taking a few hours to get comfortable with the new setup can change everything. Here are some more blogs that are going to help you in the kitchen South of SeoulFounded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences. www.southofseoul.net