Tradition isn't everything: Foreign nationals say cafes are most Korean places of all
Not long ago, I asked Conrad, a British participant on a food tour, what he considered the most quintessentially British food. I expected him to name the famous fish and chips or a full English breakfast spread. But without hesitation, he answered, “curry.” Seeing my puzzled expression, he smiled and explained. While Britain has its traditional signature dishes, curry is one of the foods Britons eat most frequently today. That got me wondering: What food or food culture best represents Korea today? When I posed the same question to Conrad, his unexpected answer was “coffee and cafe culture.” The other participants on the tour nodded in agreement. When I take foreign visitors on food tours, I often hear the same questions: “Why are there so many cafes in Korea?” and “Why are cafes still so crowded late in the afternoon?” I could explain that Koreans simply love coffee. But a look at Seoul's cafes suggests there is more to it than that. Cafes line nearly every alley, stay lit late into the night and draw long queues outside popular spots on weekends. This is less a matter
