What's the food like in Korea?

Jenny, there are a lot of weird but wonderful foods in Korea. If you have an adventurous palette you're in for a treat... And if you don't, I suspect you will within your first month here. The Koreans eat many different dishes at each meal, namely: rice, a soup, kimchi, a meat dish and a veg dish. The food is quite spicey but usually very fresh. It also contains a lot of meat, so if you're a vegetarian make sure your school knows this and make it explicitly clear that you don't eat any meat, fish of pheasant. Seriously though, the food here is really delicious and your Korean hosts will be impressed if you attempt to try it all. They will be super impressed if you can work a set of chop sticks too. You can find most Western foods at the big stores like E-Mart and Homeplus and you can also find plenty of American, Italian and French restaurants, although I do suggest sampling all the local fair before you run to the comfprts of Western food, I promise you'll be pleasatly surpised! They are big on treats here, so be prepared to be showered with cakes and cookies... And remember to treat your co-workers with a snack every now and then too. Fruit is pretty expensive here but you'll generally get one piece with your lunch at school, you can buy fruit on most street corners and it's not uncommon to haggle for a more favourable price.

If you're worried, I suggest you look for a Korean restaurant where you live and see if the waitstaff can answer your questions about what's in the food. Then you'll also have the opportunity to try some of it. And if all else fails, there are tons and tons of instant noodles until you figure the grocery situation out. It's also easy to buy plain and simple produce and just make a stir fry. But, if you are adventurous, Korean food might win your heart.

I've never been to South Korea myself, but I live in a community in Killeen, Texas that has a huge Korean population. When I was in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk, VA I also was around many Koreans there as well. All the restaurants I have been to in the Hampton Roads area of VA and in my area serve really good food. Some look a bit strange but taste great. Just remember looks can be deceiving sometimes.