South Koreans sympathise with Italians after seeing pineapple in kimchi stew
While it is easy to feel proud when people from overseas enjoy cuisine from your culture, seeing them adapt it to their own tastes prompts mixed reactions.
South Koreans got hit with this recently when they came across one food influencer’s take on a Korean dish.
In March, Natalia Gutierrez posted her version of kimchi-jjigae, or kimchi stew, which included pineapple to round out the dish.
The addition drew mixed reactions from South Koreans, with some expressing dismay while others found it intriguing.
A foreign twist on a traditional dish
Ms Gutierrez, who competed in the American television show Next Level Chef, said the dish was a combination of kimchi stew and a Mexican dish called al pastor.
According to the Korea Herald, the combination is not without logic.
In Mexican cuisine, pairing tropical fruit with spicy heat is common, as evidenced by pineapple, mango and watermelon being sprinkled with chilli powder and lime.
Source: @nataaliajoy on Instagram
In her video, Ms Gutierrez also called the Mexican and South Korean mash-up a “match made in heaven”.
Mixed reactions from South Koreans online
But no matter how culinarily sound the addition may be, it nonetheless prompted a wide array of reactions online.
According to the Asia Business Daily, some commenters expressed bewilderment at the addition.
Some even said they finally understood how Italians felt about pineapple on pizza.
Source: Instagram
However, others were also intrigued by the addition and said they would be interested in trying it.
This is not the first time South Korean dishes or ingredients have been adapted overseas.
In Japan, there is a recipe that adds Camembert cheese to kimchi stew to make the dish more accessible to those who are not used to the heat.
Additionally, the New York Times has also published a cookie recipe that has gochujang, or red chilli paste, as a key ingredient.
Also read: Chinese influencer mistakes nasi lemak for bak chang, apologises after netizens point out mistake
Chinese influencer mistakes nasi lemak for bak chang, apologises after netizens point out mistake
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Featured image adapted from @nataaliajoy on Instagram.
