Dish of the Month (DoTM) – MAY 2016 – KOREAN

Indeed. Particularly in the hotter south, which is the food most of us are familiar with in the U.S. North Korean cuisine is actually less spicy with more subtle flavors. White kimchi, for example, is a dish that hails from the north.

.[quote=“Porthos, post:60, topic:3213”]
. It was probably bad but I couldn’t detect any off odors
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yeek

we’re going off topic, but who cares since it’s no longer may; northern vietnamese cuisine is also supposed to be more subtle in comparison to its central and southern counterparts.

as for spiciness more in southern/hotter regions, i’ve figured it was as much to the unique properties of capsaicin (sp?) which includes deregulating one’s body temperature system.

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It’s supposedly the reason the French are historically known as the best sauciers. It was to mask rancid meat.

There’s also an economical factor. Poorer people were forced to eat the scraps and bad cuts of meats. They used lots of spices or long cooking methods. Some of our most beloved foods originated with the poor. Look at soul food: gravies (smothering), ham hocks & greens, pigs feet, gizzards.

…well I can’t exactly say I’ve eaten a pigs foot. But you get my drift.

You should try the trotters at chi spacca. Fucking amazing if they still got em.

next DOTM???

You’re so bad

Oh boy

i’m not sure, but “deregulating” may not quite be the right word. the capsaicin(sic?) actually helps you regulate
your body temp by making you sweat, which then evaporates and cools you to the temp you’re supposed to be.
that’s why hot climates, if i understand correctly, feature spicy cuisines.

I didn’t take pictures because I got my lunch to go today, but lately I’ve been obsessing on the cold noodles from Yu Chun on Olympic just east of Western. When I ate them the first time in the restaurant I almost choked on the noodles. They weren’t cut enough. I was swallowing noodles that were hanging out of my mouth, still in the bowl! I couldn’t get a grip on it. But getting them to go is a much better experience for me. I can cut the noodles myself and also, because of how it’s packaged to go, I can control the spice level. I also like that I can run across the street to Jun Won Banchan and grab a few things to add to my lunch :slight_smile:

Yuk… I’d rather give pigs foot than eat it.

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that;s part of it, but capsaicin also interferes with your nervous system in terms of experiencing sensation, including pain and air temperature. capsaicin’s used as an analgesic, and i think it was the eskimo population, when peppers were introduced into their diet, where there was a marked increase in the incidence of exposure; unable to feel how cold it really was, they’d go out and remove their clothing thinking it was warmer than it really was. perhaps disrupting is more appropriate vs deregulating.

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… and such gifted perfumiers as well !!!

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lol. I’m a graphic designer—so “sterile” works for me. I spend my days eliminating unnecessary visual clutter.

I think, for the most part, that the people you dine with create the vibe just as much as the physical space, food and service.

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Yes, so much yes. Love that dish.

Don’t knock it till you try it. One of my fave comfort foods is mom’s stewed pig’s foot in soy sauce with five spice in it. The sauce is so fragrant and thick with gelatin. The meat and fat luscious and unctuous. A bowl of white rice to go with that dish and a wet towel next to me because I’m a slob and I’m a happy, happy man.

Some might say offal…

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Touché!

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Okay I’ve met my offal puns quota for the week

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