Many Koreans recommend foreigners to try Korean spicy noodles called Buldak or stir-fried ramyeon. They are proud of their spicy dishes. Most Koreans believe that the cure for hangovers is a meal of a spicy hot soup. The trend has been ongoing for a long time. So much so, that for Koreans, their representative dish Kimchi, is no longer considered spicy. ‘Maepbusim’ refers to mind of people who eat spicy things well. There are many videos where Korean challenge others to experience K-Spicy on YouTube. This has led people around the globe to question why Koreans are so obsessive of the red-flavored taste of spicy foods. The Dankook Herald (DKH) interviewed Dankookians (Students of Dankook University) to find out what they think about the spicy food phenomenon.

   Gang Ji-hun, a student from the Dept. of Political Science and International Relations said, “I really like spicy food, but I am not good at eating it.” His favorite spicy food was Malatang because he said, “It tastes profound and mysterious. It is hot and I was addicted from the first time I tried it.” The reason he loves eating spicy food was its positive effects on him. He believes that eating spicy food helps him release stress. He also said he feels fuller faster because he has to drink so much water or milk while eating the hot food. He believes that the Korean culture of enjoying spicy food is great, but he pointed out that, “It is a problem when some restaurants exaggerate the spicy taste of their food because they know people like it.”

   Lee Da-yeong, a student from Dept. of Economics also likes eating spicy food and she thinks she is better at handling it than most people. The hottest food she ever ate was the chicken of Pizza Land and Chicken Princess. When she was an elementary school student, she drank 1L milk at once to be able to soften the blow of the spice she had ingested. She said “The scorching heat hit my head. It was CRAZY!” and "Truly, I think spicy food is delicious food.” It was clear that she loves to eat spicy food, however, she also thinks that it is bad for your health. She believes we should control how much we eat. She recommends foreign students try Kimchi-jjim because the dish includes many soft and tender piece of meat and soft Kimchi. But she does not recommend trying the chicken that she mentioned before. She said, “It can invite disaster! Please be careful if you decide to try it.”

   Meanwhile, other Dankookians don’t prefer spicy foods that much. Choo ji-eun, a student from School of Communications said she doesn’t like spicy food at all. She seemed to be reluctant to eat it and said she does not enjoy it. When we asked why, she said she is stressed when eating spicy food. People usually say they relieve their stress with spicy foods, but she has the opposite experience. “The hot taste is just painful”, she said. When asked what she thought about the Korean culture of enjoying hot foods, she answered it is quite popular and representative of Korean society. “There is a common emotion called Maepbusim, which means the confidence to eat spicy food. But personally, I can’t tolerate it, so I feel insensitive to cultural culinary dishes like Songju, or spicy naengmyeon, Silbi-kimchi, etc.” She recommends seasoned spicy chicken to international students, because it is not too spicy, yet students can eat it and still enjoy the red flavor of Korea.

   Lee da-hyun, a student from School of Communications also said she is not good at eating spicy food, but she likes it and always looks for it. She recounted a story about her first experience eating Yeopgitteokbokki. It was hot but delicious, so she couldn’t stop eating it. We asked why she liked spicy food, and she answered it helps her relieve stress. After she frantically downs spicy dishes, she enjoys the pain that follows. Also, she is proud of Korean culture that encourages the consumption of spicy food. She thinks it is something that differentiates Korean culture from that of other countries. She recommends Yeopgitteokbokki and Teumsae-ramyeon to international students. She said they are not only tasty but addictive and attractive. However, she didn’t recommend menus like chicken feet entailing only capsaicin for spicy taste. She said, “They are excessive and yuck, making me feel unpleasant after I eat it.”

   To find out why Koreans like the red flavor, the DKH conducted interviews with our reporters, too. One reporter expressed the opinion that the spicy taste of red pepper powder itself is delicious. In addition, through a survey we conducted, it was found that many Koreans eat spicy food to ease the effects of a hangover. However, while there are reporters who enjoy the sensation of spicy food, they also did not enjoy the pain associated with eating it. It is clear that not all Koreans like spicy food. Therefore, sometimes people who cannot tolerate spicy food feel uncomfortable with the idea that Maepbusim is so popular. A spicy taste is not only a matter of preference, but also a problem directly related to health, as it results in pain in your mouth or heartburn. Therefore, people who can't eat spicy food in Korea are often afraid of eating out or choosing a menu item when dining with others. So how can they survive in this red-flavored heaven? The most famous way to overcome the heat of the red taste is the all-around item, cheese. Spicy Korean foods are usually sold with cheese as an option, like cheese tteokbokki and cheese dakgalbi. Second, is remembering to drink a lot while you eat spicy food. If you go to a restaurant which is famous for its spicy dishes, almost all of them sell dairy products such as milk and Coolpis as well. Capsaicin is an oil-based molecule that triggers the pain receptors in your mouth into believing it is burning. Therefore, milk, which contains a protein called casein, helps breakdown the capsaicin, soothing the tingling pain faster than water. The Internet is full of unique ways to overcome a spicy taste such as gargling with olive oil and consuming dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, or cream. But, the most important thing to remember is not to eat too much of it. The next time you try spicy food, keep in mind that there are cases where people have been hospitalized after eating dangerously hot dishes. So when someone suggests a red dish for a meal, keep it moderately spicy and don’t overdo it and you will be sure to enjoy your experience.