I've noticed how people in different regions of South Korea eat different types of food. For instance, in the coastal cities, people favor seafood while people who live in more inland cities tend to eat more meat. Korean food is very spicy, while at the same time, the weather is very cold. I also learned that making food spicy is a way of making food safe to eat. Adding spice and pickling are ways of preserving food. Still, I imagine the spiciest food is probably meant for the colder months. I like to think they eat hot and spicy food to keep themselves warm, and over time, spicy food became a staple of the local cuisine. Soon dubu jigae certainly warms me up in the cold weather! In the sticky humid summer, people enjoy patbingsu which is Korean shaved ice with fruit and refreshing naengmyeon which is a cold noodle soup.
