Destination Korea! Shocking and Unusual Foods

Now I'm not talking about electrifying, but just a warning, this post will contain a couple photos that some may find graphic.

One of my favorite things to to when visiting a city is finding the local market and seeing the local foods. Walking the street and finding that street market is like striking oil! In Busan there is such a variety of fish markets, I kept wandering into “Fish Market Villages”. Now thats not the point of this post.

What made stop in my tracks wasn't all the usual fish market-y type items but this one street that had the most unusual items for sell. It was in the furthest, most dark corner of the village and almost seemed like it had its own little black cloud over it. The rest of the market was bustling with transactions and bartering but not this corner; oddly it was silent. As I walked slowly from booth to booth, I saw containers filled with live frogs and live turtles.

Wondering if I had walked in to the exotic pets area, I paused at one of the stands where there was a small gathering forming. What I quickly came to realize was they were preparing for a meal and the menu called for boiled soft shell turtle. A very grim fate awaited these animals, and they don't even know it.

This brought me to think about the other unusual food that are eaten in Korea. Even the all to stereotypical dog meat dish, which is taboo as well.

I have been willing to dive into some of the dishes I would have never normally ate like: Sea Snails, Eel, Raw Fish; different cuts of meat like beef intestine, large and small, which can be eaten raw, pig's neck and feet. I Have Not eaten dog in Korea, nor have I witness any area where dog is prepared, just to clarify.

Is this unusual just for me? Has anyone had any experience eating frog or turtle soup? Should I take the plunge and have a taste?

 

 

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