Korean Garlic Culture – Why Koreans Eat So Much Garlic
1. The Bear, Garlic, and the Dangun Myth In a previous post, we talked about the Dangun myth, the famous Korean founding story where a bear and a tiger entered a cave hoping to become human. Do you remember that part of the story? If you have not read the Dangun myth yet, you may enjoy starting with that story first. 👉 Read the Dangun myth here Hwanung told them that if they stayed away from sunlight for 100 days and ate only mugwort and garlic, they would become human. In the end, the bear endured the long and difficult time. She became a woman, known as Ungnyeo. Koreans often say, half-jokingly and half-affectionately, that we are descendants of that patient bear. Perhaps that is why garlic still feels so familiar and comforting to many Koreans today. Illustration created for bookicooki. 2. Korean Garlic Consumption in Numbers When someone asks, “Do Koreans really eat that much garlic?” these numbers are usually the first thing that comes to mind....