The Cultural Values of Korean Barbecue
Food is the heart and soul of many different cultures. It is what brings people together, whether it be for celebrations or casual events. This idea of sharing experiences and bonding over food is why Korean barbecue has translated well across borders. People love the idea of sitting at a big table and sharing food with those around them who are usually loved ones like friends and family. They also love the idea of being able to cook for themselves and others when going out to eat with others as it serves as an interactive activity for all. Everybody can participate and be included in the whole feast, making it a much more memorable experience.
These two cultural values of sharing and caring for others is what contributes to the popularity of Korean barbecue that has risen to this day. Everyone loves its inclusivity and warm energy as it allows people to cook and prepare food for their loved ones at the table. This reflects how Korean citizens tend to care about not only themselves, but others just as equally as well. They tend to be more global citizens compared to Americans with their priorities and cultural values. I think this is what many people outside of Korea love about Korean barbecue, which is that it is more globally focused rather than nationally and that it emphasizes the idea of equality. This further contributes to the growth, popularity, and successful translation of Korean barbecue across borders.
Through the gaining of this popularity, however, there have been bumps and changes along the way. For example, I do feel that sometimes rather than genuinely going for the activity, people go out to eat Korean barbecue to follow a trend due to its increased popularity over time that can be seen through photos on social media platforms such as instagram and snapchat. Many users will go and post pictures just for the aesthetic and because of the fact that they know it’s popular, degrading and not fully appreciating the value of the activity. I feel like the meaning of the meal gets lost through this over time because of social media culture here in America where a lot of the time one’s feed and aesthetic on their social media accounts matter more than the actual meaning or purpose of the photo. Although it may seem like the nature of Korean barbecue was deteriorating from this, it was actually doing the opposite and made people who go regularly appreciate and understand the idea and translation of Korean barbecue much better. To conclude, the message and meaning of Korean barbecue does translate well across borders because of its cultural values of sharing and caring for others which are two factors that are important to many.
