Chinese food is difficult for Koreans to accept – a wall of smell and texture.

Chinese food is popular in Korea, but there are still some limitations Koreans find difficult to overcome.

It's not simply a matter of taste, but a cultural distance. Today, we'll explore five of these unfamiliar barriers.

🐸Bullfrog (Nuwa) – The Unexpected Texture of a Frog

A common dish in mainland Chinese restaurants, bullfrog, a dish that makes most people cringe at the mere mention of it, but in China, it's considered a delicacy packed with protein.

It's softer than chicken, and when stir-fried in mala (Korean spicy) sauce, it explodes with flavor. In some regions, there's even a saying, "Mala is incomplete without bullfrog."

However, the psychological barrier to eating frog remains high for Koreans.

The unique texture—chicken on the outside, fish on the inside—completely defies familiar stereotypes.

🦆 Rabbit Head and Duck Head – A True Delicacies, Even the Head is Eated

Sichuan Street's signature dishes are tudu (兔头) and yatou (鸭头).

Simmered in a spicy sauce, they're eaten with your hands, and the key is to devour the brain, tongue, and cheek meat.

For Chinese people, the head is the pinnacle of flavor, but the very idea of "eating the head" is unfamiliar to Koreans.

At tudu specialty restaurants, friends each pick up a head and tear it open like crab meat. Just watching this scene makes Koreans think, "I can't do that..."

🐢 Jia Fish – The Line Between Health Food and Instinct

In China, jia fish (甲鱼) is considered a luxurious health food.

While it's said to be beneficial when cooked with herbal medicine, jia fish is rarely considered a food ingredient in Korea.

Cooking methods that use raw shells and blood can feel overwhelming, like "the very creature before you is being served on your table."

However, in China, natural forms are considered the true essence of food. The worldview of "not rejecting nature" underlies this.

🐛 Insect Cuisine – A Philosophy of Eating Nature as It Is

In southern China, insects like pupae, crickets, scorpions, and bamboo worms have long been beloved as traditional snacks.

Fried, they are crispy and savory, and rich in protein, they've recently gained attention as "eco-friendly protein foods." While this may seem unfamiliar to Koreans, in China, it's considered a culture that embraces nature's bounty without fear.

The philosophy of "if you can eat it, you can cook it" underlies a cultural perspective that embraces nature in harmony rather than fear.

🧠Pig Brain – The Ultimate Texture Softer Than Your Tongue

Pig brain dishes (猪脑) are often featured in hot pot and mala-tang.

When cooked in hot broth, its creamy, soft texture melts like foie gras.

While it's considered a luxury ingredient in China, for Koreans, the texture itself is terrifying.

The moment you put it in your mouth, its mushy texture and the thought, "This is the brain..." cross your mind.

In that moment, you feel more than just food; you feel the "limits of culture."

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It's not that you can't eat it, it's just a "foreign world."

These five dishes aren't just a challenge; they're the first gateway to a deeper understanding of Chinese cuisine.

They may seem unfamiliar and disconcerting at first, but they hold a long history and a philosophy about ingredients.

But this is just the beginning. In the next installment, "Chinese Foods That Koreans Really Difficult to Accept, Part 2," we delve into a truly extreme culinary world—blood, intestines, eggs, and even live ingredients. Are you ready?

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