Seafood in action

It doesn't feel like it, but I've lived in Korea for over half a year now. In many ways I feel rather settled in and adjusted for the culture here. But recently I have been reminded that I am still very much a foreigner.

Dried squid. It's a classic Korean snack, comparable to beef jerky or chips. It is the kind of quick and cheap snack you can easily grab at a convenience store.

Isaac has brought it home a few evenings, ripping off chewy pieces of the squid jerky while the salty fishy smell pervades the living room.

One night this week we were relaxing, me on the couch and Isaac on the floor just in front of me. He turned around with lips pursed and a dried tentacle sticking out of his mouth. I didn't know if I should be grossed out or seize the moment and snap a picture. I just kind of froze, shocked, hoping he wouldn't come closer.

That was the moment it hit me. When it comes to fishy foods here, I still feel very uncomfortable. I am still very American.

Let's talk about seafood. I love fish. Since coming to Korea, I have had lots of delicious fish and have also expanded my repertoire of edible underwater creatures a bit.

I would eat this every day if I could. Fresh salmon sushi, veggies, rice and some fish eggs. It is so crispy, fresh and delicious. And this bowl cost 6,000 won, so it's about as much as a combo at McDonald's.

Did I mention fish eggs? I love anything with fish eggs. It is a really fun texture, many tiny balls that stick to your teeth. At a sushi buffet, I tried this delicious kind for the first time where it is like a slice of many fish eggs stuck together.

Another time we ate this kind of dried fish that I can't help but call fish jerky. This restaurant was in the countryside where they dry or cure (whatever the term is) it themselves. It was salty and chewy and tasty.

And I've shared before about how wonderful Korean sushi is. The picture below is from a restaurant near our place. It is called 대박회집, which means awesome raw fish house.



Oftentimes you'll find the blank faces of fishy friends in the side dishes that are served at Korean restaurants too.

Those little black eyes.

Gummy and swirly tentacles sneak into other foods too. They are regular members of many stews, soups and noodle dishes. And it's such a normal thing, oftentimes they are not mentioned in the menu description. Below was a vegetable pancake.

At a Chinese restaurant, this was simply described as warm chicken soup.

I say all of that to defend what is coming next. I've crunched on tiny anchovies, sucked tiny snails from their pointy shells and slurped on seaweed that somehow tasted like brownies. But I have found my limit. I draw the line at live octopus.

Actually, sometimes, just to be safe, I draw the line at anything with tentacles.

This is one of the many dishes that is served at the awesome raw fish house. Knowing that yummy food is coming that I will heartily enjoy, I have no motivation to chew on curly octopus arms, even if they are immobile.

As Isaac and his dad were munching on the live octopus, I heard his father say something like "to Americans octopus is not good."

Strengthened out of shyness by the still squirming seafood, I replied in Korean, saying "to Americans this is terrifying." He laughed and replied that it was delicious. I just told him "I trust you."

I told Isaac maybe next time I will try, but probably not. Maybe it is just mind over matter, and I am being unnecessarily squeamish. But in my mind, there are plenty of new foods here other than live octopus that I would rather try.