Korea

If you’ve ever been to Seoul, you’ve seen the evidence of thousands of coffee shops, one or two per corner. Over the last couple of decades, coffee has also managed to invade the homes of millions of Koreans, and stage several annual coffee festivals in Seoul and all across Korea. Korean coffee culture has gained …

​The Busan chocolate scene is all over the place. Unlike chocolate in Seoul, Busan chocolate shops are all ridiculously far apart via public transportation. It took me a few several trips to Busan to be able to visit them all, so whether you’re a visitor or a resident, the Busan chocolate scene is not an …

Every January in Seoul, either the second or third weekend of the month is dedicated to the Seoul Salon Du Chocolat, held in Gangnam’s CoEx Mall. The 4-day show features a chocolate fashion show, several international & local craft chocolate makers, and countless other little surprises. Korea isn’t typically a chocolate lover’s destination, but these …

Korea’s certainly not the first place you think of visiting when you dream of rich, melty chocolate, but it should come to mind. I’ve lived and worked here for two-and-a-half years now, sometimes even making chocolates at home. But occasionally I just need a break from the monotony of rice-based Korean sweets & saccharine K-Pop music …

You’re a newlywed in South Korea in the 1980’s, and life around you feels rigid and predictable. You know there’s got to be more to experience in the world than your family’s expectations. So where do you move to in order to find new opportunities, new faces and perspective on life? Somewhere close by, like China or …

I first met Emily when I visited her Chuncheon-based chocolate factory last June. They’d been open just over 6 months, and we sat down to chat over cups of drinking chocolate, both excited to geek out over fine chocolate & exchange bars. Fast forward about 18 months, and Emily’s celebrating two years of being open, with …

Many Koreans, young and old, enjoy lingering for an hour or two over a cafe latte, especially on weekend afternoons. For evenings, bigger cafes usually sell bottles of beer and cake by the slice. Even during the holidays and the middle of summer, Korea’s cafes are as crowded as ever. Nobody wants to sit outside, so any place …

Seoul is bursting at the seams with people and palaces (we’ve got 5) and places to eat. We must have at least one citizen from every country— sometimes we even send them to represent their embassies at trade shows. But when that trade show is for fine chocolate, well, you know you moved to the correct …

Have you seen a foreigner today? Since moving to rural Korea over a year ago, I’ve seen one every morning when I look in the mirror. I’ve become the foreigner for most people I meet. This new and constant out-of-place sensation has made me seek to understand it, leading me to then research Korean culture …

On a scale of McDonald’s to being yelled at in Cantonese, how foreign do these signs seem to you? Unless you can read and understand basic hangeul (한글), the Korean alphabet, they might be very intimidating indeed. But worry not, because below I’ve got some tips for you on what Korean to study & how, …