THE LAND OF THE MORNING DEW

There is a well-known Azerbaijani saying: "Biz bir yerda duz-corak kasmisik" - "We shared bread and salt with each other". It has a deep meaning and people in Azerbaijan attach great spiritual significance to it. Feasting together is at times equated with a sacred event, a sacrament, during which people become closer and get some kind of charge of energy from being together, on a par with how people feel during common prayers. And if one takes into account our deep-rooted tradition, the dinner to which the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Azerbaijan, Choi Suk-inn, kindly invited us at his house should be equated with this "rite of initiation".

Pleasant conversation, Korean cuisine, traditions and rituals - that, basically, was the thrust of our visit to the Azerbaijani home of the diplomat of the Land of the Morning Dew. This was a kind of R+ "landing force", although you wouldn't describe us as that, because we regarded ourselves as welcome guests in this small corner of Korea in Baku.

Ambassador Choi Suk-inn had invited us to his home during an interview with R+ back in August. Sadly, we didn't take advantage of the opportunity to gather material about the cuisine, traditions, way of life and customs of the Koreans.

An-young-ha-se-yo - Welcome!

It has to be said that the Republic of Korea remains a mystery for most Azerbaijanis. Many of us have Korean television sets and prefer Korean household appliances, motorists drive Korean cars and young people take up Taekwondo. But what do we know about the country itself, its people and its traditions? Virtually nothing at all. However, from the basic impressions we got from our visit to the Korean ambassador's home, we realized that the Republic of Korea is not just a capitalist country from which we get cars, computers, refrigerators and much else besides. South Korea is, first and foremost, a country with fine people who, like us, deeply venerate family traditions, are compassionate and even superstitious. And respect for the elderly are not just mere words but the predestined rules of life. And if all of a sudden you have occasion to meet a Korean, don't be surprised if he straightaway asks how old you are. He needs that to decide the right way to address you.

Everything in ambassador Choi Suk-inn's home is extremely simple, clear and even neat. Youngsters - the children of embassy employees - run about in the spacious but simple sitting room. They "lark about", but play quietly. And if they suddenly go too far one stern glance from a parent is enough. Esteem for the elderly and respect for parents is one of the basic principles on which Korean education is based. It seems to me that this is the first point of contact worth talking about. Meanwhile, we began to learn something about Korean food.

Kimchiee and kimchiee in outer space

It is common knowledge that economic growth and the industrialization of society alienate people from national traditions. But this hardly applies to the Koreans even though today South Korea could be described as something of an economic miracle. Looking at their smiling, open faces and observing their gestures, assertive behaviour, tactfulness and desire to please, one begins to forget that these people are part of a highly industrialized society. Socially, Koreans will never adopt a stubborn and intransigent attitude as they are guided by respect for the other person and the importance of maintaining harmony in society. And this is of great value in Korean culture.

Attitude to cuisine is probably the one thing that unites the nation. It is on the same level as spiritual food. That was obviously why the gestures of the ambassador, demonstrating the basic dishes of Korean cooking, which were set out for us on a separate table, were extremely careful. It was as if we were at an exhibition and the diplomat was holding a work of art.

The range of dishes before us contained almost everything that makes a laid table, by Korean standards, truly imperial. There were all kinds of hors d'oeuvres - Banchan - and numerous basic dishes, such as "Mul-naengmyeon" cold soup with buckwheat noodles and boiled egg; mandu (Korean dumplings); gimbap - Korean rolls similar to Japanese sushi; dotori-muk - a jelly made from acorn starch; ttokttoki jaban - seasoned shredded beef; jang-jorim - beef simmered in soy sauce, with various spices, prawns with seaweed; samgye-tang - whole braised chicken, stuffed with sticky rice, ginseng, jujube and garlic and seasoned with salt and black pepper and chicken soup with finely chopped breast of chicken. Azerbaijanis would scarcely add various kinds of soy sauces to their dishes, such as ganjang, gochu-jang and doenjang, but for the Koreans this is food of the Gods.

But the dish for which the Koreans have a special weakness deserves special mention - cabbage kimchiee. When we say Korean cuisine, we mean, first and foremost, kimchiee. As for us, having only just heard about this Korean delicacy, we were waiting for the moment when we would be able to learn the secret of kimchiee. What is it exactly? It is a side-dish made of vegetables. In its classic form it is a sharp, sour cabbage. There are at least several dozen types of kimchiee. And, along with the national flag, Koreans regard kimchiee as the main symbols of their state which best personifies their country and its culture. And kimchiee is included in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Kinchiee is so popular in Korea that the Korea Aerospace Research Institute sent it into space with the first Korean astronaut, naturally in an edible form for the astronaut, the ambassador said, inviting us to sit down at the table. The diplomat also stressed that a true Korean housewife knows several recipes for preparing this delicacy, the secrets of which are handed down from generation to generation.

- Mr Ambassador, we know that Korean cuisine is pretty specific. What ingredients do you have to import specially from Korea to prepare various national dishes?

- To be honest, we have almost everything we need in Azerbaijan. We just cook it in a different way (smiles broadly). Well, perhaps some seafoods - seaweed, prawns, acorn starch and noodles. But practically all we need is here, and I would like to point out that all vegetables and fruit in Azerbaijan are very tasty, the diplomat noted.

To the Koreans food is a special ritual which has its own rules and traditions. In Korean cooking the portions are small compared with Azerbaijani, but at the same time there is a great variety of dishes on the table on plates and in bowls of different sizes. Apparently, you can tell from the number of dishes what kind of event is being celebrated at the table: it could be the birthday of an adult member of the family, or the birth of a child, or a certain holiday on the calendar. The Koreans use chopsticks, but forks were also laid on the table especially for us.

The main ingredients of most dishes are rice, fish, seaweed and soy products, which is typical of Asian countries. But the Koreans are not Chinese and not Japanese, and if you should suddenly say that Korean cuisine is almost the same as in China and Japan, they will straightaway try to convince you otherwise, stressing that Korean food is much healthier. Indeed, if you want to generalize, then there is much less fat in Korean dishes. The food is much lighter than normal Azerbaijani food. Therefore, as the Koreans never tire of saying, the ratio of deaths from cardio-vascular diseases is less in Korea, and the lifespan longer, than in other countries, and, generally speaking, people are slimmer. The Koreans don't use bread. When it comes to vegetables they also prefer aubergines, radishes, carrots, maize, kidney beans, sweet potato, sugar-cane plant and fern. Meat dishes are prepared from beef, pork mutton and chicken and are generously napped or marinated with sauces, but especially for us Muslims the meat dishes were prepared mainly from beef. Strangely, the Koreans do not use dairy products.

- (noticing how the ambassador skilfully handles his chopsticks) In Korean, as in Chinese and Japanese etiquette, it is customary to eat with chopsticks. But the Koreans use metal chopsticks. Why is this?

- The Koreans alongside with the Japanese and the Chinese have the tradition of eating with chopsticks. And chopsticks became a typical feature of the oriental table. Eating with chopsticks is an art in itself, with its own history and rules. But the Koreans mainly use metal chopsticks. The point is that food with chopsticks is not only convenient but beneficial to the organism, too. First of all, they work the muscles and glands of the hand which are linked by the nerve endings and the organs of the digestive system. Their constant exercising helps accelerate the digestive process and improve the body's health. Second, the technique of eating with chopsticks helps develop fine motor skills to be taught from a very young age. The Koreans believe that children who started eating with these tools as early as possible outstrip their peers, who use traditional European implements, in mental and physical development, the ambassador pointed out.

For the Koreans food is quite specific and is clearly expressed. Azerbaijanis, for example, find it difficult to imagine eating a breakfast of kimchiee. But the Koreans eat their favourite sour cabbage at any time of the day: for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If most foreigners were asked to describe it in one word, they would probably say "sharp", because of the chilli powder which is added to most dishes. They, apparently, felt sorry for us, although Azerbaijanis could not be accused of having a flat taste. We didn't try any particularly sharp dishes that day, although there was pepper there. We also recall the chicken soup because it had a taste we were more or less used to.

- We also prepare the samgye-tang chicken soup for the Sambok festival, the hottest days of the summer. It restores strength and mitigates fatigue caused by the constant heat. It is believed that samgye-tang raises body temperature, the ambassador says. Why are there hot dishes in such heat, you ask?  Since ancient times the Koreans have believed in eastern medicine, which says that although the body heats in hot weather the temperature of the internal organs remains the same. Therefore, in order to prevent disease and fatigue, the body must be heated from the inside. Samgye-tang was eaten by farmers so they did not tire in the fields in the summer heat.

- Mr Ambassador, what most impressed you about Azerbaijani food?

- Well, as I said, I love Azerbaijani fruit and vegetables. They are very tasty. And, as part of our official visits to Azerbaijan's regions, we were treated to kebab and pilau. I love kebab, and so does my wife. As for pilau, I feel the same about it, too, because there are a lot of rice dishes in Korean cuisine, the diplomat stressed.

Far but near

With each twist in our conversation, we found more and more things in common in our cultures. What is it that Koreans and Azerbaijanis can find to talk about for so long? Many people will be surprised, but it was superstitions.  Of course, they have nothing to do with Islamic religion but they exist in our society. The Koreans have plenty of them, too. We found that for them, like us, a gift must be useful. So, if Koreans give someone a purse or a bag they put money in it. The more they give, the more there is. In Korea, little children, especially before they are one year old, are not allowed to look in the mirror because a child could be frightened and even start to stammer, or worse stop talking altogether. Children wear protective amulets as a charm against evil until they are one; here, we have a gezmundzhugu, also a protective amulet. Koreans, again like us, also mustn't give children sharp objects, such as knives, scissors or pins, as this leads to conflict. If they do, they must be bought back, then everything is OK. Like us, Koreans should not greet each other at the front door. If a child is expected in a family, a Korean man first dreams about the birth of a boy. Talking to our hospitable hosts about these interesting parallels, they exchanged looks, shook their heads with the greatest encouragement and almost instantaneously burst out laughing. They are very much like us, except that the Koreans are more restrained, and their cuisine is quite different.

-  You are probably aware that Azerbaijanis celebrate Novruz - the new year on the day of the spring Equinox. The Koreans do this according to the lunar calendar in February. So we have a great many rituals that are similar…

- That's right. We call this festival Seollal. And it's strange that you, like us, visit old relatives for the New Year: grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles and aunts, depending on who is regarded as head of the family. Preparing for the holidays means a lot of work and considerable expense. You have to get provisions and presents and put your affairs in order. The family must be together on that day! The time link and the generation link are particularly strong. In the old days in Korea it used to be believed that at New Year the spirits of dead ancestors visit their folks. And in the run-up to the holidays we spend the time cleaning our houses and apartments, preparing the feast dishes and delights. Messing about in the kitchen on Seollal is not on. There are better things to do on that day. So they prepare food for the festive table in advance, the ambassador said.

You could say that Azerbaijanis do much the same - almost a carbon copy of that - on the festive days of Novruz. But what about children's education? A Korean might give up all his savings to provide a good education for his child. But, at the same time, as a rule, they may be sure that the child will justify the hopes placed in him. The point is, another national trait of the Koreans is the motive power of education. They are always learning. Education is without doubt the process which most of the inhabitants of the Land of the Morning Dew only complete when they die.

- Can it be said that all the traditions adopted in Korean society, including disciplinary, remain unchanged today? For example, we have heard that corporal punishment is provided for in Korean schools for disobedience.

- No, I don't think so. Corporal punishment has been abolished in Korean schools. Many traditions have simply become outdated. But, generally speaking, we have cultivated such a striking Korean trait as children's respect for their parents. Concern for parents is a more important duty than obligations to the state. Some sons or daughters stay on with their parents and look after them even when they get married (the same as we do - author). But parents, too, treat their children today with great sanctity. There is a very liberal way of bringing up small children in Korea. A child under 5-6 years of age is given a lot of leeway. He is rarely scolded and almost never punished. Attitudes change when the child reaches 5-6 and starts to prepare to go to school. It is then that liberalism and indulgence in a child's naughty ways are replaced by a new, strict style of education, aimed at teaching the child respect for teachers and to all who occupy high places in the adult or social hierarchy. But these methods of education have become softer of late.

- Clearly, because of this kind of education, Koreans never take decisions without their parents' approval. For example, can young Koreans get married without the blessing of their parents?

- In the past, of course, they couldn't. But now times have changed. You rarely come across such strict standards. But, generally speaking, young men and women at any age, before they get married, take their parents' wishes into consideration in the most serious way.

- Can you tell us how you met your future wife and what your wedding was like?

- We met at a friends' party, then after going out together for a while we decided to get married. Our wedding was conducted like that of all Koreans at that time according to old and new customs. According to the old rituals, at the wedding service the man and the woman put on the hanbok - Korean national dress. Before that a number of formalities must be observed. The new type of wedding is held in a ceremonial hall, like a restaurant. The guests bring money in inscribed envelopes in the form of a gift and the groom and the bride wear a modern suit and white dress.

Incidentally, another example of the national reverence of the Koreans is evident in their attitude to the hanbok, and this can be clearly seen in the Korean ambassador's home. In small niches on the walls of the living room we noticed decorative dolls in national dress. The ambassador, aware of our attention to them, said the hanbok of these dolls typifies the difference between members of the aristocracy and the Korean peasantry. However, it seemed to us that the dolls of the "high aristocracy" and the ordinary people were equally vivid and beautiful.

The genial hostess - Choi Suk-inn's wife - told us she had been charmed by Baku and she loves to stroll round the streets of the capital. But I would like to particularly emphasize the fact that his wife's frequent forays to the kitchen showed that she took immediate charge of the process of organizing lunch. We were deeply touched by this show of special respect and disposition towards her guests. It was also clear that however emancipated today's Korean ladies may be, suffice to say that the recently elected president of Korea is a woman, but the man remains head of the family. And, of course, the man-woman hierarchy is observed in the family and in public, something that is also generally apparent in Azerbaijani families.

We are, indeed, similar. At first glance this seems surprising, but by the end of our stay in the Korean diplomat's house this became obvious. Indeed, why should the people of the East not be similar to one another? At least, much of the "unusual" and "mysterious" will turn out to be if not "correct" then logical and inevitable, if you start to go into the realities that make up the life of another eastern nation. It is also inevitable that they, too, will start to understand us Azerbaijanis better and then we will simply become more understanding of one another and closer, which is vital in friendship. 

And all that remains for us is to thank our hosts for their hospitality and a splendid day which left plenty of happy memories.

PRIORITY - HEALTH

There are some things that Azerbaijanis should take a closer look at. The Koreans are one of the longest-living nations in the world. In many ways they have achieved this through non-fatty foods and engaging in sport and, generally speaking, they devote a lot of attention to their health. Of course, few Koreans eat only cooked vegetables and always do physical exercise, but concern for health is priority number one in the Land of the Morning Dew.

WHY THE LAND OF THE MORNING DEW?

Apparently, this figurative expression originates from JoseonChoson, the last Korean kingdom. "Jo" means "morning" and "seon" means "bright". "Bright morning" conjures up an image of the sun rising over the rice fields and burning a shroud of mist in the mountains, an image of morning peace and quiet, when it is possible, by inhaling the fresh air, to charge oneself with energy and prepare for the working day in the eternally moving, ever-dynamic South Korea.