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Life
Travel
Food

Poetry of Seoul

A little 'word steak' carved from my Korean menu.

Steve Burgess 12 Feb 2008TheTyee.ca

Steve Burgess is following his stomach around Asia, and filing reports, poems, whatever.
image atom
Korean duck stew, sans 'poison.'

I have written a poem. Or found it, but I retain all rights. I sing the song of the Insadong Big House Kunji menu in Seoul.

Many travelers in Asia have become familiar with the vagaries of translated English menus -- what is yellow squirrel with mustard vegetable? Is it spicy? Is squid gristle really a food?

Recently I wandered down a lane just off Seoul's Insa-dong antique street and came upon a nice bright sign advertising dolsot beebimbop, that likeable Korean dish of rice, egg, veggies, and meat served on a hot skillet. But once inside, I discovered it was not listed on the menu. In its place, the following: "The beef mountain not yet the pebble pot boiled rice with assorted mixings."

I read further, and took notes. Then I reshaped material from the rest of the Insadong Big House Kunji menu into the poem below. I used some repetition, changed punctuation, and moved phrases. But I did not create any phrases or word combinations that were not on the menu -- not even "Lacquer poison chicken broth," or "Compound word steak." My poem is titled:

Duck

Duck three, total company;
Duck Chinese medicine,
Duck a dish of minced raw beef,
Lifestyle duck.

Recuperation charcoal pebble, greeting east outfit at big house;
Macro fish-baking, proper form.
The item which it adds, three pressures broth;
Cast-iron wares, burden one.

Flesh of animals, beef mountain;
Not yet, not yet, the pebble pot;
The marine products mountain, not yet the pebble pot.

Lacquer poison chicken broth;
Compound word steak.
Delicacy of all land and sea;
Common octopus beef.

Duck.

All rights reserved. When in Seoul, please visit Insadong Big House Kunji. The beef mountain is excellent. But I cannot offer an informed opinion on the Lacquer Poison Chicken Broth.

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