Why Korean School Lunches Will Leave You Jealous
Growing up in the US, my school lunches were a predictable rotation of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, greasy fries, and cardboard-like pizza. So, when I experienced Korean school lunches for the first time, I was shocked how well-rounded and delicious Korean school lunches were.
When it comes to school lunches, Korean public schools stand out for their balanced, nutritious, and flavorful meals that not only the students love, but the teachers love too.
The pictures of my daughter’s lunch make me hungry every day and they’ll make you hungry too:
- The Daily Essentials of a Korean School Lunch
- Variety and Seasonality: Keeping it Interesting
- A Parent’s Perspective on School Lunches
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The Daily Essentials of a Korean School Lunch
Korean school lunches are well planned and balanced and typically feature:
- Soup: A warm bowl of soup is a daily staple, ranging from savory seaweed soup (miyeok-guk) to hearty soybean paste stew (doenjang-jjigae), but there are so many other options including nurungji, scorched rice soup, one of my daughter’s favorites.
- Rice: A serving of steamed white or mixed-grain rice complements the other dishes.
- Kimchi: Korea’s iconic fermented vegetable dish is a constant presence, offering a burst of flavor and probiotics.
- Protein Side Dish: From braised pork to grilled mackerel or stir-fried tofu, there’s always a protein.
- Fruit or Vegetable Side: Seasonal fruits like apples or grapes and vegetable dishes like sautéed spinach or pickled radishes provide essential vitamins and variety.
- Milk: Whole milk is often served, either with lunch or as a mid-morning snack, or for my daughter a soy milk since she’s lactose-intolerant.
Abalone porridge (전복죽), Egg tart (에그타르트), (톳양피무침), Cabbage kimchi (배추김치), Persimmon (감)
(기장쌀밥), Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개), Braised potato side dish (감자조림), (뱅어포볶음), Fried zucchini side dish (애호박빵가루튀김), Cabbage kimchi (배우김치)
These meals focus on minimally processed ingredients and balance flavors, aligning with the general principles of Korean cuisine. I’ve had some of the best food in Korea at the public schools and private schools I worked at.
Language tip: Before you eat, whether you’re sitting with students or fellow teachers, make sure to say jal meokgesseumnida (잘 먹겠습니다). Like saying Bon appetit before diving in, it’s a polite way to say “I will eat well”, or “I will enjoy this meal”.
Variety and Seasonality: Keeping it Interesting
While the structure of the meal stays generally consistent, except when they’re serving a western style lunch like above, the menu rotates daily. There are no repeats throughout the week or even for a couple weeks at a time usually.
With a professional nutritionist on staff, the meals are well thought out and consistently delicious. Seasonal ingredients play a significant role in the meal so that everything is fresh as well. Spring may bring dishes with greens like mugwort, while winter features hearty stews and root vegetables.
Barley rice (보리쌀밥), Nurungji or scorched rice soup (숭늉), (청포묵무침), Stir-fried garlic and anchovy side dish (마늘멸치볶음), Grilled chicken topped with cheese (치즈불닭구이), Cabbage kimchi (배추김치)
Barley castella cake(보리카스테라), Anchovy noodle soup (멸치국수), Cucumber and onion side dish (오이양파생채), Cabbage kimchi (배추김치), Sikhye a sweet rice drink (식혜)
Mallow soup (아욱국), Cabbage with ssamjang sauce (양재추+쌈장), Stir-fried pork with mushrooms and carots (돼지고기새송이볶음), Fried shrimp in a chili sauce (깐쇼새우칠리소스), Cabbage kimchi (배추김치)
Chicken soup with knife-cut noodles (닭칼국수), Broccoli with vinegar red chili paste (브로콜리초고추장), Fried dumplings (복만두), Cabbage kimchi (배추김치)
Black rice (검정쌀밥), Beef army stew (쇠고기부대찌개), Steamed squid (오징어찜), Seasoned acorn jelly salad (도토리묵무침), Roasted seaweed (구운김)
Abalone seaweed soup (전복미역국), Mung bean sprouts with water parsley (숙주미나리무침), Soy sauce chicken (간장치킨), Cream cookie (크림쿠키)
A Parent’s Perspective on School Lunches
Having worked in several schools in South Korea, I’ve had the opportunity to try an impressive array of school lunches. Now that my daughter is in elementary school, I get daily snapshots of her lunches, and I’m often envious of her vibrant and balanced meals! She comes home raving about the food and I couldn’t be happier about that.
As parents, we’re also invited in to school once a semester to eat and try the food ourselves. Not only is it a free lunch, but great to see how the standards are holding up and meet the amazing lunch staff that continues to keep our kids happy.
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