December 09, 2004

VISIT DELIGHTS TROOPS

The president has made a surprise visit to troops in Iraq. No word yet on whether he carried any plastic kimchi.

UPDATE. Stephen W. writes: "Am I missing a joke somewhere? Ever since my first Korean 'banquet' I've assumed kimchi was always made of plastic."

UPDATE II. Speaking of alien cultures, I've done won me a prize!

Posted by Tim Blair at December 9, 2004 12:53 PM
Comments

Isn't it time for a new poll? Who's this "John Kerry" anyway, his name sounds familiar.

Posted by: Naomi at December 9, 2004 at 01:12 PM

SoKos treat their president with respect, even when they have differences. Plastic kimchi will not be a problem.

Posted by: Rebecca at December 9, 2004 at 01:13 PM

I really like the courage of the coalition of coerced and bribed making trips into iraq like that. I mean, all of them can't be directed to by the state department of the US can they?

Freedom never smelt so good this Christmas.

Oh yeah, and a new poll is definately in order...

Posted by: Peted at December 9, 2004 at 04:39 PM

As I recall, 'kimchee' smelt like burning plastic but, that aside, I always understood that it was made from (relatively) edible ingredients. I've been 'told' that (to the educated palate) it's tasty, but in a two year deployment I never got drunk enough to try it. Another missed opportunity, (sigh)............

Posted by: Boss Hog at December 9, 2004 at 04:44 PM

I never understood how someone could spend a year or two or five in Korea and not try kimchi. Cripes, it's only cabbage, garlic, and red pepper that's been pickled. (I.e., spicy/garlicky sauerkraut).

Posted by: David Crawford at December 9, 2004 at 07:06 PM

Umm, kimchi!

Posted by: jorgen at December 9, 2004 at 07:29 PM

That's not his real nose! He spent half his time in Iraq on "vacation"! And when he was speaking to those "soldiers" I think he was actually being fed his lines through a radio unit...

Posted by: Michael Moore at December 9, 2004 at 08:07 PM

good for him

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at December 9, 2004 at 10:49 PM

God Bless the South Koreans.

Posted by: Crusader at December 10, 2004 at 12:05 AM

They host a great World Cup.

Posted by: crash at December 10, 2004 at 01:12 AM

and their kimchi is good too.

Posted by: Rebecca at December 10, 2004 at 01:32 AM

Gotta admit I developed a taste for kimchi when I spent a year at Camp Casey.

But my spousal unit won't let me eat real Korean kimchi. She says that after a serving of it, I sweat garlic for a week.

Mmmmm....kimchi....

Posted by: Beryl Gray at December 10, 2004 at 04:00 AM

There's more to kimchi than just cabbage. Spinach, radish, cucumber, turnip, parsnip, gai choy, gai lan, ...

And all the germans can do is come up with sauerkraut.

Posted by: SteveH at December 10, 2004 at 06:11 AM

And all the germans can do is come up with sauerkraut.

Given the comments about kimchi above, I think I'll continue to appreciate the simplicity of sauerkraut. :)

Posted by: PW at December 10, 2004 at 06:23 AM

Then there's water-kimchi. Cabbage and water, left to ferment for a while. Tastes as bad as it sounds, actually, I think it tastes worse.

Now the spicy versions - fermented cabbage with with fish heads, chilli, garlic etc - now they're good.

Re: Sauerkraut:
The Germanys have perpertrated many a culinary atrocity. I happen to like kohl-und-pinkel, but their habit of eating raw pork mince... is unsanitary and unsightly. I'm fond of a spot o'Black Pudding, but Blutwurst is an abomination.

But by far the worst is what they do to Asian Food. Never, on any account, try a German interpretation of "Chow Mein". As for what they do to Nasi Goreng...


Posted by: Alan E Brain at December 10, 2004 at 09:57 AM

I've been eating kimchi since I was like... two. It's some good stuff, if you don't eat the sweet crap.

Posted by: Danielle at December 10, 2004 at 12:30 PM