A Taste of How Korean Culture Has Become International… in Southern California


It’s no secret that Korean culture is huge internationally and has been for a long time, whether it’s K-pop, Korean dramas, or kimchi. I love it, but I still find it weird, especially when I’m in Southern California, where I remember (from many, many, many years ago) Korean culture being the exclusive province of Korean people, and everyone else being completely ignorant or suspicious of it.

Yesterday, I had lunch with my mom at Yigah in Garden Grove, which specializes in Korean beef soups. As we left, I held the door open for a UPS delivery man carrying a large box. As this older white man walked through the door, he said, “감사합니다” (“thank you”) without missing a beat, which left me chuckling.

Afterward, my mom and I went to Arirang Market to pick up some groceries. At the Korean barbecue stand, I noticed to my surprise that each menu item had the Vietnamese equivalent written underneath (pictured above). I pointed this out to my mom, who shrugged her shoulders, and said, “Vietnamese people love 불고기 (bulgogi).” (Garden Grove is also known as Little Saigon because of its large Vietnamese population.)

As folks become more exposed to and enamored with Korean culture, I delight in the subtle nuances that most people don’t know. At Yigang, I had 육개장 (yukgaejang), a delicious, spicy, beef brisket soup made with mountain vegetables. I imagine many people enjoy it. What they may not realize is that “개” translates to “dog,” which is what this dish was originally made with. 육개장 was a peasant dish, but when the Korean nobility (양반) discovered they liked it, they started making it with beef instead.