Feminism And Food In South Korea

South Korean men love to talk about how certain Korean foods and alcohols give "stamina" to all the dudes.  And by "stamina," of course they mean great big boners:

"'It is popular to talk about stamina foods,' said Jung Seo-young, a chef and founder of Bburi Kitchen, a traditional Korean cooking school. '[Korean] society is very conservative, and talking about one’s sex life is taboo,' so talking about 'stamin' is a subtle way to broach the subject.

Besides associations with traditional concepts of healing, male-oriented foods are often touted for their anthropomorphic qualities, said Jung.'For example, an octopus’s [phallus-shaped] tentacles moves vigorously. In [texts] from the Chosun dynasty [1392–1910], they advised people to eat it for stamina.'

Jenna Park, a 26-year-old recent graduate in Seoul, said that her ex-boyfriend would tell her not to eat all of the eel when they went out for dinner together. 'He said the tails, which are said to be the most powerful part of the eel, were better to be eaten by men like him.'

Female sexuality, however, remains a major taboo, and foods in Korea that are catered to women usually focus on beauty or motherhood."

In English, there's no good word for "male slut" because sexually adventurous men are considered virile, handsome, and capable.

You can see the transposition here to Korean food -- there are no female stamina foods, because sexual ability isn't something women are supposed to enjoy, let alone compare and revel in with their female friends.

And it is shocking to live in a country that is known for being so sexually conservative (repressed?) but routinely walking into a noodle restaurant decorated with thick wooden cocks (no accident -- the glans have all been lovingly polished) or, as mentioned and pictured, being invited to end a rigorous hike with a few shots of Erection Wine.

Hell, I don't even react to the double-barber pole handjob parlors any more.

Cultural coding is for real.

Anyhow, it seems like I've been bringing in some pretty mine-laden topics to my adult classes recently, but they've responded well and more openly than I expected.  And there are still plenty of "neutral" topics I bring in for them, but I think for a long time I've underestimated their willingness to talk about their personal experiences as Koreans.