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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-03-13 10:02:50
*Editor’s note: K-VIBE invites experts from various K-culture sectors to share their extraordinary discovery about the Korean culture.
Choi Man-soon's Medicinal K-Food: The True Meaning of "Rice Is the Best Medicine"
By Choi Man-soon, Food Columnist and Director of the Korea Traditional Medicine Food Research Institute
The phrase "Rice is the best medicine" reflects how essential rice is in Korean food culture. As Korea’s staple food, rice is not just a dietary ingredient but is deeply connected to history, culture, and health.
Rice cultivation in Korea dates back to the Neolithic Age, about 5,000 years ago. Large-scale rice farming began around 2000 BCE, and over time—through the Three Kingdoms period, Goryeo, and Joseon—rice became a staple for Koreans. Today, Korea exports instant rice to over 40 countries worldwide, including regions as far as South America.
◇ Types of Rice and Their Benefits
Rice can be classified based on the degree of milling.
White rice is the most commonly consumed type, with the bran and germ removed. It has a soft texture and is easy to digest but contains fewer dietary fibers and vitamins.
Brown rice retains its bran and germ, making it rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. Though highly nutritious, it can be harder to digest, so it is best eaten after soaking or thorough chewing.
Germinated brown rice (GABA rice) is sprouted brown rice that enhances its nutrients, particularly Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), which helps regulate blood pressure.
Glutinous rice has a sticky texture and is often used in traditional Korean foods like rice cakes, porridge, sweet rice desserts, and sikhye (sweet rice punch). It is easily digestible and beneficial for people with weak digestive systems.
Rice can also be categorized by color, each offering unique health benefits.
Black rice is rich in anthocyanins, known for their antioxidant properties.
Red rice contains polyphenols that help boost immunity.
Green rice has high chlorophyll content, known for its detoxifying effects.
Nutritionally, rice is about 75-80% carbohydrates, serving as the primary energy source for the brain and muscles. Its 7-8% protein content supports cell formation and immunity. Additionally, B vitamins aid metabolism and reduce fatigue, while minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron contribute to bone health and help prevent anemia. The dietary fiber in rice, especially in brown rice, promotes gut health and prevents constipation.
◇ The Bittersweet Memories of Full Moon Rice
Last month’s Jeongwol Daeboreum brings back vivid memories of the five-grain rice my mother prepared with such loving care when I was a child. It wasn’t just a simple meal—it was a heartfelt prayer for our family’s health and prosperity, an offering to the household gods.
After Lunar New Year, on the 18th night, my mother lit oil lamps in every corner of the house and softly said, “If you fall asleep tonight, your eyebrows will turn white by tomorrow morning.” I vowed to stay awake, but soon I was lulled into the warm embrace of my blanket. At dawn, my mother would fetch warm water and instruct me to wash my face.
She would say, “The water is hot. Don’t just pour it anywhere in the yard—let it flow into the water channel. The little creatures living in the earth might get hurt.” Even in that simple instruction, her care for nature and wisdom shone through.
In the kitchen, my mother’s hands were busy selecting the assorted grains she had soaked the previous night. “Look, my son,” she would say, explaining, “Our family’s five-grain rice is made with glutinous rice, red beans, sticky sorghum, job’s tears, and black beans. The assorted grains are soaked overnight, and the glutinous rice is soaked in the morning.”
After carefully preparing the ingredients on the chopping board, she would mix them thoroughly in a cauldron, then pour in water while advising, “When you pour the water, only let it cover up to the back of your hand—that’s the secret to making the rice both chewy and fluffy.”
As the fire in the furnace roared and hot steam began to escape from the cauldron lid, my mother would gradually lower the flame. Once the rice water turned milky white, she would almost extinguish the fire, open the lid, and gently drizzle a little saltwater over the rice. Using a rice paddle, she mixed the contents from the bottom with utmost care, then flipped the lid over and placed freshly retrieved charcoal on top. Finally, she lit the fire one last time, let it die down, and allowed the rice to steam in its own heat.
The resulting rice was glossy and filled with a rich, savory aroma. My mother would carefully serve a bowl of five-grain rice, offering it in the kitchen to the household deity, and also place bowls at the well, the stable, and throughout the yard. I remember the scene of our entire family gathered around the ancestral table, savoring each spoonful.
That day, we visited each house in the village to share in the five-grain rice, and as dusk fell, we climbed the hill in front of our home, circling the watchtower. Amid the swirling, circular lights, laughter echoed, and the essence of Jeongwol Daeboreum filled the night sky.
The five-grain rice of Jeongwol Daeboreum was not an extravagant dish reserved for special occasions—it was a bowl imbued with my mother’s tender care, family prayers, and the warm memories of that time.
◇ Cooking Rice Through the Lens of Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'
In "The Art of War," Sun Tzu's chapter on "Nine Variations" (九變) emphasizes the importance of strategic flexibility and adapting to battlefield conditions. Just as military tactics must shift according to terrain and enemy movements, the human body requires seasonal nourishment to maintain health and resilience.
Drawing parallels between military strategy and seasonal dietary adjustments, we can categorize the best nourishing rice dishes for each season using Sun Tzu’s principles.
Spring: Preparing for Battle
Sun Tzu likened the beginning of war to the early stages of a campaign—when troops must recover their strength and be well-prepared for upcoming battles. Similarly, in spring, the body needs to recharge after the long winter. Consuming nourishing rice dishes, such as mugwort rice (ssukbap), helps replenish energy, strengthen immunity, and prevent seasonal ailments like colds and autonomic imbalances. This is akin to securing supplies and training soldiers before engaging in war.
Summer: Enduring the Onslaught
According to Sun Tzu, summer mirrors the stage in warfare when enemy attacks intensify. The sweltering heat and humidity sap physical strength, much like an army fatigued by prolonged combat. To endure, strategic sustenance is crucial—ginseng rice (insam bap), for instance, helps maintain stamina and morale, much like keeping supply lines stable in wartime. Summer also makes the body more vulnerable to external threats (e.g., illness and heat exhaustion), so reinforcing internal defenses is vital.
Autumn: Regrouping After the Battle
Sun Tzu described autumn as the period of recuperation after a hard-fought battle. If soldiers fail to recover properly, their combat effectiveness dwindles. Likewise, if the body does not receive adequate nourishment after the draining summer months, issues such as chronic fatigue and loss of appetite arise. This is why autumn is the time to rebalance the body's internal systems with restorative rice dishes like kidney bean rice (gangnang-kongbap). Neglecting health during spring and summer can lead to greater issues in autumn, just as ignoring logistics in war results in diminished forces.
Winter: Preparing for the Final Victory
Winter represents the decisive phase of war, where preserving and strengthening troops is crucial before the final confrontation. If an army weakens and morale drops at this stage, it risks defeat. Similarly, the body's resistance is lowest in winter, making it vital to reinforce physical strength. While emergency nourishment is needed in extreme cases of illness or exhaustion, true resilience is built beforehand. This is why the optimal time to consume five-grain rice (ogokbap) and other hearty dishes is in late autumn or early winter—ensuring the body is fortified before the harshest conditions set in.
Following the principles of Sun Tzu’s "Nine Variations," adjusting one’s diet with seasonal nourishing rice dishes is a strategy akin to winning a war. By preparing in advance and adapting to changing conditions, one can effectively manage the battlefield of the body and maintain overall health.
◇ Rice: The Foundation of All Food
Rice is the most fundamental staple of Korean cuisine. While there are various methods of preparing grains, rice remains the most common and essential dish in everyday life.
Korea’s dining culture has long emphasized rice over side dishes, a tradition that has remained unchanged for generations.
In classical terminology, rice is called ban (飯) in Chinese characters. It is referred to as jinji when served to elders, sura for kings and queens, and me or jetme when offered in ancestral rites. Even the verbs used for eating rice differ depending on the person—jineo hashinda for royalty, japsusinda for elders, and meokda for everyday use. This linguistic distinction reflects the hierarchical nature of traditional Korean society.
During the Qing Dynasty, scholar Zhang Ying (張英, 1637–1708) praised Korean rice in his work Twelve Theories on Rice (飯有十二合說), stating, “Koreans cook rice exceptionally well. The grains are glossy, soft, and fragrant, and the rice in the pot is evenly cooked and rich in flavor. The key to cooking good rice is to use low heat and minimal water. Careless cooking results in wasting nature’s precious gift.”
The separation of staple (rice) and side dishes evolved into Korea’s unique bansang (飯床) culture during the Joseon Dynasty. Seo Yu-gu, in Onghui Japji (甕餼雜志), wrote that “Korean rice cooking is renowned worldwide,” while Imwon Gyeongjeji (林園經濟志) detailed the importance of a properly sealed pot lid to ensure an evenly cooked and flavorful result without excessive fuel consumption.
More recently, with the global rise of “K-Food” and trends focusing on slow aging, instant rice products have gained popularity, aligning with the modern “wellness trend.”
Ultimately, the saying “rice is the best medicine” is more than just a proverb—it embodies the wisdom of a healthy and fulfilling life.
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