Kalguksu (literally “knife noodles”), a dish of hand-cut noodles served with various ingredients in a delicious broth, is one of my favorite Korean foods. In August 2014, I arrived in Seoul for a language fellowship and started looking for a place to live with the help of my Korean friend. Tired from roaming the city all day, we found a noodle joint and went inside. While waiting for the Kalguksu to come out, I asked my friend if Kalguksu was similar to Japanese udon; he said no. After my first taste, I knew why, for Kalguksu possessed flavors fantastically different from udon. The dish was very good, with the soft noodles perfectly accompanied by the thick broth. Udon noodles are cooked first before being added to the broth, but Kalguksu noodles go straight in. Thus, while udon noodles tend to be dense and chewy and served in a clear broth, Kalguksu’s flavors come from the noodles and broth blending harmoniously.

 After that day’s meal, I sought out various Kalguksu restaurants all over the city and became acquainted with the several variations and multifarious flavors of Kalguksu. A place near where I live serves an excellent Kalguksu cooked in an anchovy broth, while another restaurant in the Euljiro area makes a delicious beef broth version. There’s also a spicy variation with clams and seafood, as well as a hearty one that uses chicken broth. Every time I encounter a new flavor among the many that Kalguksu has to offer, I’m both fascinated and delighted.
 I've spent the last few years studying abroad in the United States and Korea. Food is very special to international students like me; it offers a bridge to places where we relocate to and start our new lives, linking us with the unfamiliar societies. A lone customer quickly finishing up a dish, a group of people chatting and eating together, and diligent servers hard at work-these are all typical scenes at a local Kalguksu joint. As a student from abroad, I truly feel like I’m living a new life in Korea when enjoying a meal at such a place. Furthermore, local food such as Kalguksu teaches me not only the social and cultural differences between countries but also the diverse cultures and ways of living to be found in one country. To me, the wide range of Kalguksu served in each restaurant is a reflection of the intriguing variety of Korean food culture.
 It’s already dinnertime. It’s time to get to know new flavors and unfamiliar faces with another steaming bowl of Kalguksu.

Hiroaki Matsusaka
PhD Candidate, History, University of Michigan
KF Language Training Fellow (Sep. 2014-Aug. 2015)