Lincoln Peterson

I think Korean Elementary school lunches might be one of the best in the world. I worked for a short period in an American elementary school and I was shocked at the garbage they were being served. There was only one “lunch lady” who just got a bunch of plastic packages every morning and heated them in a bunch of microwaves before the kids came to lunch.

The problem of course was not her but the lack of support the American schools got in terms of school lunch. In my school, there were 5 lunch ladies who cooked everything in the school kitchen the same day, and one nutritionist who was hired to decide the menu.

Anyways, here is an example of what is served in 1 week at a Korean elementary school!

Day 1 (647Kcal)

Soup: Acorn Jelly Soup (bottom left)

A cold soup with kimchi, Muk (like a squishy gelatin-like food made from acorns), sesame seeds, seaweed, green onions, and a sour and savory broth made from anchovies.

Rice: Oatmeal rice

Rice with oatmeal oats mixed in

Kimchi: Chonggak Kimchi (Top right)

A kimchi made from radishes.

Meat: Spicy Braised Chicken

This chicken comes a lot in school lunches here, it’s kind of soft and sweet.

Sides: Sweet Potato Corn Cheese, Korean Orange

Day 2 (764Kcal)

Soup: Rice cake soup

Ddeokguk is often eaten for the new years or birthdays. It’s rice cakes with a bone broth, beef, and eggs.

Rice: Millet rice

Rice with millet mixed in.
Kimchi: Napa cabbage kimchi

This is the most common kind of kimchi in Korea.

Meat: Smoked duck with mustard sauce

I thought this was ham but when I look now it’s duck! Duck is a pretty expensive meat in Asia.

Sides: Apple and Chicory Fresh Salad

Day 3 (718Kcal)

Salad: Quail egg, spinach, olive, tomato and corn salad

This would be right up my alley if it weren’t for the olives. It’s very rare for there to be no soup, but I think it’s because the rice came with curry today.

Rice: Beef curry and white rice

Has beef, carrots, and onions. It’s a common comfort food.

Kimchi: Napa Kimchi

Just normal kimchi!

Meat: Cheese-baked shrimp

I like shrimp, but any food where I have to get out some gloves to eat it is a minus for me.

Sides: Mango pudding

Just like mango jell-o! Wednesdays are “no leftovers” days in Korea, meaning that the menu served appeals to the palate of kids, so it’s not as healthy as the other days.

Day 4 (574Kcal)

Soup: Creamy Jjamppong

Jjamppong is a Korean style Chinese food, like a spicy seafood soup, but because it’s an elementary school they don’t really do spicy foods. It has some vegetables and seafood like clams or squid.

Rice: Multi-grain Rice

It has a mix of different grains, so I’m not sure what’s in it.

Kimchi: White Kimchi

It’s fermented Napa cabbage, but not spicy (they don’t put in gochugaru)

Other: Mapo Tofu

It’s Chinese food, tofu in a sauce made from fermented chili beans, soy sauce, and a bunch of other stuff. It’s supposed to be spicy, but school lunches are never really spicy.

Tacos?

This Korean taco does not hold a candle to the American tacos. Why do they always cut the tortilla into fourths?

Day 5 (676 Kcal)

Soup: Dweji-gukbap / Pork Soup

A soup popular in southern Korea.

Rice: Perilla rice

Rice containing perilla grains

Kimchi: Radish Kimchi

Another day of radish kimchi.

Meat: Fried chicken and chili sauce

I don’t think it’s very good for you, but the kids went crazy.

Side: Green pepper seasoned with Doenjang

This is called Gochu Doenjang in Korean and it’s one of my favorite side dishes ever. Doenjang is kind of like miso, fermented soybeans in a paste, though it has a stronger taste and different purpose than Japanese miso.

The best part of these lunches is they are either free or very cheap for staff! I think it costed me about 2,500 won per day which is like 2 dollars, just deducted from my paycheck each month.

Thanks for reading until the end. Bye!