True Taste Korea

Korean BBQ

  • Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Diet Had a Korean Secret: Korean BBQ

    When you think about Wolverine’s diet, Korean BBQ probably isn’t the first food that comes to mind.

    Protein shakes? Sure.

    Chicken breast? Probably.

    But when Hugh Jackman was asked how he built his famously muscular Wolverine physique, the Hollywood star gave an unexpected answer:

    Train hard — and Korean barbecue.

    And he wasn’t joking.

    Hugh Jackman Said He Ate Korean BBQ Every Week

    During a 2009 visit to Seoul to promote X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Jackman was asked about the intense training required to bulk up for the role.

    He mentioned Korean barbecue and revealed that he still ate it at least once a week at a restaurant in New York.

    That makes his Korean food connection much more interesting than a celebrity simply trying bulgogi during a promotional trip to Seoul.

    Jackman was already eating Korean BBQ back home in America.

    And his interest in Korean food didn’t stop there.

    Wolverine Even Cooked Bulgogi

    A few years later, Jackman appeared with his then-wife Deborra-Lee Furness on the American television series Kimchi Chronicles.

    The show explored Korean cuisine and introduced American audiences to traditional Korean dishes.

    Jackman joined chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Marja Vongerichten in the kitchen.

    What did they make?

    Bibimbap and beef bulgogi.

    Yes, Wolverine actually helped cook bulgogi.

    The program even compared Korean barbecue with the legendary barbecue culture of Texas.

    Why Would Korean BBQ Appeal to Wolverine?

    It actually makes sense.

    Korean BBQ is built around meat, but it isn’t just a giant steak dropped onto a plate.

    Take galbi, for example.

    Beef short ribs are commonly marinated with ingredients such as soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and sweetness before being grilled.

    Bulgogi uses thinly sliced marinated beef, creating a softer and sweeter flavor.

    Then comes the Korean part of the experience.

    Instead of eating only meat, diners can wrap it in lettuce, add garlic or ssamjang and eat it with kimchi and other banchan.

    It is meat-heavy enough for Wolverine but much more varied than a plain bodybuilding meal.

    Hugh Jackman Already Had a Connection to Korea

    Jackman’s affection for Korea also had a family connection.

    He explained during his 2009 Seoul visit that his father had spent significant amounts of time in Korea for business over roughly two decades and regularly brought Korean gifts home.

    Jackman had also visited Korea before and was enthusiastic about returning.

    So Korean BBQ wasn’t simply an exotic meal he discovered for a movie promotion.

    Korea had been familiar to him for years.

    Korean BBQ Before K-Food Became Cool

    Today, seeing a Hollywood celebrity eating Korean food is not particularly surprising.

    K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean restaurants have made dishes such as kimchi, bulgogi and Korean fried chicken increasingly familiar around the world.

    But Jackman was publicly talking about his weekly Korean BBQ habit back in 2009.

    That was years before Korean pop culture reached its current level of global popularity.

    So the next time you see Wolverine’s famous physique, remember:

    There was a lot

  • MAMAMOO Hwasa Ate Gopchang on TV — Then Korea Started Selling Out

    Can a K-pop idol change what an entire country wants for dinner?

    MAMAMOO’s Hwasa practically did.

    In June 2018, Hwasa appeared on the Korean reality show I Live Alone and went to a restaurant by herself.

    Her meal?

    Gopchang (곱창), grilled beef intestines.

    It sounds like a simple TV moment. But what happened afterward became one of Korea’s most memorable celebrity food crazes.

    What Is Gopchang?

    Gopchang usually refers to the small intestines of cattle or pigs, although Korean gopchang restaurants often serve several different cuts of offal together.

    At a typical restaurant, beef intestines are grilled on a hot plate with vegetables.

    The outside becomes browned and slightly crisp, while the inside remains rich, fatty and chewy.

    It’s commonly eaten with dipping sauces and often followed by fried rice cooked directly on the same grill.

    For first-time visitors to Korea, the idea of eating intestines may sound adventurous.

    For many Koreans, however, gopchang is a familiar food—especially as a meal enjoyed with drinks.

    Hwasa Didn’t Just Taste It — She Loved It

    Hwasa’s appearance was memorable because she wasn’t delicately sampling a strange dish for television.

    She genuinely enjoyed it.

    During the episode, she explained that she likes organ meats including heart, liver, makchang and daechang. She ordered beef gopchang, then continued with gopchang hot pot and fried rice.

    She was also eating alone, outdoors, in the middle of the day.

    For viewers accustomed to polished idol appearances, the scene felt unusually casual and relatable.

    Then something unexpected happened.

    The “Hwasa Effect” Hit Korea

    People watching the program suddenly wanted gopchang too.

    MBC later reported that the broadcast triggered a nationwide “gopchang craze.” Some restaurants struggled to secure enough supply, while others sold out and closed early.

    By the end of 2018, MBC was still listing Hwasa’s gopchang appearance among the year’s standout entertainment moments, noting that customers had lined up outside restaurants and that shortages followed the broadcast.

    Hwasa’s influence became so closely associated with the food that she even received a plaque of appreciation from the industry.

    One idol eating lunch had turned into a food trend.

    You Can Still Find the Restaurant

    The story didn’t disappear when the TV episode ended.

    The Korea Tourism Organization currently includes Daehan Gopchang’s Jangan branch in its guide to restaurants associated with Hallyu stars, identifying it as the restaurant where Hwasa ate grilled beef intestines on I Live Alone.

    For K-pop fans visiting Korea, that makes gopchang more than another dish to check off a food list.

    It’s a chance to try the food behind a genuine piece of K-pop pop-culture history.

    Would You Try Hwasa’s Gopchang?

    Gopchang probably isn’t the first Korean food most tourists think about.

    Korean barbecue, fried chicken, bibimbap and tteokbokki are much more familiar internationally.

    But that’s exactly why Hwasa’s choice is interesting.

    She introduced millions of viewers to something less glamorous, ate it exactly the way she wanted—and made it look so good that people across Korea went looking for it.

    So if you’re ready to go beyond the usual Korean barbecue on your next trip, remember the dish that caused the Hwasa Effect.

    Just save some room for the fried rice at the end.

  • BTS Jimin Loves Samgyeopsal — What Makes Korean Pork Belly So Special?

    What Korean food does BTS Jimin love?

    One answer has appeared more than once over the years:

    Samgyeopsal (삼겹살), Korean grilled pork belly.

    In an earlier interview, Jimin listed samgyeopsal among his favorite Korean dishes and explained that he loves meat in general. Years later, when asked about foods he enjoys with soju, he again mentioned samgyeopsal.

    So what exactly is samgyeopsal—and why is it one of Korea’s most popular meals?

    What Is Samgyeopsal?

    Samgyeopsal literally refers to pork belly, usually cut into thick slices and grilled at the table.

    Unlike heavily marinated Korean barbecue dishes, samgyeopsal is often cooked without a complicated marinade.

    That sounds simple.

    But the fun begins after it hits the grill.

    The pork becomes crispy and browned on the outside while staying juicy inside.

    Then you build your own perfect bite.

    How Do Koreans Eat Samgyeopsal?

    A typical bite might include grilled pork belly, lettuce, garlic, ssamjang and perhaps kimchi.

    Wrap everything together and eat it in one bite.

    That combination is called a ssam (쌈).

    But there isn’t just one correct way to eat samgyeopsal.

    Some people dip the meat in sesame oil and salt. Others prefer ssamjang. Some grill kimchi alongside the pork so it absorbs a little of the rendered pork fat.

    And, of course, many adults pair it with soju.

    Jimin himself mentioned samgyeopsal when discussing foods he enjoys as anju—food eaten while drinking alcohol.

    Jimin Has Loved Meat for Years

    This isn’t based on a single recent comment.

    In a 2014 interview, Jimin was asked about his favorite Korean dishes.

    His list included samgyeopsal, pork-and-rice soup, fried rice, kimchi stew, jokbal and sundae.

    He explained that he simply really likes meat and enjoys many foods containing it.

    Another Japanese magazine interview from the following period listed pork belly, kimchi fried rice and gimbap among his favorite foods.

    That makes samgyeopsal a particularly good dish to associate with Jimin: it keeps appearing in his food preferences across different interviews.

    Why Should First-Time Visitors Try It?

    Samgyeopsal isn’t only about the pork.

    It’s about the experience.

    The grill sits in the middle of the table. Everyone cooks together, shares side dishes and makes their own wraps.

    That makes Korean barbecue very different from simply ordering a cooked steak and waiting for it to arrive.

    And you don’t need to be a K-pop fan to understand why Jimin likes it.

    Once that first piece of pork belly comes sizzling off the grill, the appeal is pretty easy to understand.

    If you’re visiting Korea and want to try one of the foods BTS Jimin has repeatedly mentioned over the years, samgyeopsal is an easy place to start.