Latest Korean New Words and Buzzwords about Food and Eating

We’ll go through some of the most popular Korean neologisms, slang, and buzzwords that you’ve heard in K-dramas, K-pop stars’ live broadcasts, Korean TV shows, and Korean movies one time or another.

Koreans value eating healthy and delicious food. They believe that delicious food is an important part of life and helps them feel happy. This is why there are many beautiful expressions to describe food in Korean. In the same way, many new words, slang, abbreviations, and buzzwords about eating and food are created in Korean, and they are often used in everyday life.

If you use these words in the comments of your Korean friends or favorite Korean celebrities on social media, they will respond “How do you know Korean so well?”, and be very moved.

Mukbang

먹방

Mukbang is a live-streamed video in which people watch the host eat. This word comes from the Korean language and means “eating show.”

Mukbang is a live broadcast in which the broadcaster eats food while talking to viewers. Muk-Bang 먹방 is an abbreviation coming from two Korean words; “Muk-Neun” 먹는, which means “eating,” plus “Bang-Song” 방송, which means “broadcast.” 

Mukbang was starting to become popular in South Korea in 2009 with the rise of AfreecaTV, a live streaming platform. Right after, the new word “mukbang” was added to the Korean dictionary in South Korea. In 2013, the word was included in the Oxford English Dictionary. 

YouTubers who do mukbangs are called mukbang YouTubers or mukbangrer. The mukbang YouTubers usually have a lot of food in front of them, and they eat a lot of it. 

Mukbang YouTubers have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they provide both entertainment and information about food to viewers. Some mukbang YouTubers also offer ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) broadcasts, in which they eat quietly so that viewers can relax and fall asleep.

Some mukbang YouTubers even have sponsors who send them free food. And sometimes mukbang YouTubers often get paid by viewers for eating the food on their live broadcasts.

Mukbang is popular because it allows viewers to feel as if they are eating with the YouTuber. It satisfies people’s curiosity about what others are eating and how much they are eating. It also helps people relax and reduces stress.

Since South Korea is the origin of mukbang YouTubers, there are many famous mukbang YouTubers in Korea. Among them, ‘HAETNIM the short mouth’ is recommended.

The above video is the mukbang YouTube content of ‘HAETNIM the short mouth’, SHINee’s Key, and Girls Generation’s Taeyeon. This content gives you a sense of happiness because you feel like you are chatting happily while having a meal with them.

Mukstagram

먹스타그램

Mukstagram is a new words in South Korean which means a food-related Instagram account that introduces pretty and delicious food.

Muk-stagram is a combination of the words “muk-da (먹다)”, which means “eat” in Korean, and “Instagram.” 

Mukstagram is a new Korean neologism that was created in early 2010, and it is becoming more popular among young people MZ generations in South Korea. Since then, many mukstagram posts have been created, and the word has become more popular. 

Mukstagram is popular because it allows people to share their food experiences with others. It also helps people find new restaurants and dishes to try. People use Mukstagram to share pictures of their food, what they are eating, and where they ate it. 

There are several types of mukstagrams. One type is an account that only posts pictures of food. Another type is an account that provides information about where to buy the food and how to make it. 

Mukstagram accounts are becoming more popular because they allow people to see pictures of food from famous restaurants without having to go there. 

If you look for the hashtag “#먹스타그램 (mukstagram)” on Instagram, you’ll find a slew of mukstagram photos that will make your mouth water.

Maebbusim vs Maebjjili

맵부심 VS 맵찔이

Maebbusim 맵부심

Maebbusim is a new Korean word that means feeling proud to eat spicy food well. 

Maebbusim is an abbreviation for “maeb-da (맵다)” meaning “hot spicy” and “jabusim (자부심)” meaning “pride” in Korean. This Korean new word is used to describe someone who has confidence in eating spicy food well.

Koreans have “maebbusim” as a default setting. Korean food has lots of spicy. Kimchi is just an example of spicy Korean cuisine. As a result, Koreans believe that if they can’t eat spicy food well, they feel like children and are embarrassed by it. 

On the other hand, Koreans think that if they eat spicy food well, they are strong adults. They feel proud about it. This neologism “maebbusim” is a new Korean buzzword to express pride in eating well and enjoying spicy food. 

In the Korean drama “Vincenzo,” there’s a scene of the “maebbusim” battle of Vincenzo (Song Joong-ki) and Ok Taecyeon. This is a really cute and funny scene between Song Joong-ki and Ok Taecyeon, who pretend to eat well even though they can’t handle spicy food.

Maebjjil-i 맵찔이

Maebjjil-i is a Korean neologism that means someone who can’t eat spicy food. This is the antonym of ‘maebbusim’.

“Maebjjil-i” is a new word, an abbreviation for two Korean words: “maeb-da 맵다” meaning “hot spicy” and “jjijil-i 찌질이” meaning “a loser and greenhorn”. This newly coined word is used to describe someone who can’t eat hot spicy food. 

Koreans have a saying, “If you can’t eat kimchi, you’re not a Korean.” Kimchi is just an example of one of the many spicy dishes in Korean cuisine. As a result, many Koreans believe that if they can’t eat kimchi or other spicy food well, they are not adults but children. They feel embarrassed by it. 

Korean tend to think that someone who can’t eat spicy food is not a real adult yet. So this neologism “maebjjil-i” is mainly used to describe someone who can’t eat spicy as a little teasing.

In the K-drama “Tale of the Nine-Tailed”, this is a lovely scene in which Lee Dong-Wook eats spicy food. He can’t handle spicy food, but he eats it together with the heroine who likes spicy food.

In this scene, Lee Dong-wook said, “I’m not a maebjjil-i” while crying because the food was spicy. And he eats the spicy food with her.

Welcome to the World of Fun New Korean Words

There is one Korean greeting expression, “bab meog-eoss-eo? 밥 먹었어?”, which means “Did you eat?”. Koreans think that if you can regularly have meals, it shows that your life is in a comfortable state.

Koreans value food culture. So always, there are so many new Korean words related to food and eating. Mukbang, Mukstagram, maebbusim, and maebjjil-i are just some of the latest buzzwords.

Food and eating are important aspects of Korean culture, so it’s no surprise that there is a slew of new words and buzzwords related to the topic. Whether you’re interested in learning more about Korean food culture or just want to sound like a native speaker, be sure to add these new words to your vocabulary!

We hope you enjoyed learning about some of the latest Korean words and buzzwords related to food and eating. Be sure to add them to your vocabulary so you can sound like a native speaker the next time you’re chatting with friends or family over dinner. Have a great meal!

Thank you for reading 😉 Gamsahabnida 감사합니다.

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