f Meals in Medieval Korea

During medieval times, Koreans were known to have had only two meals a day. These two meals were breakfast and supper and they were referred to as joseok (morning and evening [meal]). Occasionally, however, people would have a lighter meal known as jeomshim. The original meaning of jeomshim was “light-eating”, to lighten-up people’s subdued minds on account of their empty stomachs, but it eventually changed into a midday meal because the snack was usually taken at midday. Koreans soon started having jeomshim in the summer when the daytime was long and also while working hard and engaged in physical labour which would consume vital energy. Added to this, there was another meal, irunbab (early meal), which rich Koreans took in the morning before breakfast. Koreans ate more food than any other people or nation in Asia. They usually ate 420cc (336 grams) of cereals a meal, excluding side dishes. The staple foods were cereals such as rice, barley, foxtail millet and oats. Unsurprisingly, the staple food of Koreans at that time was rice.