Monday, May 25, 2015

Culture/Heritage: Lunch Box (도시락)

I believe in every country most of us have our own lunch box culture right? For those who love to watch Korean drama, sometimes we saw a typical lunch box set isn't it? The one that made by steel and need to put on hot stove for a while before bringing it to some where. Long time ago this lunch box set is very famous in South Korea, but these days its quite HARD to find this old lunch box version due to modernization.ㅠㅠ

Some of my Korean friends said looking at this typical lunch box set or known as Dosirak (도시락) makes them remember their childhood memories. ^^ The rectangle steel lunch box is normally available in restaurant (long time ago) however there are another version of it at home. During year of 1980 till around year 1996 dosirak had been ESSENTIAL part in Korean student life.ㅋㅋㅋ Most of mothers will wake up early in the morning to prepare dosirak for their kids to bring to school.

My mom did too when I was in primary school but we DON'T have steel type of dosirak. We just used a plastic container and normally we already KNOW what meal inside of it. Compare to Korean, most of them NOT KNOWING what their mom prepare for them everyday. They just know about it when they open it at school during recess hour! Full of surprise!!ㅋㅋㅋ Some of my friends says their mom will put it in nice shape for them ㅋㅋ. I think if my mom do my dosirak in a very cute shape I might not eating it!!ㅋㅋㅋ Too cute to gobble it!ㅋㅋㅋ

Since modernization era, dosirak is NO LONGER common for Korean student.ㅠㅠ Some of Korean youngsters NOT even knowing what Dosirak is all about!ㅠㅠ Too bad, modernization had RIP OFF one of their heritage!ㅠㅠ Late 1990, their dosirak set (at home) normally can be found in some different shape, like a tumbler, or rectangular set with few partitions and etc. However since school provides lunch set for them, NO one bring dosirak to school. Some of my Korean friends said, if a student bring dosirak at school, other students will look at him or her strangely which is in my opinion "why would they do that??"Did they become CRIMINALS because of that??

I did asked some of my Korean friends, why dosirak culture is NO LONGER been practiced?? Their answer is as school provide meals for student, most of parent were happy, as to make dosirak for their kids require some time. However from my opinion, making dosirak to kids actually STRENGTHEN the BOND between parent and their kids. Yes there are so many other ways to strengthen the bond but this also make youngsters VALUE their HERITAGE.

Living in modernization era, these days there are even electric dosirak set. This is more easier. I know that students CANNOT bring this kind of appliance at school but why not start the dosirak culture in office?? This culture NOT only SAVE money, it save TIME too!  NO need to go out for lunch ㅋㅋㅋ. If every staffs BRING their own dosirak and SHARE with each other, doesn't it CREATE more FRIENDLY environment in office??ㅋㅋㅋ Me and my office mate did, and yes so far we were MORE friendly than ever ㅋㅋㅋ but of course in SOME CASES sometimes by doing this kind of activities, we can KNOW the TRUTH COLOR of our friends.ㅋㅋㅋ


Old Version of Dosirak



1990+ version of Dosirak

My Dosirak set

Electric version of Dosirak

Pororo dosirak meal



P/s: For students, if bringing dosirak to school make their LIFE hard, why not ORGANIZING like a DAY trip or a PICNIC with their friends, and everybody bring their own dosirak to somewhere and ENJOY it together?? This kind of event we normally call it as POT LUCK! Parent or older generation can explain to them about this CULTURE so that this heritage will still ALIVE even we were living in globalization era. For office workers, why not share SMILE and JOYS with cute dosirak meal at office? or who knows its can be your BEST time to SHOW OFF your cooking skill talent??! :P Be it OLD VERSION of dosirak set or ELECTRIC dosirak set, the IMPORTANT part is keeping HERITAGE/CULTURAL well and alive~

Photos Credit: blog.daum.net
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