Planning on a Hospital Stay in South Korea? Don't Forget Your Extended Family

"I want to use the restroom," I said in my best Korean. The nurse stopped in her tracks and tilted her head as she considered what I had said.

"Where are your friends?" she asked.

Confused, I cast a glance at the clock hanging above my bed. "Working," I said in bewilderment.

The nurse sighed and hurried out of the room with one last glance in my direction. She returned after a moment with a wheelchair from the hallway and helped me navigate myself into it, taking special care of my wires and recently operated leg. I got the distinct impression that the nurse really didn't want to help me into that restroom, despite the task being what I had thought was part of her job. 

Later,  I would learn that the responsibilities of nurses in South Korea are, in fact, vastly different from those in the USA.

In America, nurses do a variety of small jobs. They hook up monitors, make note of the patient's fluid intake and output, check to see if the patient has been getting adequate rest, relay information given to them by the doctors, and ensure that the patient is following a prescribed diet if one exists. In many hospitals in South Korea, the story is quite different...

[caption id="attachment_3603" align="alignnone" width="2100"] An American nurse checks a boy's vital signs after surgery.[/caption]

I was asleep, finally. It was probably around 9 or 10 A.M. I remember having already been woken up around 5:30 A.M. for my morning butt injections. I hated those. I was victim to the nurses' needles at least three times per day. I switched sides on the nurses because each butt cheek would become so sore that sitting on it became uncomfortable. Later, someone would tell me that injections are cheaper than pills. Maybe that's why I was getting so many? I didn't know.

Anyway, it was around mid-morning, and I was finally asleep, when I suddenly heard the crinkling of cellophane. I opened my heavy eyes slowly, seeing only a wall of black fabric at first. It backed away from me, and surprised, I looked up and realized what I was seeing. A man in a suit was standing at my bedside and placing something beneath the pillow, where my face had just been a second before.

Why was a man sticking things under my head, and why was he waking me up when I was finally, finally asleep, I asked myself. By the time I opened my mouth, the man had moved on to give one of his bags to another patient. I propped myself up on my elbow and pulled the package out to look at it. It had several hard fruit candies inside with a religious leaflet. Ah. Advertising for a church, I realized.

I looked around the room. There were seven other patients and some of their family members. At the other end of the room, an older patient talked with a person I didn't recognize. They had Bibles in their hands.

In the United States, I have the impression that the nurse is like a knight standing guard between you, the patient, and the outside world. If a visitor comes into the hospital and brings forty friends, the nurse and/or nurses will not let the stress of forty visitors (plus one) into the room where the patient is fighting a battle to regain or maintain newly-won good health. It wasn't long ago that men weren't allowed into birthing rooms. It wasn't long ago that children weren't allowed into hospitals. If it brings too much stress, or too many germs, the nurse forms a human barrier against it and keeps that riff-raff out of her kingdom.

And yet here I was, trying so hard to finally get some sleep, and a strange old man in a pinstriped suit was sticking candies under my pillow. He didn't even ask if I was diabetic! On a few occasions, a woman would come with huge trash bags full of things like panties, slippers, socks, and pajamas, which she would drape across our beds and start hawking right there in our room. Other patients would come in from other rooms while dragging their IV carts behind them. Then, people would actually buy this woman's underwear.

The American parts of me thought, "What the hell is going on here!?" How could people expect to get any sleep in these conditions, and did nobody care at all about the germs from outside? Seriously? The nurses weren't monitoring the things that were happening in that room at all. By this point, I had contacted my friends and coworkers and told them that the nurses made it clear to me that I would need help from someone other than them.

It is thus impossible for me to write this without making some mention of the gratitude I owe to so many people from outside the hospital. There were people who helped me take a shower, despite how awkward it is to help your friend undress and get in and out of a wheelchair while naked. There were friends who helped me repeatedly get into a bathroom that really wasn't meant for handicapped people. There were people who brought me home-made chili, fruit trays, chocolates, chips, candies, books to read, extra blankets, and pillows. One person even painted my nails. My boss came to make sure I used the restroom and got fresh water to drink at least every morning and every night. She held a cup and straw to my mouth and stayed with me for eight hours post-operation when I was told I wasn't allowed to lift my head from my bed. I never knew how loved I was until I needed to be loved in this way. Thank you.

[caption id="attachment_3604" align="aligncenter" width="758"] My boss's lovely daughter and my coworker's brand-new son during a wonderful visit that lifted my spirits.[/caption]

But the bottom line is, we had people barging into our rooms day and night, and the nurses were doing nothing. They didn't help us get our lunches, they didn't help us into the bathroom, they didn't even help me get down to the basement when I started physical therapy and learning to walk again. I began to think about what that meant for the hospital environment. It meant that we patients had to rely on other people to fight for our right to sleep and regular bathroom visits.

Because of this initially uncomfortable situation, I realized that the hospital is a much more cheerful and welcoming place when you rely on the help of your loved ones than on a stranger to care for you.

In thinking about it, I realized that if I had to choose between my own mother helping me get my pants down for a shower or having some stranger do it, I'd rather it be my own mother. On top of your own family members caring for you, the fact that my bed had no privacy curtain coupled with the fact that I was stuck in a room with seven other people meant that those seven other people were in the same plight as I was. Though some of them could walk, they understood what it meant to be there in that moment and to be stuck in it. One of the walkers would get our lunch trays and put them on or next to our beds, and the woman who did this for me always slammed mine down and yelled "EAT YOUR RICE!!" in Korean. It was like I had my very own angry Korean grandmother, and even though I really, really did not want to eat my rice, the fact that she wanted me to eat it made me very happy---and it even made me try a little bit.

Perhaps even worse than not monitoring who was coming or going, the nurses didn't seem to care whether we left---which we did. Every couple of days, one of the walkers would simply leave the hospital altogether (still wearing her gown and still pulling her IV behind her on a wheeled stand), and return with treats for us, having walked herself all the way to the supermarket and back. Why even stay in the hospital?

The surgery I had, while I don't recommend just going in and doing it for fun, is actually an out-patient procedure in the United States. However, in Korea, I had to beg them every day to let me leave. Finally, twelve days after my operation, they let me go...but they didn't know that I had actually left before. With the help of two friends, I decided to go outside and get some fresh air, and even go to a café just behind the hospital. We had a really good time taking pictures of me pretending to walk, but really just balancing on my good leg with the wheelchair out of view.

[caption id="attachment_3605" align="aligncenter" width="720"] I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for that meddling conscience! People probably would've worried if I disappeared.[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_3606" align="aligncenter" width="720"] It was about as soft as my bed. Top-notch spot for a nap.[/caption]

I thought very seriously about going home, but since I lived two floors up on slick granite floors and was completely unable to bend my leg, I decided to stay until they released me. So why do nurses not care if their patients come and go, why do they fill such minimalistic roles, and why do they not care who visits the patients?

I found an interesting blog written by a Canadian woman who talks about her child's stay in a Korean hospital, and she recounts many of the same things I've mentioned, though it seems that her hospital was furnished with more equipment than mine. It's important to remember that my story might stray from the norm.

Originally, my thought was that patients in Korea have long hospital stays because Koreans work hard and have stressful lives, so staying in a hospital grants them a reprieve from their responsibilities. I recall someone telling me that a hospital stay can be a bit like a vacation for people there, and I remember being a little horrified by the notion, because I would have much preferred to have been at work than confined to a bed. I did some digging around on the Internet and learned that there are incentives to having patients stay longer. Apparently, South Korea ranks #2 behind Japan in average length of hospital stays in the OECD.

In my reading, I also read that there are fewer nurses per patient in South Korea than there are in the US and in most other OECD nations. Perhaps this helps to explain why nurses seem to do so little for patients in Korea. Perhaps they're stretched thin. I came across an article advocating better treatment and conditions for nurses in South Korea, and it said:

“Nursing in the two countries also differs in many respects, too. For example, in addition to the much higher patient load in South Korea, nurses there are expected to fulfill many of the duties support personnel here in the United States would normally handle. Sung Hee Kwon, an operating room RN at Korea University Hospital, was impressed that OR nurses here never leave their patients’ bedsides. Back home, she is expected to also manage all the OR equipment, supplies, cleaning, set up, ordering, and inventory."

It appears that while I thought my Korean nurses simply didn't care much for me or that culturally they weren't expected to, what may have been happening is that they were simply too busy to devote to me and my fellow patients the kind of time and attention that I expected due to my American background. I am quite impressed by the number of tasks that nurses accomplish which have so little to do with direct patient care, like the management of inventory.

Another interesting excerpt from the article is this paragraph:

“We are still thinking about what number to propose in Korea,” said Yoo Ji Hyun, RN and secretary general of KMHU. “To start, we’re looking at a range from 1:5 to 1:10. But the hospital industry is attacking that, saying that 1:10 in Korea is about the same as 1:5 in the United States. That’s why we’ve come to compare actual nursing tasks to refute their argument.”

Why would the hospital industry attest that one nurse for ten patients in Korea is the same as one nurse for five patients in the US? I think it is making a reference to the apparent fact that much of the care patients receive in hospitals comes from patient family members and friends than from nurses. Given what I've learned about nurses' responsibilities, I'm inclined to disagree with this ratio.

Korean nurses don't do less; they do different things. Perhaps if Korean hospitals hired support staff to take care of some of their responsibilities, the nurses could devote more time to patients---but is it really better that way? When I think of my very own ajumma yelling at me to eat my rice, it honestly makes me think fondly of my time there somehow.

Perhaps they're already doing things in the best way possible.

A Little off the Top: A Brief History of Circumcision

I apologize for this in advance. I have fallen behind in my duties as an IDC writer, and I decided to let the Chief choose an article topic for me this week. He hit me with circumcision. And then he said, “Well, that was fun! Why don’t you write an article about it?”

Where God Went Wrong

In all seriousness, circumcision is a serious issue. Even today the debate rages as to its health benefits versus its hindrances. Is it better to be cut, or is it better to be the way God made you and not the way some claim God would have made you if he had paid closer attention to the blueprints? From a religious standpoint, circumcision makes no sense as it implies God made a mistake in the design. Same thing goes for holy water. What, exactly, is the priest adding to water that God forgot to include in the recipe? “Whatcha got there, God? A little water? Just hydrogen and oxygen? Nice try. How about this – Dominus Ominous! Kazam! Now THAT you can kill some vampires with!” Why do so many religions claim that God is infallible and then go ahead and correct God’s obvious oversights?

[caption id="attachment_2290" align="alignnone" width="300"] "Well, hey there, little fella! Hmm... something's missing... or should be..."[/caption]

A Classic Whodunnit?

I am not going to get into a religious debate with you. That’s not why I am writing this. I am writing this because someone, somewhere, wants to know why that happened to his foreskin. You want to know why? We don’t really know, to be honest. Who had the idea originally? The Jews, right? See, there you go again, blaming the Jews for something they didn’t even start. No, in fact, circumcision goes back long before the Bible, back into the prehistory of human civilization. Whose brilliant idea was it to cut off a little piece of your thingy? We don’t know. All we can surmise is that the practice of circumcision started long, long ago, in East Africa, when someone decided that touching the little fella felt too good and could lead one into temptation. How would civilization ever develop if everyone sat at home touching themselves like we do today, what with the internet and all? That does explain a lot about our current situation… but back then, we had our whole lives ahead of us! Developing the wheel, and then building roads to roll it on. Stonehenge, Easter Island, the Great Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops or whoever the hell that guy was, all of it eventually unfolding into our bright modern age of airplanes and standing in security checkpoints to get on one of those airplanes. None of this could have happened without circumcision. If some random guy way back when in East Africa had not taken a sharpened stone and sliced off the feel-good skin on his wedding tackle, would we have made it this far? Or would we have all just masturbated our civilization into an early grave, scores of unsung would-be inventors dying of some rampant outbreak caused by untreated chaffing? Would we have vanished as an unsung species of blind, hairy-palmed do-nothings? One can only theorize. So let’s do that.

[caption id="attachment_2291" align="alignnone" width="300"] The usual suspects[/caption]

We have Opportunity, but what of Motive?

The most prominent theory is that male genital mutilation (because that is indeed what it is) began as a method of “purifying” the individual – removing the most sensitive part of the penis in order to reduce sexual pleasure. It just felt too damn good, apparently, and we were afraid that we simply lacked the self-control to be a productive civilization rather than a herd of horny hand-monkeys. The male prepuce (foreskin) is said to be the main region of erogenous sensation – the male G-spot, as it were, before we nipped it in the bud – and therefore, we could not be trusted with it.  Pleasure, we apparently decided, had no place in this world, only in the afterlife, when we had earned it by being total douchebags here on this corporeal plane.

[caption id="attachment_2261" align="alignnone" width="300"] Visual distraction: Look, puppies![/caption]

Circumcision, therefore, became entwined in religious ritual, a way of getting us incarnate humans to reject the pleasures of the flesh and to seek a higher spiritual calling. Look at all the great religious leaders throughout history – surely they could not have enlightened us all had they all been diddling their doodles in the bushes rather than preaching from the pulpit about why such diddling is a sin. Who was the first big leader in the Bible? Moses. Let’s look at him… I mean, really look at him. Let’s peek under that tunic and… wh – what’s this? Moses was never circumcised! And neither were his sons! (Exodus 4:25) What gives? God was even going to kill Moses for not doing the deed to bleed… that is, until Zipporah took the initiative and circumcised her son in Moses’s stead, going against her own beliefs (she found circumcision

[caption id="attachment_2292" align="alignnone" width="300"] "Son, gonna need you to take one for the team here..."[/caption]

to be repulsive) and sparing Moses so that he could lead his people out of Egypt… and into the desert for 40 freakin’ years. They wandered, they got water from rocks, they ate manna, and they received the Ten Commandments. Do you know what Moses didn't do during those 40 years? Institute circumcision as a common practice for the Jews. It wasn't brought back into practice among the Chosen People until Joshua popped up as the new leader and said, “Hey, guys, I have a great idea…” (Joshua 5:2-10) As soon as all the men had sliced up their goodies, they joined Joshua’s army to invade Palestine, because as you can imagine, they were probably pretty pissed and looking to kick someone’s ass.

Who Else Wants One?

The Greeks and the Romans, however, never went in for such silliness. They abhorred circumcision as the plight of the Jews. It was a Jewish issue and of no concern to the likes of Caesar or Constantine or Socrates or Plato. Many of the Jews saw the frivolity of their self-mutilation and tried to pass themselves off as uncircumcised Greeks, until around 140 C.E. when a new procedure called peri’ah was introduced. This made circumcision even worse – it was more painful as it stripped away all of the foreskin, right down to the glands, and it was impossible to conceal. Today, in medical terms, this procedure is called a synechotomy, and brother, you do not want to be on the receiving end of this treatment. Before this, early circumcision as it was done by Abraham and his ilk only cut the very tip of the foreskin that overshot the end of the penis proper. Now they were shaving it down to the shaft, and I am sure I do not have to remind you how many super-sensitive nerve endings there are down there. They are called the Meissner corpuscles, and they do not like to be cut, scratched, or caught in your zipper, and they don’t grow back if you are circumcised. On the negative side, they take away from some of the sensations of sex. On the positive side, you don’t have to think as hard about baseball to buy yourself a few more seconds. Anyway, a synechotomy is the type of circumcision you get as the medical norm today. Just for the record, I will share more information than you would care to know: I, myself, am circumcised. I’m not Jewish (at least, I don’t think I am, and that seems like the kind of thing I would know), I guess my parents just thought it was a good idea. The trauma of just being born not being satisfactory, they figured a little slice off my new naughty bits would keep me clean and teach me an early lesson: Life hurts sometimes. Obviously, I have no memory of the procedure itself, but there it is. Look! A kitty getting tickled!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urturSNMgd0

Passing as a Regular, Unclean Guy

Moving on… not all men liked the look of being circumcised, largely due to the stigma that often accompanied it, particularly for the Jewish men. Many circumcised men would go to great lengths to restore their foreskin to improve their social standing or to avoid persecution. During World War II, some circumcised men underwent surgery to restore the foreskin – even those that were not Jewish – simply to avoid trouble from a certain goose-stepping group of idiots. In ancient Rome, men would try to restore the foreskin so that they could participate in athletic events or patronize the local bath houses – both of which required them to be fully nude. To achieve this, they sometimes wore a copper weight, called a juedum pondum, which was hung from the remains of the foreskin to stretch it out again. Similar weights, such as the Foreballs, are still in use today by circumcised men who wish to restore the uncut look. So there’s that image.

[caption id="attachment_2259" align="alignnone" width="300"] Out of consideration for our readers, the image “Stretching the Foreskin” has been replaced with this picture of kitties playing patty-cake. You’re welcome.[/caption]

Getting back to history...

Jericho: A Cut above the Rest

Are you still reading this? Fine. So if Moses did not practice circumcision, why is it still practiced today? Let me tell you about the mass circumcision at Jericho. After wandering in the desert, where many of the fighting Jewish men had died, Joshua, the new leader, felt he needed to reinstate the covenant with God to ensure his people’s victory over the Canaanites. As noted earlier, there was no circumcision during the forty years in the wilderness. Now, at Jericho, Joshua decided it was time to set things right. He proceeded to circumcise anywhere between 300,000 and a million men, depending on whom you ask. These men were then laid up for three days to recover, the third day of recovery said to be the most miserable. The spot where this happened is known as the “Hill of Foreskins” because that’s where all of those little bits of flesh were buried. Then, after Passover and a weird little trick involving ram’s horns, they swept down on Jericho and “destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys” (Joshua 6:21). Because they were understandably very pissed off, and misguided rage can be therapeutic.



Then came the Talmudic period (500 – 625 C.E.) and the introduction of the Metzitza, the third stage of circumcision. This is the famed version of circumcision in which the mohel, or circumcision specialist, sucks the blood from the wounded baby peepee. Gross, right? Yes, it was…because it did transmit diseases to many a sliced infant, and it caused many deaths. Today, if this traditional method is followed, the mohel performs a metzitza b’peh, a practice that uses a glass tube to suck the blood, bypassing any viral transmission. This practice has, of course, come under some scrutiny. And, finally, the Reform Movement of 1843 decreed that circumcision was cruel and unnecessary. Theodor Hertzl, the founder of Zionism, refused to have his son circumcised. Good on ol’ Hertzl for breaking with tradition.

Those Christian Cut-Ups

Christians, on the other hand, were never very big on circumcision. St. Paul the Apostle even warned parents against circumcising their children, and was even quoted as advising at least one person to beware of the “circumcision group” (Titus 1:10-16). The modern practice of using Hebrew circumcision style dates to the late 19^th century in both England and the U.S. South Korea adopted circumcision after WWII, during the American Trusteeship and it was common place after the Korean War. Consider that the next time you hear a conspiracy theorist saying that circumcision is proof that the U.S. is under Israeli control… even though circumcision has not caught on in other parts of the world. Most people from these circumcised cultures still claim it is done for sanitary reasons, but this is not really true. A little soap and water can cleanse a foreskin just as well as it does anything else down there. The real reason behind circumcision is still to prevent masturbation (and take it from me, one of the circumcised – it didn't work).

[caption id="attachment_2260" align="alignnone" width="300"] A squirrel drinking an itty-bitty beer! He can't do that![/caption]

I am not saying I am against circumcision. I actually am happy my parents made that odd decision and had me sliced up. It is just more aesthetically pleasing to me, mainly because of the culture I come from, I guess. That’s just me. Still, many adult men decide to have circumcisions performed simply because they do not like the reaction they get from some people when they whip out that extra bit of flesh at the bus station. They also feel it may be better to be circumcised, if only for aesthetic reasons. Most doctors advise against this, however, as it is painful and can carry such negative side-effects as psychological impacts, emotional difficulties, and – in rare cases – physical problems. Some still feel that circumcision protects against such ailments as penile cancer and STDs, but studies into these claims have been inconclusive. Conversely, some men go to great lengths to reverse the effects of a circumcision in order to restore some of the lost sexual sensation, even though this is impossible as the nerve endings can never be repaired.

It’s Almost Over!

On a final sickening note, the practice of female circumcision also exists, and it is horrible, brutal, cruel – just barbaric. And remarkably, rather than being wiped out by now, this practice is actually growing in popularity. Meanwhile, as our world culture becomes more and more homogenous, the practice of male circumcision seems to be falling out of favor. Fewer and fewer parents are choosing circumcision for their offspring in the U.S. Both the American Association of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatric Society have taken the position that circumcision is medically unnecessary. Since 1971, male circumcision has been on a steady decline in North America. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the majority fashion choice is sporting the ol’ flesh turtleneck. We still need to put an end to female genital mutilation the world over. That horror must be stopped. As a male, I can say I am OK with the cut of my jib. I have yet to hear of any female who has spoken up in favor of her procedure.

If you take anything away from this troubling article and its disturbing imagery, let it be this: Girls should never have to be circumcised. Anywhere. Ever. Even boys don’t really need it. The enjoyment of sex is nothing to be met with shame or punishment. Still, we do need to reduce our numbers – that is painfully obvious. Use protection, be responsible, and have fun. The earth can provide for us all – if we can stop the corporations from hogging all the resources and making the rest of us pay for them.

Screw the corporations. Let’s circumcise them.

[caption id="attachment_2294" align="alignnone" width="204"] "Just you try it, m***erf***er!"[/caption]

 

6 Smoking etiquette to keep in Asia

Surgeon General’s Warning: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy. Now that you've been warned, time to light up! Like alcohol, smoking, has a long history behind it. Depending on which country you’re in, smoking etiquette will differ. So here are some basic tips to keep in mind before you start puffing away.

1. In China, always offer a cigarette

[caption id="attachment_1735" align="aligncenter" width="284"] Offering cigarettes are a sign of respect in China.[/caption]

When you’re in China, it is expected that you greet someone with a cigarette. If you want to grab a quick smoke, be sure to offer a stick to those around you, regardless if they’re a smoker or not. It’s actually considered impolite if you don’t offer one with acquaintances or business associates. Hierarchy comes into play here, so if you’re outside grabbing a smoke, ALWAYS offer one to the boss. This custom is about showing respect or a sign of peace offering.

2. In China, you are what you smoke

[caption id="attachment_1738" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The Chinese may judge your social class based on what you smoke.[/caption]

Want to look upscale to those around you? Chinese smokers form an opinion on your social class depending on what brand you smoke. Brands like Chungwha or Panda means you belong in the upper-class. On the other hand, if you have a low-end cigarette, it signifies you’re in the lower part of the social caste.

3. In Japan/Korea, smoke, then walk

[caption id="attachment_1737" align="aligncenter" width="252"] You'll find many of these signs lining sidewalks in Seoul.[/caption]

In big cities like Seoul, Korea, or Tokyo, Japan, you can be fined for smoking on a crowded street. There are designated smoking areas in big urban cities, and keeping your smoke confined to these spots will prove financially beneficial.

4. In Korea, dispose your cigarette butts properly

Parts of Seoul like the infamous Gangnam have strict laws against littering. Even something as small as the butt of your cigarette can cost you 50,000 won (roughly 46 USD). Find the nearest trash can or just hold onto it until you can throw it safely away.

5. In Korea, don’t smoke in front of your elders

Now this doesn't necessarily apply to all senior citizens in Korea. You just need to steer clear from those that have some form of affiliation with you. There are some that will stare at you if you smoke in broad daylight - especially if you’re a woman.

6. In Asia, female smokers are frowned upon

[caption id="attachment_1736" align="aligncenter" width="252"] "Smoking Area for Women"[/caption]

Most Eastern countries don’t take too well to female smokers. Smoking has been regarded as a masculine trait, which is why you’ll see many of the older folks staring at lady smokers. Many female smokers would call this gender discrimination, and they would be right. But in Asian culture, elderly people still believe in this outdated social culture. So if you female smokers wish not to be judged by the cold piercing stares of the elderly, smoking in a discreet location wouldn't be a bad idea. However, more and more women are smoking out in the open nowadays. I guess it all depends on the situation, but just keep in mind that not everyone will approve of women smoking out in the open. If you can, try to quit smoking. I may come off hypocritical because I smoke about a pack a day, but I simply don’t like to quit. On the other hand, smoking can actually be a great way to meet new people. Like alcohol, it’s also a way to get closer to people. Now that I’m done talking about smoking in Asia, does anyone have a smoke I can bum?

Enjoy Hot, Spicy Foods

Spices have played a vital role in the culinary arts throughout history. People from all over the world would travel to and explore new and exotic lands just to find new spices. Spices were once as tools for trade, have been the middle man of wars, and aided in famous poetry. Spices were also once used for embalming purposes. Spices are often dried seeds, roots, sometimes fruits, and vegetables. They are most often used for flavoring, cooking, and even preserving meats and vegetables. They can be applied to various dishes as powders or purees, ingested fresh and whole, or smoked and preserved.



Historical and Modern Uses [of Various Spices]:

Currency in Trades:
This sometimes would spark wars between different countries and governments.

Reasons for Exploration:
The majority of spices are grown near the equator, in warmer climates which also helps to fights infectious diseases.

Embalming Process:
Used in Ancient Egypt

Medicinal Purposes:
For instance, the wonder of the Miracle Nutmeg that aided thousands during the London plague of 1603. Over 35,000 were infected.  Wars between the Portuguese and Dutch begun, and then between the Dutch and English, just to have some Miracle Nutmeg. It is believed in Modern times that the new Miracle spice is Turmeric. Turmeric has been helpful in the prevention and treatment for cancerous and leukemic cells.

Religious or Ritual Purposes:
Spices held connections or affiliations with different Gods of all cultures throughout history and even today. It is still believed in some cultures that with the spices and incense, that one will have a safer travel into the afterlife.

Cosmetic or perfume:
Spices have strong scents and perfumes and have been used in historical and modern times.

Antibiotics:
Many spices contain Antimicrobial properties.

Prevention of Spoiling or Rotting:
Spices help prevent meat or vegetables from spoiling or rotting

Aphrodisiac:
Spices and herbs such as Cinnamon and Rosemary are natural aphrodisiacs that aid in fertility.

Nutrition:
While Paprika has vitamin A, many other spices contain essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, and calcium which are important for the human body to have.

Health and Dieting:
Spices are not high in fats or calories, and are often used in moderation. The hotter the spice will help the blood flow increase and cardiovascular system become stronger. They can aid in weight loss by jacking up your metabolism, and helping to burn calories. Spices also help lower LDL, or bad cholesterol levels in your heart and fights inflammations in the body. Hot-Spices containing capsaicin will help to break up mucus in your respiratory system and help you get over a cold faster.

Boosts Production of Feel-Good Hormones:
Releasing serotonin in your body helps ease stress and depression.

Hangovers:
Hot and spicy foods and soups can really come in handy for those who are experiencing a hangover. Not only will the heat distract you from your headache, but you’re blood flow and sugar levels will increase, and you may even sweat out some of the hangover toxins.

The majority of the world’s spices are found or grown and then exported from India. Many of these spices, plants, and peppers were brought to India from countries worldwide. India is great hot-spot to grow spices, plants, and peppers because of its geographic location. Warmer climates can produce hotter chili peppers and are most enjoyed by people who also live in warmer climates. Most of the world’s hottest and spicier chili peppers are grown in India and other South Asian countries like Bangladesh. These outrageously hot chili peppers include the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper, Bhut Jolokia or “Ghost” Chili pepper, the Infinity Chile, the Habanero pepper, and the scorching Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.

 

The Scoville Scale:
This scale tests the unit measurement of pungency or spicy heat of chili peppers. It is often seen as SHU, (Scoville Heat Units).

Feeling Hungry and Adventurous…

Here are just some examples of Foods from Around the World that contain either a lot of Spices or are considered as EXTREMELY Hot-and-Spicy:

South Asia:

India – Vindaloo Pork:


Brought to India by the Portuguese, this dish is made up of pork that is marinated in red wine, garlic, and chili peppers. The recipe has changed a bit through out time and now serves as a very spicy curry often served with naan bread.

 

Polynesian SE Asia:

Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia - OtakOtak:


All of these South East Asian countries enjoy this spicy fish-cake dish which is given its flavor from dried chilies blended in a shrimp paste known as belacan, galangal peppers, lemon grass, shallots, turmeric, and candlenuts. The fish cake is then placed on top of a plantain or banana leaf.

 

Buddhist SE Asia:

Thailand – Pad Prik Khing:


Enjoy your pork, seafood, or veggies the hot and spicy way! Dried red chilies and ginger are added to the curry paste, shrimp paste, to help kick up the heat in this dish that also features exotic flavors of garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime peel, and galangal.

Vietnam – Bun Bo Hue:

Dried chilies, lemongrass, and shrimp paste, and beef bones bring flavor to the unique spicy beef broth which is sometimes served with mint leaves, bean sprouts, and lime wedges.

 

East Asia:

China - Sichuan Huoguo:


Like many of the dishes served in the Sichuan Provence of china, this hot-pot includes the Sichuan sauce that has “Flower peppers”. These peppers are known for their numbing capabilities, and leave the mouth-watering and the eyeballs bulging.

 

Korea – Kimchi Jjigae:


This dish is conducted of fermented and then again seasoned cabbage, tofu, garlic, mushrooms, green onions, and is served often just below boiling temperatures.

Korea – Gochujang Meatballs:


The meat is seasoned with white peppers, ginger, and onion and then glazed with the same ingredients including a Korean chili paste.

 

Europe:

United Kingdom – Phall:


One of the few spicy dishes that are from northern Europe is the British version of Indian curry. The dish includes over ten hot chili peppers, which contain both the Habanero and Scotch Bonnet.

 

North Africa:

Morocco - Marrakesh Spice Markets:


You’ll find some amazing treasures at one of the many Marrakesh spice markets in Morocco. Although many of the traditional dishes are not hot-spicy, there is a large amount of spice used in every dish… these spices are typically cinnamon, cumin, saffron, ginger, peppers, and turmeric.

 

East Africa

Ethiopia – Sik Sik Wat or Dorowat:


Chile peppers, paprika, fenugreek flavored beef or chicken are mixed into a stew and served with injera bread.

 

Caribbean:

Jamaica – Jamaican Jerk:


This special sauce and or seasoning is made up of cayenne, jalapeno, Habanero, and scotch bonnet peppers. The seasoning then covers your preference of pork, chicken, or steak.

Haiti – Griot with Ti-Malice Sauce:


Spices include the Habanero and scotch bonnet and creates a spicy-tangy flavor atop pork and finished with a spicy pickled pepper garnish.

 

Indigenous South America:

Bolivia – Llajwa:

Spicy Bolivian Salsa. Use jalapeno or locoto peppers, and their seeds, cilantro, tomatoes, and onions. Your mouth will be watering, for more spicy salsa!

Peru – Criolli or Creole CauCau:


This dish is really interesting because it is inspired by a vast array and mix of cultures including African, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Indigenous South America. Yellow Chile peppers and potatoes make a delicious tripe stew.

 

Central America:

Mexico – Chilaquiles:


Sweat, tears, and a hangover remedy. This dish consists of lightly fried corn tortillas covered with tomato sauce, cheese, onions, and a ton of Habanero chilies.

 

United States:

Louisiana – Shrimp Creole:


Not to be confused with its similar counterpart, Cajun Shrimp, Shrimp Creole is conducted of shrimp, cayenne peppers, other peppers, onions, garlic, celery, and tomatoes.

And all over the USA – Hot Wings:


The many flavors and seasonings for the infamous Hot Wings go from mild to scorching hot. Some restaurants have been known for using the Bhut Jolokia, or “Ghost” Chili pepper, which is known as one of the hottest naturally grown peppers in the world.

 

For the more mild-minded:

You can still add a little zing and flavor to your favorite dishes without all the extra added heat…

• Add ginger to your favorite cup of tea or hot water.


• Add red pepper flakes to any dinner or stir-fry.


• Add coriander, (Chinese parsley), to a multitude of dishes.

 

 

 

Sore Throat and Sniffles? No Problem! Try These Korean Cold Remedies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM-QLZciJzI

After a year of research and instruction on integrative modern and Korean medicine, two years of mealtime conversations with some very health-conscious Korean friends and acquaintances, and six years of ginseng jelly care packages, if I were asked to summarize my take on the Korean folk remedy approach to colds, my answer would probably be: “Don’t get one.”

No, I’m not confessing a lack of faith in Korean traditional medical perspectives on rhinitis (though that wouldn’t be quite so chauvinistic given that modern medicine is similarly deficient in this department) nor my own ignorance of the subject (which I nonetheless readily admit). Instead, I am attempting to emphasize that indigenous Korean medicine holds dear the traditional Chinese notion that “上医医未病之病, 中医医欲病之病,下医医已病之病,” or “top-rate doctors treat illness as it has yet to occur, middling doctors treat illness as it is about to occur, and low-quality doctors treat illness after it occurs.”

As I described in a previous post on the medical mystique of Korean bathhouses, the various Korean traditional medical theories that have been syncretized from domestic and Chinese sources and passed down through several works of national literature (including the Yibang Yuchui 의방유취/醫方類聚  [1443-1445], one of the most comprehensive syntheses of otherwise unrecorded Chinese medical theory to date; Dongyui Bogam, 동의보감/東醫寶鑑 [1596-1610], a collection of disease symptoms arranged by affected organ system, and 동의수세보원/東醫壽世保元 [1901], the underpinning of Korea’s own four constitution medical theory, which develops a more systematic approach to patient-centered treatment than most lines of TCM) describe the human anatomy as multi-layered fields of energy—not only the well known qi or ki (기/氣) but also essence jeong (정/精), spirit shin (신/紳), and blood (혈/血)—in constant flux among various organs and the external environment. And while not even the most hard-line of Korean medical traditionalists would argue that a cold is induced by energy field imbalance in the absence of a little something called germs, Korean medical tradition does seem to contain some lines of thought that one’s daily habits have a large hand in whether external insults like rhinovirus—which fall within the traditional concept of bad qi (사기/邪氣)—will be handled properly by the body’s natural defenses—also called proper qi (정기/正氣)—or allowed to bloom into nasal waterfalls and scorching throats. For example, it is thought that weakened defenses might be precipitated by a sudden drop in temperature, either due to change to a colder season or even rapid jump in indoor air conditioning use from spring to summer; the chronic stress of an academic lifestyle; or being a small child whose immune system is yet to be fully developed [1].

Okay, right. So in an ideal world the Korean traditional medical establishment (and the continuously changing streams of loosely related folk remedies that serve as both source and outlet) successfully collaborates with 100% compliant patients to develop personalized strategies for halting all manner of infectious disease in its tracks faster than you can say “H1N1.” But no amount of pontification over a meridian map will console the poor sniveling sap who doesn’t finish her dinnertime kimchi and insists on galloping around polar vortex Gangnam in a miniskirt. What, then, to those less-than-vigilant patients for whom a conscious diet, frequent spa visits, daily morning qigong, and a commitment to a stable inner life is already too late?

• Stewed pear (배찜): A favorite dish in both northern China and Korea for cold prevention as summer turns to autumn, this simple stew is made by boiling a clean Nashi pear (also known as “Asian pear” or just “pear,” depending on who you ask) with some honey and red dates until the solid ingredients are soft and the water reduces into a thick nectar. The honey provides some relief for a sore throat, and the pear, considered in traditional medicine to be of slightly wet constitution, is thought to supplement fluids lost to illness.


• Honey water (꿀물): A remedy similar to one with which many non-Koreans may also be familiar if they’ve ever coated a painful throat with a spoonful of honey. This is also a nice snack found in the hot beverage counter at many convenience stores.


• Spicy bean sprout soup (매운 콩나물국): Perhaps not the first choice of those suffering from a sensitive larynx, the red pepper powder in this soup is nonetheless great for providing temporary relief from congested sinuses.


• Ginger tea (생강차): This sweet and slightly spicy tea is a much more appealing way than straight water to maintain much-needed fluid intake to loosen annoying mucus deposits, and the ginger provides a nice kick to the nasal passages.


• Toxin release by sweating: Dip your feet into some warm water, take a long shower, engage in light exercise, and support your immune system by stimulating circulation and sweating out the poison. Just don’t be rude and take your viruses to a public jjimjilbang.


• Appetite stimulation: In some cases, a cold is accompanied by a loss of appetite, under which condition it is thought that replenishing the body’s heat with foods of “warm” constitution—ginseng (인삼/人蔘), huanggi (황기/黃芪), and changchul (창출/창출) root—will enhance digestive function. [1]

Armed with a taste of some folk Korean medical knowledge, dear readers, you are now equipped to tackle the final frigid days of winter, endless examinations of spring semester, and sudden onslaught of summer air conditioning with some time-tested weapons of battle with rhinitis. Feel free to add to the armamentarium by posting your own personal remedies in the comments below!

 

Fermented Plums, Pine Needles, and Mugwort: Strange and Innovative Korean Teas

http://youtu.be/LreK41UmxaM

“Don’t you want to see what’s inside?”

I reluctantly tore my eyes from my problem set and glanced over at my boyfriend. He was looming in the doorway of our dormitory over a cardboard shipping box that came up to his knees. “My mom sent it to me today.”

“From California?”

“Korea.”

I pushed my chair back and swiveled toward him. This promised to be more interesting than debugging my seg-faulting homework. My boyfriend’s mother, whom I had met but once earlier that year in 2008 while she tore about in a whirlwind of plastic furniture and yellowed school papers helping pack up her son's room at the end of the last semester, tended to spare no effort when it came to her care packages. She had once sent us an entire box of Korea’s famed red ginseng (홍삼/紅蔘): red ginseng jellies, ginseng hard lozenges, ginseng tea, honeyed ginseng root, red ginseng pills and powders for digestion. And some green tea. Our room had smelled like a corner pharmacy in Flushing for weeks afterward.

“Cookies. Rice cakes. Mmm, laver. Oh! Instant rice. You should try it with the laver; it’s very nice.“ He had already torn open the box and begun stacking its contents around him. “Here, open this tea.” He tossed me an expensive-looking paper box decorated with hangeul script over a delicate patterned background. I opened it to see a plastic bag of what looked like shriveled juniper berries inside.

I had been to China a few times, arguing pennies over paper bags of chrysanthemum buds and jasmine leaves from alleyway huts in Shanghai. “This isn’t tea.” My voice glowed with the authority of Real Experience. “It’s just a box of dried-up… what is it?”

Hongsuk stared at me, the freckled Midwestern suburbanite whose first sixteen years of travel experience had been limited to cheese factories in Wisconsin and Mennonite colonies in southern Indiana. I averted my eyes into the ten-pound pile of dried laver, yakgwa, and rice cookies at his feet. It was possible that he might know more about Korean food than I.

“It’s… mmm…” he thought for a moment and glanced at the label. “Oh yeah, it’s gugijacha. Like… berries.”

“Berries? You people,” I said in mock contempt, “turn everything into tea.”

“Yep,” he said happily, diving back into the goodies.

“Turning everything into tea” is hardly a characteristic special to Korean culture—South African Rooibos tea, Alaskan spruce-tip tea, Spanish garlic tea, and more all stand as testament to human ingenuity and versatility the world over—but it is hard not to get overwhelmed by the sheer variety of the teas traditionally made by Koreans. Just to give a taste (har har), here’s a brief list of some of the different delicious edibles one might find peeking out from traditional Korean tea:

• Mulberry leaf tea (뽕잎차): I drank this nearly every day for a whole summer while preparing graduate school applications and found it to be a quite worthy substitute for coffee as, when brewed strong, it has a dark, woodsy taste with an almost chocolate finish.


• Brown rice tea (현미차)


• Barley tea (보리차): Incidentally served at nearly every Korean restaurant I’ve visited in China. Strangely not as ubiquitous in Seoul.


• Corn tea (옥수수차): The corn used in this tea is roasted first, which would explain why it tastes more like barley tea than the starchy on-the-cob stuff to which many might be habituated.


• Solomon’s seal tea (둥굴레차): Dried root of Solomon’s seal, a flowering plant found across Asia. Tastes slightly less exotic than it sounds—or at least it does when brewed from the free teabags in my lab. I liken it to a somewhat more pungent brown rice tea.


• Buckwheat tea (메밀차)


• Pine needle tea (솔잎차): YES. Except… just don’t try making it from your neighbor’s discarded Christmas tree. Not speaking from experience. I swear.


• Chrysanthemum tea (국화차): Also popular in China, where it is sometimes served with rock sugar.


• Persimmon leaf tea (감잎차): I once ordered this at a teahouse in Insadong somehow expecting that because it was made with persimmon leaves it would be sweet. It was, of course, not. The person with me had somewhat more intelligently ordered a steaming cup of fragrant red date tea. Do not make my mistake.


• Goji berry tea (구기자차/枸杞子茶): Boiled goji berries, sometimes with honey or sugar.


• Job’s tears tea (율무차): More like a thick porridge than a tea; made with the grounds of the grain Job’s tears mixed with milk, honey, and sometimes other ingredients like walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts.


• Ginger tea (생각차/生薑茶): Ginger root boiled with brown sugar or honey.


• Citron tea (유자차/柚子茶): Citron peels boiled with honey. Don’t try to apply this principle to grapefruits. Citrons are not grapefruits. Citrons boiled with honey turn into delicious citron tea. Grapefruits boiled with honey turn into citrusy vomit.


• Plum tea (매실차/梅實茶): Fermented plums and lots of sugar. Not to be confused with plum wine.


• Chinese bitter orange tea (탱자차/橙子茶): Fermented trifoliate orange with sugar.


• Quince tea (모과차/木瓜茶): Fermented quinces and sugar.


• Omija tea (오미자차/五味子茶): Fermented omija (“five taste berries”) and lots of sugar. One of the most delicious tastes (or five) that will ever grace your tongue. Waiting endless months for this stuff to ferment is unadulterated anguish, but store-bought omija tea is no comparison to the homemade deal.


• Sungnyung (숭늉): After-dinner drink made by pouring boiling water over nurungji (누룽지), the crisp rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot after a meal.


• Sujeonggwa (수정과): Cinnamon, ginger, persimmons, and pine nuts served cold with sugar or honey.

For a more complete and pretty awesome list of Korean teas, see [1].

The above enumeration is staggering, but it doesn’t even mention the so-called medicinal teas brewed to putatively treat various ailments rather than just tickle the tastebuds. This list exhibits some overlap with the above but also includes:

• Danggui tea (당귀차/當歸茶): A ubiquitous herbal brew made from the dried root of Angelica sinensis. Contains a number of phytochemicals that have supposedly inhibited the growth and proliferation of various cancer cells in culture. I don’t know about its anti-cancer properties, but at least one of its components (decursinol) has consistently demonstrated a marked sedative effect in mice [2].


• Ginseng tea (인삼차/人蔘茶): Another ubiquitous herbal tea that supposedly treats a wide range of ailments from to insulin intolerance and impotence and, of course, (reportedly) slows aging and reduces cancer risk. Support for such claims by high-quality clinical trials is inconsistent [3] but perhaps bear further research. Can be purchased in pouches as a bitter extract or made oneself by boiling ginseng with honey or sugar. Yum.


• Mugwort tea (쑥꽃차): Limited evidence that it may stall growth and proliferation of cancer cells, at least in vitro. Has some cool effects on hippocampal slice culture electrophysiology in chronically treated rats. Tastes bitter. But as the Chinese say, 苦药利病: Bitter medicine is good for (treating) sickness. Or just making you feel less bad about the six cups of sujeonggwa you just drank.

…and more. Far, far more.

If it’s a particularly lucky day, a visitor to Korea might also get a taste of some very special tea handed out by local church ajumma attempting to entice new visitors into their services, as they tend to do at odd hours outside my apartment complex. Brewed with cinnamon, ginger, red dates, and a lot of guilt, this uniquely Korean tea, like many of the others mentioned here, is difficult to find anywhere but here.

Unless, of course, you ask a nice Korean mother to send you a care package.

Non-Linked References

[2] Swanberg, K. (2013). Unpublished data. I’ve always wanted to say that.

Hot, Steamy, and Naked Korean Health Maintenance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w54K0eoQMpU

One night in Beijing, I took off all my clothes and spent an hour bathing with dozens of naked women. There’s a first time for everything.

Actually, it wasn’t quite the first time, but that’s a long and entirely irrelevant story. Moving on.

The situation was not nearly as scandalous as it sounds, for I was in a Korean jjimjilbang (찜질방), a public facility where stressed-out customers shower, bathe, and sweat out their cares in a variety of temperature-controlled rooms after payment of a usually inexpensive and inclusive entrance fee. This particular jjimjilbang boasted amenities from hot baths and steam chambers to hot rock beds and even salt rooms (the last of which is exactly what it sounds to be: A room made of salt, a fact that has been personally confirmed by a friend who gave the exposed surfaces of one such feature a brave taste. I imagine, however, that even these data are flimsy evidence for determining whether they were composed of sodium chloride crystals or just covered in the sweat of other customers. Moving on again). In addition to a labyrinth of sweat-inducing facilities, the jjimjilbang also offered small towels for wrapping wet hair into Princess Leia horns, wooden bowls of hard-boiled eggs, and large plastic sippy cups of chilled teas and juices—for a small fee. It wouldn’t have been a Korean jjimjilbang without these important details, after all.

Until I moved to Korea, I mistakenly assumed that the fun with public nudity in high temperatures ended there. But after taking the dive from Beijing to Seoul, I came to the glorious realization that for the enthusiast of pools, saunas, and other things that help you maintain your health (보건/保健/bogeon) and make your body feel nice (and, let’s face it, except for the most mysophobic among us, who isn’t?), South Korea abounds with adventure-worthy locations beyond just jjimjilbang, including public baths, massage parlors, and spas.

Bathing in a Crowd

Let’s start with my personal favorite, public baths, which, like salt rooms, are denoted by entirely straightforward names as they are simply roomy multi-person bathtubs open to the public. They’re usually (if not always) separated by sex, so they offer nothing to be too embarrassed about, but the concept does take some getting used to, especially if you hail from a certain Puritanical country in the Western hemisphere that tends to miss out on a lot of the fun things devised by our Afroeurasian cousins. Like jjimjilbang, they tend to be inexpensive—only a few thousand won for endless hours of soaking—but are hardly ever, at least in my experience, of low quality. Although the baths do not seem to be chlorinated (like they tend to be in foreign-run hotels), perhaps in part because of the constant water filtration as well as the intense social backlash against those who do not shower thoroughly before entering (an older friend of mine once told me how the ajummas of her apartment complex spoke disparagingly for months about a misinformed foreigner who dared step foot in their public bath clad in a bikini), they do not at all give an impression of being unhygienic: I have been to several across the geographic and socioeconomic spectrum and have not once caught anything more than a feeling of deep satisfaction. Not that anecdotal evidence should really count for anything. So here’s a scary news article about diarrhea-inducing microbes, expired food, and contact dermatitis at public baths and jjimjilbang that somewhat balances my glowing review [1]. Don’t read it.

Massage Parlors… and More

Softened up by that hot bath but looking for more relief for your aching muscles? Stop by a massage parlor. Just as, in Korea, the concept of “tea” doesn’t limit itself to bags of homogenous dried brown stuff floating limply around cups of microwaved water (I’m looking at you, America), “massage” does not simply mean someone with iron forearms squeezing your skin to Kenny G in a nice-smelling room. A range of much more fascinating options are to be found here: From hot stone massages [2] and the skin-eating fish massage [3] you saw in our video to shampoo massage (pro tip from a cheap student: watching these on YouTube can be just as relaxing as getting one) [4] and ji-ap (지압/指壓) acupressure massage accompanied by Oriental medical techniques like acupuncture (침요법/針療法) and moxibustion (뜸질) (also called “cupping”) at traditional medicine clinics [5], South Korea abounds in exotic and novel options for the more adventurous and perhaps dopamine-starved of massage lovers.

And, like in most countries, Korean “massage parlors” also include a range of lower-brow facilities from “anma” (안마/按摩) houses to even certain karaoke parlors for those who are looking for, uh, a little bit more than just relaxing attention to the skeletal muscles. Everyone has a different story about how to distinguish innocent commercial facilities from the more questionable spots—some Seoul residents say that “anma” is always a dead ringer for “brothel,” while others swear that “music rooms” (노래방/noraebang) are for karaoke and “music practice areas” (노래연습장/noraeyeonseupjang) for the things might go on afterward—but they are definitely there, however hidden away into the lesser-known pockets of Seoul’s reportedly lively underground nightlife. Check out [6] for a detailed and fascinating introduction to the apparently thriving (festering?) world of illicit Korean massage, provided you’re neither too weak of heart nor too strong of principle–or at work.

Spa Time

The last in this list of fine institutions for shameless self-pampering is the spa. A step above most jjimjilbang and public baths, spas in South Korea are generally found nestled inside larger establishments, especially hotels. Like massage parlors, they are characterized by a menu of services offered by individual attendants; unlike massage parlors, however, they feature a wider range of treatments that toe the line between health care and cosmetics, like manicures and facials. Some spas in South Korea even offer relatively major procedures like laser hair removal, plastic surgery, and increasingly popular but often unproven “stem cell treatments” [7], [8]—or, rather, some medical clinics offer other services traditionally found in spas. Similarly, the owners of some jjimjilbang attempt to enhance its street cred by calling it a spa (as in the case of Dragon Hill Spa, a thoroughly plebeian jjimjilbang in the Yongsan district of Seoul, which, to its credit, does have a legitimate spa inside). But who really cares what a place is called as long as it gets the good hormones flowing?

Health Benefits… Or Not?

Speaking of hormones, are there any actual health benefits involved in these so-called health maintenance facilities? Traditional Oriental medical theory says yes. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, 中医/zhōng yī), or at least the post-Cultural Revolution formulation thereof, the body is an ecosystem of interconnected organs for which proper function depends on the orderly exchange and conversion of blood and energy, reified as the now-popularized concept of qi (기/氣). Korean Four Constitution Theory (사상체질이론/四象體質理論) goes one step further to define exactly which organs are most at risk of blood-circulating and qi-converting dysfunctions, and how these problems might manifest as any number of diverse symptoms, according to a person’s distinct body type. In both schools of thought (and, I somewhat ignorantly imagine, its offshoots like Japanese Kampo), both blood and qi are constantly being produced or stored, cooled or heated, elevated or depressed—in essence, circulated along channels called meridians (经络/jīng luò)—by organs like the Heart (心) or Spleen (脾) that do not necessarily correspond with their physical equivalents as understood by modern anatomy. Any slowing or blockage to this system, by the wrong food, poor sleep, insufficient or inappropriate exercise, or—hint, hint—badly maintained body temperature can wreak havoc on the whole system and eventually devolve into otherwise idiopathic illness. It is thought, then, that stimulation of blood and qi along either directly or indirectly important circulatory hubs called acupoints (穴位/xué wèi), either by the application of pressure as in massage, needles as in acupuncture, heat as in moxibustion or steam, or even a hot bath, can be beneficial to one’s long-term health, even (or perhaps especially) in the absence of overt ailments. Bits of these theories translate across to common parlance as “circulatory improvement” from the heat and “toxin release” through sweat. Which is all nice and intuitive, not to mention steeped in appealing ancient mystique, but what does the scientific literature say?

Leaving aside for the moment the fact that nothing corresponding with the purported behavior of “qi” along its supposed meridian channels has ever been verified by researchers in either biomedicine or physics, at least one review article cites evidence that limited exposure to the high temperatures of a jjimjilbang or hot bath might support reductions in hypertension, pulmonary function, and pain relief [9]. However, it also notes that these findings are supported by limited evidence and hence as yet inconclusive. A more recent review released in 2011 less ambiguously touts the benefits of saunas to everyone from heart disease patients to the chronically fatigued [10], but it is perhaps important to note that it was published in Alternative Medicine Reviews, a now-defunct periodical currently in the process of disbanding and refunding its subscriptions. Ignore SCI impact factors at your peril. Also of note, but for a different reason, is a 2006 clinical report detailing the etiology of “hot tub lung,” chronic pulmonary inflammation induced by bathwater-borne mycobacteria [11]. But… qi circulation and endorphins! I think it might be time to move on again.

Dermatitis and exotic bacteria aside, unless you’re like my mother and refuse to let a stranger touch or see you naked unless s/he possesses either an M.D. or your wedding ring, I encourage you at least take a peek inside the jungle of Korean “health maintenance” facilities (though not, of course, as a substitute for certified health care) because even if it’s not necessarily going to cure your asthma, it still feels nice to soak in a hot bath (and that has to count for something physiological). And even if you do have a shy streak, I still suggest taking a peek within your comfort zone, because there’s something for everyone in this world of wood-powered steam rooms, foot-massaging fish, post-peeling facials, and more.