Having a kitchen available for breakfast has added an extra chapter to my understanding of Korean cuisine. It's not just new information about what they eat for breakfast. We also talk about the philosophy of how things are combined and the right way to eat. It's interesting to see it pretty deeply from a different point of view. There are many of the same conclusions about the best way to eat for some very different reasons.

First, let's talk about what makes up a Korean breakfast. It's really not that different from lunch, except that it's often simpler. Even that term needs a little explanation. Korean cuisine has a category of "simple foods" that includes basic stir frys and things like bibimbop. Breakfast commonly falls in that category.

So a common breakfast will be tofu or eggs mixed in a vegetable stir fry with rice, a little soup, and of course, kimchi. It's really very balanced and healthy as compared to the American breakfasts that are typically either very bready or very greasy.

The soup is considered to be the liquid like we would use juice or milk. There's a philosophy that drinking liquids close to your meal dilutes the digestive juices and causes poor digestion and possibly stomach problems. The soup, having nutrients and some vegetables or tofu in it, doesn't have the same effect.

The philosophy of kimchi goes beyond just breakfast. Spicy food is seen as a counter-balance to the oils in meats and stir frys. A little kimchi or some fresh vegetables that can be dipped in the red pepper paste balance the oils and cleanse the palate. Kimchi should be taken in moderation at breakfast, though, so the spices don't upset the stomach in the first meal of the day.

Rice is such a staple that the starch in a meal is rarely in question. One time, we put sweet potatoes on top of the rice in the rice cooker. They added some flavor to the rice and we ate them, also. And Suka always adds a little black rice to change the color and flavor.

Color is also important and results in a more balanced vegetable mix. Common greens are celery and Korean green onion with the occasional green pepper or cabbage. Color balances come from carrots and red bell peppers.