I couldn’t believe that a foodstuff could be the source of such an odour, but I was game to taste it. As the heady, spicy/sour taste washed over my palate, I too was transported and thus began my love affair with kimchi and all food from Korea. Owing much to its varied topography and climate, Korean cuisine includes products from the sea, the fields and the mountains.

The base of many dishes consists of ingredients such as red pepper, green onion, soy sauce, bean paste, garlic, ginger, sesame, mustard, and vinegar. These are combined in varying amounts to enhance the flavour of soups, stews, and grilled seafood and meats. One of the most distinguishing features that separate the cuisine of the Korean peninsula from its Chinese and Japanese neighbours is its spiciness - in Korea the red chilli pepper is king!

I have eaten Korean meals in humble little kitchens in Bangkok, complete with the traditional distilled liquor, soju and also in super-trendy nightspots in New York City with rice wine cocktails. But my all-time favourite meal was eaten with my good friend, Ji and her family. She was newly married at the time and all of her immediate family had come to visit her and celebrate (and meddle in) the new couple’s union. Not an optimal situation for her and her new husband, but a great opportunity for me to eat a large traditional Korean meal.

You can experience the most complete offering of Korean cuisine by trying hanjongsik, a traditional full course Korean meal. Gazing at the elaborately set table, I was struck by the vast array of delicacies. More than a dozen dishes filled the table, laid out in an elegant, colourful and mouth-watering way. Everything looked so appealing that it was hard to figure out which dish to try first.

So I jumped in with both feet and began with a dish that is always a delight, the classic haemulpajon pancake made of seafood, leeks, eggs and red chilli peppers. The fried hotcake, which is commonly served as an accompaniment to soju, is supposed to be dipped in soy sauce before each bite; I adore the savoury taste.

The banchan, little side dishes that accompany every Korean meal, included three kinds of marinated raw crab, delicate fish roe glistening with sesame oil, chilli-laced oysters and, of course, kimchi. I tried all of them throughout the meal and enjoyed the depth and unbelievable variety it added to the already delicious entrees. Alternating morsels of raw crab with gaji namul, pan-fried eggplant cut lengthwise and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and red pepper powder was a taste explosion.

I had never tried bossam, steamed pork with kimchi, but found my first encounter delightful. The pork is perfectly cooked to make it juicy and it doesn’t leave a greasy taste in the mouth. I then went on to another favourite, kalbichim, beef ribs steamed with chestnuts, carrots, radishes and jujubes.

The ribs are served in a small pot that sits over a low flame, keeping the meat hot until you are ready to eat it. The beef was beautifully tender and the vegetables were perfect. This is not a spicy dish so I alternated bites of it with spicy bits of kimchi. This was just a matinee for the main event: kimchi stew.

Kimchi-jjiggae, kimchi stew, is a very common home dish in which families can utilise leftover or older kimchi. It would not be typically served at a luxurious banquet, but as Ji knew how much I loved it, she ordered it especially for me. And I was not disappointed, the sour taste of the cabbage mixed with pork, bean curd and other vegetables all heightened by a generous dollop of chillies was one of the best stews I had ever tasted.

There are numerous rice and noodle dishes in Korean cuisine, but my favourite is bibimbap, boiled rice mixed with vegetables, meat or fish, tofu and an egg. It is a home-style dish and I knew that it would not be served at this banquet, but I still missed it all the same. But with all the new dishes and side dishes I had tasted, I think I developed a whole new menu of favourites.

- Be careful not to start to eat before elderly people begin. You will look very rude.
- Don't ever speak out loud with food in your mouth. Don't eat very fast. Remember to keep peace with other people.
- Always try not to make noise when you are chewing.
- You are not supposed to leave the table before the oldest person finishes his meal.