How Korean Food Led to Self-Love and Then True Love

A curiosity for other cultures led author Africa Yoon through a transformative weight-loss journey — and to her husband.

Africa Yoon’s growing family, children who are Korean, Cameroonian and American. Photo by Marco Garcia/Getty Images

I came to the United States when I was six. My father was appointed ambassador to the United Nations for my country of Cameroon, which is why we moved. I asked my mum: “What is the United States?” She explained to me the concept of immigrants and the mixing bowl. Well, in my six-year-old mind, I thought the United Nations and United States were the same thing. So, at the United Nations in my papa’s office, with the staff, I saw people of different cultures come together and get along. Member states got along at parties but not always in the General Assembly. Mum said, “That’s how family is, you don’t always get along but the goal is to remain united.” I loved it and from it developed a deep love of culture, food, and language which shaped who I am today.

Whenever we celebrated a national holiday for a country, we went to the ambassador’s official residence or to their parties in the delegate’s lounge. As a result, I ate food from all over the world as a small child and was exposed to the strong relationship between food and one’s cultural identity. I could see how people’s faces lit up in delight and comfort as each bite they ate transported them home. I once saw the Japanese ambassador give a sigh when eating food at a dinner function. I wondered what that sigh was, but to me, it felt like relief. When an ambassador has a national day, they do a reception in the delegates lounge at the rooftop of the United Nations Building. So when it is your turn, usually you stand at the entrance as a family and you greet everyone coming in.

This gesture of hospitality typically involves a whole dance of culture decoding because not everyone greets the same way when saying hello. The French give two kisses, Ivory Coast sometimes offers four kisses, Africans can do a cheek kiss and have a whole conversation while going from one cheek kiss to the other. Asian cultures, whether Chinese or Indian, tend to have some version of a bow or a deferential head nod. The South Koreans are very specific in bowing lower than your elder which means that I, as a younger person, had a huge advantage in the bowing game…