Don't Just Eat Kimchi: The Real Korean Food List You Need to Survive Seoul Don't Just Eat Kimchi: The Real Korean Food List You Need to Survive Seoul That Time I Almost Cried Over Spicy Pork Last October, my buddy Mark came to visit from London. He’s obsessed with 'spicy' food, so he walks into this tiny joint in Euljiro and orders the spiciest Jeyuk Bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) on the menu without asking for help. Man, the look on his face when the capsaicin hit his tongue—it wasn't just flavor; it was a chemical reaction. See, capsaicin binds to the TRPV1 receptors in our mouths, which are actually designed to detect heat and physical abrasion. It tricks your brain into thinking your mouth is literally burning. I spent the next twenty minutes watching him chug cold water, which, by the way, does absolutely nothing because capsaicin is lipophilic. You need fats or casein (found in milk) to break that bond. Don't be like Mark. Always keep a carto...