전 세계를 사로잡은 '검은 종이', '김'에 진심인 세 여자가 떠는 바삭하고 유쾌한 김 수다에 함께 하실래요?
Join us at our lunch table! We, the three serious gim aficionados, are munching on gim, chatting about gim (obviously) — the ‘black paper’ that is taking over the pantries around the globe.
고니: 음, 이 집은 반찬에 꼭 김이 있어서 너무 좋은 것 같아요.
literal : Mmm, I think it’s so good that this place always has gim (seaweed) as a side dish.
natural : Mmm, I love how this place always has gim (seaweed) as a side dish.
써니: 맞아요. 전 다른 반찬 없어도, 김만 있으면, 밥 한 그릇 뚝딱 할 때도 있다니까요?
literal : That’s right. Even if there are no other side dishes, if I just have gim, I can finish a bowl of rice in a flash.
natural : I’m with you. Honestly, I don’t even need other sides—as long as there’s seaweed, I can polish off a whole bowl of rice.
코지: 근데, 요즘 해외에서도 한국 김이 엄청 인기래요.
literal : Speaking of, I heard Korean gim is incredibly popular overseas these days.
natural : Speaking of, I heard Korean seaweed is a huge hit abroad lately.
써니: 맞아요. 실제로 수출이 엄청 늘어서, 언론에서는 ‘검은 반도체’ 라고 부르더라고요.
That’s right. Actually, exports have increased so much that the media calls it "Black Semiconductors."
코지: 저도 뉴스에서 들었어요.
I also heard that on the news.
코지: 미역을 ‘바다 잡초’ 라고 부르는 영어권 사람들이 김을 찾는다니…
literal : People in English-speaking countries who used to call mi-yeok sea-“weed” are now looking for gim...
natural : It’s crazy to think people who used to dismiss seaweed as “ocean weeds” are now craving it.
코지: 세상 참 많이 변했어요.
literal : The world has changed a lot.
natural : How times have changed!
고니: 진짜 신기한 건, 제가 유튜브 영상 봤는데, 꼬마애들이 밥도 없이 김을 과자처럼 와작와작 막 먹더라고요…
literal : The really curious thing is, I saw this YouTube video, where little kids were munching on gim like crackers even without rice...
natural : Check this out. I saw a YouTube video of kids just snacking on it plain, like chips, without any rice...
써니: 으… 밥 없이 먹으면 엄청 짤 텐데…
literal : Uh... it would be way too salty if they eat it without rice...
natural : Yikes... it would be way too salty on its own, though…
고니: 그러게요. 근데, 그래서 그런가?
You can say that again. But maybe that's why?
고니: 어떤 외국 인플루언서가 김을 ‘바다의 베이컨’ 같다고 표현했더라고요.
literal : A foreign influencer described gim as being like the “bacon of the Sea.”
natural : I saw an influencer calling it the “Bacon of the Sea.”
고니: 짭짤하고 바삭해서 계속 손이 간다나?
literal : She said because it’s salty and crispy, they can’t stop reaching for it.
natural : She said the salty, crispy combo is so addictive that you can’t stop reaching for it.
코지: 하긴, 이 맛에 한 번 길들여지면 절대 못 멈추죠.
literal : Well, it’s true. Once you get tamed by this taste, you can never stop.
natural : Well, it’s true. Once you’re hooked on that flavor, there’s no going back.
고니: 근데, 요즘은 해외에서도 우리처럼 밥에 김을 싸 먹기 시작했대요.
literal : But, they say people overseas have started wrapping rice in gim like we do.
natural : And apparently, people overseas are starting to eat it wrapped with rice, just like us.
코지: 으응? 설마요! 주식이 빵이라, 집에 쌀 한 톨 없을 텐데?
literal : Huh? No way! Since their staple is bread, they wouldn't have a single grain of rice at home?
natural : Wait, really? But, their diet is mostly bread—I doubt they’d even have a grain of rice in the pantry.
써니: 에이, 언제적 얘길 하는 거예요.
literal : Hey, what era are you talking about?
natural : Oh, come on, you’re living in the past!
써니: 요즘은 거기 마트에도 📌햇반 다 깔렸어요.
literal : These days, Hetbahn (instant rice) is all over the marts there.
natural : Nowadays, you can find Korean instant rice in almost any supermarket in foreign countries.
써니: 밥 구하는 건 일도 아니죠.
literal : Getting rice is no big deal.
natural : Getting rice is a piece of cake.
코지: 아, 요즘, 외국 마트에도 햇반을 파는구나.
literal : Ah, so they sell Hetbahn in foreign marts these days.
natural : Ah, so you can easily get them at the supermarkets these days... I did not know that.
고니: 근데, 진짜, 김은 밥이랑 먹든, 김자반으로 뿌려 먹든, 주먹밥으로 뭉쳐 먹든, 김밥으로 말아먹든, 뭘 해 먹든, 다 맛있는 것 같아요.
literal : But really, whether you eat gim with rice, sprinkle it as gim-jaban, clump it into rice balls, or roll it as gimbap, it seems delicious no matter what you do.
natural : Seriously though, gim is good any way you have it—crumbled over rice, made into rice balls, or rolled into gimbap. It’s just delicious no matter what.
써니: 그쵸, 그쵸.
Totally.
써니: 아, 김 벌써 다 먹었다.
literal : Oh, the gim is already gone.
natural : Oops, we’re out already.
써니: 제가 📌셀프바에서 좀 더 가져올게요!
literal : I’ll go get some more from the self-bar!
natural : I’ll go grab some more from the refill station!
📌햇반 is actually a brand name of the first successful instant rice product in Korea. That particular brand has become so popular that it has now become a synonym of 즉석밥, the real general noun that means 즉석(instant) 밥(rice). It is just like how we say 'Kleenex' for tissues or 'Ziploc bags' for resealable plastic bags. Since it was the very first successful brand of its kind, the name just stuck!
📌You’ll see signs that say '셀프바 (self-bar)' in Korean restaurants. It is a 'Konglish' word that means a self-service refill station. It’s basically an all-you-can-eat side dish mini buffet! If gim runs out, you just head over there and grab as much as you want for free! A true paradise for side dish lovers. No need to feel guilty about asking for seconds—or thirds!
To read an in-depth article on the topic,
click the link below :
