BBC Draws Backlash After Saying Kimchi Tastes “Odd” and “Strange”
By Ryan General
May 8, 2019
BBC News recently generated online criticisms for its apparent “othering” of a beloved Korean dish in a featurette video.
The theme was also echoed in the headline that said, “The secrets behind kimchi’s strange taste.”
On Twitter, netizens were quick to point out how describing the traditional Korean dish as “weird” and “strange” is insensitive.
James Beard Award-winning writer Cathy Erway noted the negative connotations of the terms used in a tweet.
Author Jeff Yang offered some suggestions on how BBC can do better next time.
Most of the criticisms pointed out how BBC’s word choice promoted the othering of Korean cuisine.
Some called out BBC for its apparent double standards since foods associated with white people aren’t often described in this way.
Following the backlash, the post’s headline has since been changed to: “What gives kimchi its unusual flavour?”
Netizens, however, had some better suggestions for BBC:
Featured image via BBC
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