When it comes to putting garlic in their food, few cultures can match Korea's enthusiasm.
While Italians might delicately saute a clove or two in olive oil, Koreans think nothing of tossing entire handfuls into a single dish. Their bold approach to the ingredient has become the stuff of legend, sparking both admiration and occasional bewilderment from foodies across the globe.
"Korean food is never complete without garlic," says Han Jin-sun, head chef at The Korea Herald's company cafeteria. Preparing lunch for around 80 people, she says she goes through at least two kilograms of minced garlic a day.
"We basically use it everywhere, from soups and seasoned vegetables to stir-fried seafood. You just don't get that deep, savory flavor without it."
But Korea's garlic obsession goes far beyond mere seasoning. While many cuisines use garlic primarily as an aromatic base, Korean cooking embraces it in practically every form imaginable: raw, pickled, fermented, roasted, and even turned into black garlic nectar as a health supplement. Perhaps most striking to newcomers is the heap of raw garlic slices at Korean barbecue tables, where people happily wrap them with grilled meat in lettuce leaves.
"It's absolutely essential with samgyeopsal (pork belly)," says Bella Kim, 28, who enjoys Korean barbecue at least once a week. "Some prefer their garlic grilled, but I love it raw, dipped in ssamjang. My boyfriend hates the smell, so unfortunately I can't have it when I'm with him -- but pork belly just isn't the same without it."
This culinary quirk has even made its way into foreign dishes. Korean interpretations of Italian classics like aglio e olio often feature exponentially more garlic than their original versions. Korean-style pizzas and fried chicken sometimes come studded with entire cloves of deep-fried garlic -- modifications that have sparked both amusement and horror in viral reaction videos across social media.
So just how much garlic do Koreans consume, and how do they measure up globally?
While popular belief here holds that Korea leads the world in per capita consumption, the data landscape is curiously thin.
Almost every article, news report, and even government document citing global garlic consumption rankings traces back to a single source: a 2018 market research report from IndexBox, a Luxembourg-based analytics firm. According to this report, South Korea ranks second globally at 6.2 kilograms per person annually, behind China's 14.3 kg, followed by Bangladesh (2.6 kg), Russia (2.2 kg), Indonesia (1.8 kg), Brazil (1.5 kg), and India (1.1 kg).
This single-source dependence raises some suspicion. While IndexBox claims to draw from government statistics and industry associations, their specific methodology and data sources aren't fully transparent. And no single international organization maintains comprehensive per capita consumption data across all countries.
The most reliable figures come from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, but these only track production, not consumption. Their data consistently shows China as the dominant producer, well outpacing the combined output of the next 99 countries. The latest figures from 2022 show South Korea ranking sixth in production despite accounting for less than 1 percent of the global population -- a strong indication of the country's robust domestic consumption.
The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the average Korean has eaten between 6-7 kilograms of garlic a year in the 2010s and 2020s, though this represents a decline from 9.2 kg in the 2000s. The latest figures show 6.5 kg in 2022, dipping further to 6.3 kg in 2023. These numbers align with IndexBox's 6.2 kg estimate and back up its ranking of Korea as the world's second-biggest garlic consumer.
Numbers aside, what's truly remarkable is how deeply garlic is woven into the fabric of Korean cuisine. From the essential base of fermented condiments like gochujang and doenjang to the generous portions of minced garlic in everyday soups and stews, it's a fundamental element that shapes the distinctive character of Korean food.
Whether it's worth the notorious "garlic breath" is hardly a question for most Korean food lovers -- they've already made their choice.
