Newly Omnivorous

I wasn't expecting the beautifully Ray Harryhausen-style jerkiness of the superbly-designed 'watchers', or the pro-vegetarian messages spouted by Russell Crowe's Noah, who is pitted against Ray Winstone's bloodthirsty Tubal-cain. The message is by no means a subtle one, and goes hand-in-hand with the film's re-purposing of the Noah story as a analogy for human-made climate change.

As Baden points out, this green message goes against the grain of the story as told in the Bible, which also provides no basis for the idea of god as a promoter of a meat-free diet:

"In the end, the deluge does nothing to wipe out the violence and wickedness that brought it about in the first place. It is God who changes, accepting that the human race is inherently superior to mere animals, and bloodthirsty at that: “Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat,” he says after the waters have cleared. “The fear and dread of you shall be upon all the beasts of the Earth and all the birds of the sky and all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hand.”

Still, these and other aspects of the film which wrestle directly (and with broad strokes) with the more troubling aspects of the Bible give the film a slightly subversive kick. They also keep things interesting, even when the arresting visuals interesting conflicts threaten to be drenched by cheesy CGI and rote blockbuster storytelling.

Aronofsky is clearly doing something right, as Noah production has been praised for not using live animals, and has angered religious leaders, "especially those on the religious-political right, who have been quick to dismiss the film on grounds of 'environmental paganism,' 'rabid environmentalism and 'Aronofsky’s blasphemous claim that God is some kind of tree-hugger.'"

I haven't had the chance to try any Beyond Meat products, but the success the company seems to be having in the US bodes well for a future in which 'fake meat' offers health and environmental benefits while also tasting just like meat. Not quite a google Burger, but perhaps a proof-of-concept for the lab grown meats which are surely going to become much more widely available in the next 5-10 years.

One key to wider availability is low pricing, of course, and the company seems to have an eye on becoming a mass-market product:

"By eliminating the middle man, or animal, we are dramatically increasing the efficiency of meat production and one day when we achieve scale, we will be able to pass those efficiencies along in the form of disruptively low pricing."

Mostly thanks to my excellent hosts, I ate very well throughout the trip, starting with skewered chicken and a spicy duck salad in a small, chic Thai place hidden behind and industrial sliding door in Sheung Wan.

On my second day, I was treated to apparently the best dim sum in Hong Kong, courtesy of Tim Ho Wan. The selection included any number of delicious dumplings, buns and cakes, as well as these surprisingly tender chickens' feet. The first time I've eaten feet of any kind, I think.

The highlight of the trip was a fantastic dinner at a seafront restaurant on Lamma Island. We feasted on deliciously sauce-drenched abalone, gorgeously addictive garlic prawns, intensely coloured and flavoured sweet and sour pork, and a delightfully indulgent hotpot of vegetables and battered grouper. Amazing stuff, and very different from the Korean dishes I've been eating (I haven't tried much Chinese food in Korea - it doesn't have a great reputation). None of the dishes were particularly spicy, but the flavours were warm, rich and extremely moreish.

I've always enjoyed the delights of being able to share a meal of many dishes with friends (or in this case, family), but didn't had the option all that often as a vegetarian. Becoming omnivorous has obviously increased the chances of communal meals, and this trip was particularly rich with them. A real joy, which the explosion of unfamiliar flavours and textures only added to.

I also enjoyed the convenience of travel without food restrictions (other than wanting to enjoy a range of tasty things that are hard - or impossible - to find in Korea, of course). I've spent fruitless (and vegetableless) hours on previous holidays searching for vegetarian cafes promised by out-of-date Lonely Planets. Perhaps in time I'll miss the challenge, and the sense of achievement in actually finding something veggie-friendly in new places, but on this short trip, I was happy to be able to eat anything and anywhere.

Food I ate while on the go included a hearty baked chicken stew at Macanese ferry terminal restaurant (as well as quite a few egg tarts), a succulent chorizo and mozzarella panini from Panino Giusto in a fancy mall, prawny noodles courtesy of Singapore Airlines, and a taste of home in the form of a bulgogi burger from Kraze Bruger at Gimhae airport on my return to Korea.

As my first proper overseas trip as an omnivore, my long weekend in Hong Kong was definitely a success. I probably overindulged a little, but that's what holidays are for, right?

In a particularly fun episode of the always-enjoyable Judge John Hodgman podcast (episode 144: Father Gnaws Beast), a father is brought to task by his adult daughters for imposing his very meat-centric tastes on family meals. One daughter is a long-term vegetarian, and asks for a little more consideration from her father when choosing dishes for 'family style' restaurant meals. As her father is a staunch carnivore who can only stomach a very select group of non-meat foods, this proves somewhat contentious.

The introductory story in a recent episode of This American Life (episode 516: Stuck In The Middle) focuses on two young brothers and their very patient parents. The older brother (aged 7) is passionate vegetarian who wants his whole family to avoid meat; the younger (aged 5) brother feels this is deeply unfair, and just wants to eat pepperoni pizza. Their parents try not to take sides in this battle of wills, and instead encourage the boys to see each other's points of view.

Films seen at home: Upstream Color Stories We Tell Frances Ha Fruitvale Station The Grandmaster Wadjda Enough Said

Films seen at the cinema: Stoker Gravity Before Midnight All is Lost Snowpiercer Much Ado About Nothing The Place Beyond the Pines

Feature-length TV things: The Challenger An Adventure in Space and Time The Day of the Doctor Behind the Candelabra

TV series: Orange is the New Black Enlightened Hannibal

Books read and enjoyed this year (* = enjoyed a lot): Telegraph Avenue* What Do Women Want?* The Reason I Jump* Saga (volumes 1 & 2)* The Interestings The Book of Barely Imagined Beings* Story* Into the Woods Quiet* Aphrodite's Daughters* Swamplandia! Tiny Beautiful Things* The Antidote World War Z* NW* Wool Screenwriting 101 Killing Daniel The Manhattan projects Art & Fear How to Be an Adult in Relationships* The Last Picture Show In Praise of Messy Lives Superman - The Unauthorized Biography The Expats Committed - A Sceptic Makes Peace With Marriage Oops! - Helping Children Learn Accidentally* The Magicians

Albums: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City Múm – Smilewound Arcade Fire - Reflektor Marnie Stern - The Chronicles of Marnia Tanya Donnely - Swan Song Series Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium Laura Mvula – Sing To The Moon The National - Trouble Will Find Me Daft Punk - Random Access Memories Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – We the Common Rilo Kiley - rkives Money - Shadow of Heaven Josh Ritter – The Beast in Its Tracks The Leisure Society – Alone Aboard The Ark Low - The Invisible Way Houses - A Quiet Darkness Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe

The salmon was frozen (but organic), the bread was Paris Baguette's finest, the lemon juice was from a bottle, and I forgot to stock up on butter, so had to use olive oil instead, but it was still very good. Salmon is definitely my food of the year, and this brought back some lovely festive memories, even though I didn't have access to mince pies or Brussels sprouts (or my family) this year.

My staple vegetarian Christmas dinner was express cheese pudding from the Cranks recipe book. Quick, simple, and delicious with the roast potatoes that were my favourite part of the dinner. 

This year I obviously had to have some meat protein to go with the spuds, and decided to try to make my dinner as organic as possible. Chicken was my only real option for the meat, but I also managed to find organic carrots and cabbage, so combined those (with added probably-non-organic potatoes and mushrooms) with the poached chicken, making a very satisfying Christmas scramble.

Not exactly a traditional, all-the-trimmings Christmas dinner (and did I mention the lack of mince pies and family?), but it seemed a fitting way to celebrate what I feel has been a pretty successful omnivorous experiment.

In the last few weeks I've been indulging in a cornucopia of meat feasts, including: a Thanksgiving dinner, with succulent turkey direct from a US army base.

Shabu shabu with rolls and rolls of thinly sliced pork poached in a steaming communal broth.

Most recently, an end-of-term meal at a place called Self Bar, where raw meat and seafood (along with a few salad items) are laid out to be harvested and cooked at your table.

As I keep saying, in just a few months this has all become very natural. Though I always try to think about what I'm eating, I don't flinch when chowing down to a plate full of meat. I eat most things that come along, although I did baulk at these cute little octopuses, which weren't alive, but became animated when placed upon the grill pan.

I'm learning to pace myself, and to know when I've had enough meat. I'm getting used to the ebb and flow off energy after a massive protein infusion. I'm definitely eating fewer carbs. I've put on a kilo or two since I last weighed myself. I've felt guilty for not eating more ethically-sourced animals. I've been tired and not tired, and have made some largish decisions without much trouble. I've gone back and forth on others, but have generally felt clear-headed and focused.

Of course, I can't put all of this down to eating meat. I'm very lucky to have had a pretty decent work-life balance over the last few months, with time to travel around Korea, read, watch films, meet new people and work on personal projects. However, I've definitely noticed some small but interesting changes, and have definitely enjoyed being more a part of Korean meals than I ever could have been as a vegetarian.

I've decided to continue being omnivorous, at least for another few months, and to continue to keep track of my diet and any changes I notice.  

Bacon's addictive properties are well documented, and its particular blend of smoky saltiness and fatty meatiness makes for an overwhelming umami experience. An experience that has been one of the most potent catalysts for the spread of fast food and factory farming.

I wasn't immune to bacon's charms as a kid, especially when it was served in a butty. The taste of grease mixing with butter and soaking into brown bread is seared into my memory. Even so, I can't remember particularly struggling with not eating bacon when I became a vegetarian, so I was curious to see how I would respond to it after three months of meat eating.

I'd had a few strips of (usually quite dry and crispy) bacon as part of various brunch-like meals in Korea, but hadn't cooked it at home until I spotted a pack of apparently 'green tea cured' bacon in a local supermarket. I was intrigued, and although the meat was almost certainly not ethically farmed (I haven't been able to find any organic bacon so far), I thought I'd fry it up to go with a weekend fry-up.

The results were pretty satisfying. Greasy, of course, but satisfying.

The streaky strips were thinner than the rashers of back bacon I remember from childhood, and considerably fattier, but no less tasty for it. They definitely felt less substantial than back bacon, and I soon polished off four of the strips, or about 60g of meat. Well, brunch is officially two meals, right?

I couldn't taste the green tea, but happily mopped up the remaining meat and mushroom juice with bread, which made me feel warmly nostalgic. Well, calories don't count on weekends, right?

Since then, I don't think I've found myself actively craving bacon, but I did buy some more, to try in a pasta dish, and again with eggs and mushrooms. This feels right as the days get colder, somehow. I've got one rasher left in a tupperware in the fridge, and I'm tempted to grill it as a mid-afternoon snack. I don't want it to go to waste, after all.

Galmaegisal with colleagues...

My first ever (I think) cheesy pork cutlet...

All this red meat has been enjoyable, and has definitely increased my protein intake, but has left me with a few questions: how often should I eat red meat, and how much should I eat in one sitting?

The latter question was particularly relevant at a boisterous staff dinner, at which the pork just kept coming, to be grilled in the middle of the table. The meat was very tasty, and the tangy side dishes complimented it perfectly, but I just didn't know when to stop. I kept apace with my more experienced carnivorous colleagues, but felt like I was overdoing things a little, for someone only omnivorous for a few months. 

Feeling uncomfortably bloated the next day, I realised that I'd probably overindulged. Oh well - at least none of the meat went to waste. Getting through the day in this state wasn't much fun, though, and spurred me on to be a little more systematic with my pork intake.

Korean 'grill-it-yourself' restaurants often sell you servings of raw meat measured in grams, and a standard serving for 5 or 6 people is 600g, so about 100-120g per person. Is this a healthy amount of red meat to eat once or twice a week?

According to guidelines set out by Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition in UK, yes, although the portion sizes are a little large.

As explained at nhs.uk, the guidelines suggest eating now more than 70g of red meat a day, or 490g a week. It is suggested that following these recommendations will help reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer. The weekly average seems more important than portion size, as it is advised that if you go over the limit on one day, "you can eat less on the following days or have meat-free days, so that over time your consumption is not more than 70g per day on average."

The red meat advice page on nhs.uk includes a chart of typical meals, and how their meat content matches up to the guidelines:

A portion of Sunday roast (three thin-cut slices of roast lamb, beef or pork, each about the size of half a slice of sliced bread): 90g

A grilled 8oz beef steak: 163g

A cooked breakfast (two standard British sausages – often sold in packs of eight that weigh 1lb or 454g and measuring around 9cm long – and two thin-cut rashers of bacon): 130g

A large doner kebab: 130g

A 5oz rump steak: 102g

A quarter pounder beefburger: 78g 

A Big Mac: 70g

A Peperami: 25g

It doesn't mention Korean barbecue, but clearly an average portion is well above the 70g limit. This doesn't worry me too much, as I haven't been dining out on pork more than once or twice a week, and rarely eat red meat at other times. I've yet to eat a hamburger in Korea (maybe I should try one soon), and only occasionally have processed ham in sandwiches or kimbap. 

The meal itself was delicious: a large pan of succulent meat simmering in the middle of the table in a typical Korean style.

As the meat cooks, the fat runs into a special table mounted into the table.

Eventually, scallions and other vegetables are added to the meat, and it can be eaten straight from the pan, or wrapped in various leaves with garlic and ssamjang.

This was one of my favourite meat experiences so far - the duck balanced somewhere between tender and firmly juicy, with a rich flavour brought out by the mild spiciness of its surroundings. Very satisfying, and only a little heavy to digest. The local restaurant was clean, airy and friendly, and the company wasn't bad, either, so the duck dinner was a real mid-week pleasure.

As usual with these things in Korea, I don't know exactly where the meat was sourced from, or how it was raised. After some quick reading on the RSPCA website, I assume that the ducks were farmed in the standard indoor manner. This doesn't mean that they are raised in battery cages, but in a large indoor area with perhaps thousands of other ducks. They also rarely have access to "open water source for bathing, or if they do have an open water source, this may not be suitable." This seems particularly cruel, and the RSPCA has a campaign specifically targeted at demanding farmed ducks are given "full body access to bathing water."

Despite this campaign, the RSPCA reports that conditions for ducks deteriorated between 2010 and 2012, and that there is no legal obligation for duck farmers "to provide straw for bedding or access to natural daylight." Despite assurances from the British Poultry Council that their Duck Assurance Scheme helps provide humane conditions, this is not encouraging news. 

As usual, I don't have much (or any) information about Korean duck farming practices, but extrapolating from the UK sources, I imagine that the duck meat was from birds raised in conditions just as un-ethical (if not more so) as the chicken I've been eating for the past few months. A shame, as the meal really was delicious, but I'm glad I now at least have a little more background knowledge. I'd feel much happier knowing that the meat I was eating came from ducks which had at least been given the bare minimum of water to bathe in, though.

Support the RSPCA Like Duck to Water campaign

The most impressive thing about Jagalchi is the sheer number and variety of stalls that line the narrow streets outside the main market building. I would love to be able to name all the species of fish and seafood that are on sale...

Like many Korean markets, this one feels like a glimpse into the past - very little seems to have changed since the market opened in 1924. Many of the vendors look like they've been here for decades, and the way the produce is displayed and prepared feels untouched by modern standards of health and safety. 

Another traditional aspect is the way almost all of the stalls has an area for eating. Customers can choose a plateful of fish (or clams, eels, crab etc.) and have it prepared and served to them within minutes. In theory, fresh fish doesn't get much fresher than this.

For the festival, extra tents and tables had been laid out, each offering a range of delicacies.

My friend and I opted first for a tent selling freshly grilled prawns and abalone (a highly-prized Korean delicacy).

These received mixed reviews: I liked the prawns, and even enjoyed (ineptly) ripping their shells to pieces, but found the abalones too chewy for my green seafood pallet. My friend found the unseasoned prawns bland, but loved the abalones.

Next, we moved onto a place offering a smorgasbord of shelled creatures.

These were prepared in slightly more complex way - mostly chopped into pieces and mixed with chilli in their shells. We both enjoyed these, although we weren't exactly sure what we were eating. I was less keen on the oysters, which were served whole. I'm really not a big fan of eating chewy, fully formed creatures, so the chance of getting me to eat live octopus is very slim.

On the whole, I enjoyed the experience, and was definitely aware of the nature of what I was eating, even if I wasn't always sure of the shelled creatures names. Eating seafood in this way felt very immediate, tactile and (relatively) respectful. Having the market around you as you eat (and the port not far away) creates a fantastic atmosphere. I felt connected to the processes that had brought the seafood to the plastic table I was eating from, which was very satisfying. 

The atmosphere and selection dishes seemed were similar to those in places I visited last year when I was still a vegetarian living in Japan. No kappa maki, though, and the addition of Korean beer on the conveyor belt.

The food was pretty good, too, especially the salmon. The eel I could have lived without - the intense flavour and chewiness reminded me a little too much that I was eating an eel (I know that's one of the main points of this experiment, but this felt like a conscious experience I didn't need).

The meal did make me regret not trying sushi and sashimi when I was living in Japan, but only a little. I had considered it at the time, but didn't feel quite ready to open up my diet. That feels like the right decision, especially as being a vegetarian in Japan lead me to find some excellent veggie-friendly restaurants and cafes. Plus, it seems like the quality of the fish here is pretty similar to the ingredients used in standard Kaiten places in Japan. Busan is on the coast, after all, and none of the dishes seemed lacking in freshness.

To be honest, I didn't fancy trying most of these things - especially the the creepy birds, and the shark's fin, which I spotted on quite a few stalls. Really quite troubling, and definitely not on the list of fish we can feel slightly less guilty for eating.

The pig roasting on a spit, however, that was a different story...

My festival companion really wanted to try this, and as Korean portions are almost always designed to be shared, I felt obliged to give it a try. 

This was something I would have had trouble imagining I'd ever eat before starting the experiment, but actually wasn't particularly squeamish about. After all, this was what I've been trying to get for the past few months - the food's connection to a real animal couldn't be much starker, without live pigs running around the makeshift restaurant. 

The meat was predictably tender and tasty, and we gamely finished the plate, along with garlic, kimchi and a spicy dipping sauce. It was all pleasantly non-greasy, and didn't feel at all heavy going down. My favourite experience with red meat so far.

My digestion did suffer a bit the next day, and I felt pretty sluggish (although I'd blame that as much on a long day of festival wandering as the effects of the meat), but nothing too painful, considering that this was the most red meat I'd eaten so far.

I hadn't eaten classic fish and chips for more than twenty years, but to my un-tutored taste buds, the chef at Grazie really seems to have it figured out. The batter was light and crisp, the fish flaky and tender. The chips weren't bad, either, and the tartar sauce set the flavours off very nicely. 

Of course, the combination of battered cod and fried potatoes immediately took me back to greasy newspaper and holidays in English seaside towns. The meal did sit quite heavily on me (probably due to the batter as much as the fish), but highly recommended, nonetheless.

The next day, I shared a rather tasty plate of falafel (very rare in Korea - at least outside of Seoul) with a friend.

We paired this with a peperoni pizza - never my topping of choice, and I can't say the peperoni added much to the pizza, but it was pretty darned good nonetheless. 

The chicken breasts I bought at the local organic store had been sitting in my freezer for a couple of weeks, so I decided it was time to try cooking something other than salmon.

A friend suggested chipotle chicken as a simple, tasty dish to try. I didn't have all the ingredients (although I'm sure chipotle or a local version of it must be available in Korea), but with some fresh chillies, cherry tomatoes, courgette and mushroom and chilli powder, I did the best I could. I was nervous about cooking the chunks of chicken (which I probably should have cut smaller) just in the pan, so grilled them a little first, before simmering everything for probably a little too long, just to be sure it was cooked through.

The flavours probably would have been more prominent if I'd let the chicken sit with the sauce for longer before cooking, but the combination worked pretty well. The chicken was at least as flavoursome as any other white meat I've tried over the last few weeks. Perhaps not as succulent as I was hoping, but that could have been down to my nervous over-cooking, or even under-cooking, or just because it was frozen. I know where I am with vegetables, but clearly need a lot more experience with chicken. I probably should have cut the pieces smaller. Still, quite successful for a first try, I think.

Feeling equally ignorant about what organic chicken actually means, I tried to find out some information about the company that packaged the meat, Jamiwon Green Foods. I failed, but the packaging featured a symbol which guarantees that the meat is produced 'without agricultural chemicals', so this seems like a good sign.

If the standards in Korea are the same as they are in UK (another area of my ignorance), then this also means that organic chickens should not only be free of agricultural chemicals, but also be reared in conditions thought to be better than those that are certified as 'free-range'.

One of the ways in which organic standards differ from 'free range' is that organic standards stipulate smaller flock sizes and lower stocking densities (the number of birds per square metre). Smaller flock sizes help to ensure healthier and less stressed birds.

Soil Association

Since antibiotics are not allowed at all, chickens can’t be contained in the literal wing-to-wing density that conventional producers use; with that cramming, it would be impossible to keep disease at bay without drugs.

Francis Lam, Salon, January 21, 2011

I didn't partake in Spam or any other slabs of meat-like protein, but did go on a trip to the mountains to celebrate the festival. I didn't eat anything particularly meaty or fishy on the trip. In fact, there was a fine selection of vegetarian dishes on offer at the many friendly restaurants at the foot of Deogyusan, including a luxurious selection of Sanchae.

It was nice not to worry about whether or not dishes contained hints (or slivers, or chunks) of fish or meat, and to be able to treat dining out as just another relaxing part of being on holiday. Sitting outside a restaurant next to the river, the mountains gently undulating in the distance, it felt good not to be fussy about the contents of my pajeon.

As well as the veggie burgers in cans, organic coffee and chocolate, and free-range (I hope) eggs, there's also a freezer full of meat and fish. These didn't seem ridiculously expensive, so I bought a couple of things to try.