 |
| Gemma Wardle / Courtesy of Joe Gans |
By Lee Ji-hye
A passion for travel brought Gemma Wardle to the Land of the Morning Calm just over six years ago. However it's her passion for food that has made her one of the most well-known faces on the foodie scene. Three years ago she started her blog, "A Fat Girl's Food Guide to Eating in Korea", which quickly become one of the most popular food blogs in the country. The blog is a mix of recipes, restaurant reviews and tips on where to shop for hard-to-find ingredients. What started out as a hobby has now become a full-time job. As well as writing her own blog, she has written for a variety of Korean publications and is a regular guest on the TBS EFM radio show.
Q. What are some of the difficulties of being a food blogger in Korea?
A. The biggest difficulty I‘ve had to face probably just comes down to the amount of time it actually takes to write the blog. Eating out, cooking and then writing the actual posts takes up far more time than one would ever imagine. It was very hard to blog consistently while I was teaching full-time. The blog is my main job now, which makes things easier.
Q. What do Korean readers like most versus the expat readers?
A. Most expats tend to be interested in the restaurant reviews, as they like to get a thumbs up from a trusted source before checking out the latest place. I find my Korean readers love to look at the pictures from the posts, which is why I do a simpler version of my blog on Naver.
Q. What are the questions that you usually get as a "foodie" in Korea?
A. The question I always get asked is, "What's a good date restaurant?" For those not as food obsessed as I am, eating out is a special occasion only kind of thing. So they really want to find out the best place to eat.
Q. What is your favorite food?
A. There are so many foods I love, but I'd say a good burger and chips comes pretty high up the list. I'm a big fan of brunch too. That's probably the meal I look forward to the most, especially if you throw in a few great cocktails.
Q. How did you learn to take such great food pictures?
A. It's really been a learn-as-I-go process. When I look back, some of my early photos were terrible. I've learned where to sit to get the best light, and which dishes work better than others. I don't have any special equipment. I just have a small camera or my phone and then touch them up afterwards. It's all quite easy really.
Q. Tell us about your blog's title, "A Fat Girl's Food Guide'
A. The Fat Girl title came from the fact that I spent almost all of my life being overweight. I've yo-yoed between a UK size 14-24 until last year when I started working out and eating differently and become a UK10-12. I never imagined that I would ever reach a normal healthy weight, so it's quite ironic that I'm now known for being The Fat Girl when I'm not currently overweight.
Q. What ultimately drew you to the transition of quitting your job as an English teacher to become a full-time blogger?
A. It seemed like the right time. I've always loved food, and writing about it came very naturally, I knew that there were so many opportunities in Korea, that if I didn't give it my all then I'd end up missing them.
Q. There are many expats in Seoul setting up their own restaurants with their "home" food ― do you feel that this is profitable in Seoul? Is it only limited to expats?
A. I think it's a hugely profitable market. Obviously it's predominantly expat-based because most people are producing foods from their home countries that you can't find here. Though with the shifting trend of Koreans being more open to trying foreign foods I'm sure the market will only grow with time.
Q. What's your take on food videos in Korea (meokbang)?
A. Personally I still find it a bit strange, and can't really understand the appeal. I love looking at photos of food to give me inspiration for what to cook, but watching someone else eat just makes me hungry. I did host my own meokbang a couple of times, people were surprised to see a foreign face, but I don't think it's for me. I'd rather eat while watching the TV.
Q. What is "FOOD" to you?
A. Food is everything to me. I literally never stop thinking about food the whole day. If I'm not cooking or eating, I'm thinking about what I'm going to be cooking or eating next. I can never understand people who say they forgot to eat, how is that even possible?
Q. By observing the patterns of restaurants around Korea and cooking a lot yourself ― if you were to set up a store yourself, what would you sell?
A. I have so many ideas of stores I'd love to open, but opening a restaurant is a very demanding job, and right now I'm just not in a position to do it. Desserts are especially popular here, so I'd love to do a handmade doughnut place, with lots of crazy and fun flavors. No one else is doing it so I'm sure it would be popular.
