For centuries massive meals amazed visitors to Korea (2019)

Rice as Currency and Taxation

• Commenters connect Joseon’s rice tax (Daedong‑beop) to broader issues with commodity money: tying taxes and currency to a single commodity (rice, gold, silver) can distort production, markets, and make the economy vulnerable to supply shocks.
• Others note that in agrarian, cash‑poor societies, taxes in kind (rice, food, labor days) were practical, whereas diversified modern economies favor money.
• There’s debate over whether a rice standard is fundamentally different from an energy standard; critics stress risk differences (e.g., famine vs fusion power) and practical collection issues.
• Historical parallels are drawn to Japan’s kokudaka system and older European taxes in kind with fixed, often distorted exchange rates between goods.

Structure and Logistics of Korean Meals

• Many describe Korean meals as limited mainly by table size: one order can bring 20–30+ small side dishes (banchan) plus a substantial rice bowl.
• Leftovers are often minimal because portions per dish are tiny and vegetable‑heavy; still, some places illegally reuse untouched dishes. Diners sometimes deliberately mix leftovers to prevent this.
• Restaurants streamline service with pre‑arranged trays; staff effort is said to be comparable to multi‑course Western meals.
• In Korea, refills of kimchi and banchan are typically free and expected; overseas “tourist” Korean restaurants often serve smaller portions and charge for sides.

Calories, Labor, and Historical Diets

• One commenter calculates that a “huge” bowl pictured is 1 liter of cooked rice (750 kcal) plus ~100 kcal of soup and vegetables—roughly a single fast‑food meal for a male field laborer. Visual volume overstates caloric excess.
• Several argue that traditional Korean (and Irish, etc.) diets were very high in starchy carbs but low in fat and animal products, combined with intense manual labor; malnutrition rather than obesity was common.
• A long subthread debates historical claims like Irish peasants eating ~13 lb of potatoes/day: some see it as implausible given sheer volume; others cite athletes and manual laborers consuming similar calories, with disagreement over digestive limits vs energy needs.

Cultural Comparisons of Rice Consumption

• Commenters from Korea, South Asia, and elsewhere compare rice as “main dish” vs “side,” noting that Western and Japanese portions can look comically small to heavy‑rice cultures.
• Norms about finishing every grain vs tolerating some waste are linked to rice type (sticky vs long‑grain), religious and wartime experiences, and child‑rearing practices.
• Some note Koreans’ relatively tall stature today, attributing it partly to increased protein compared with historical diets.

Questioning the Article’s Narrative

• Multiple commenters find the article romanticized: historical Korea had limited arable land, frequent famines, and peasants who often went hungry; lavish spreads likely reflect elites or good years.
• Others argue both can be true: when harvests were good, large but low‑calorie rice/vegetable feasts were possible, yet overall the society remained poor and food‑insecure.