Study on Food Culture During the Late Chosun dynasty and Japanese Colonial Period in the Novel "Toji"

소설 "토지"를 통한 구한말에서 일제강점기의 음식문화 연구

This study was intended to examine the continuance and transformation of food culture during the enlightenment and Japanese ruling era by analyzing the novel of "Toji". In the novel "Toji", the chaotic political and economic situation is reflected, along with the peoples' hard lives in the latter era of the Choson Dynasty. After the full-fledged invasion of China by the Japanese, the shift to a wartime posture was accompanied by an increased need for food. This led to a rationing and delivery system for rice in the late 1930s. While it was hard for people to obtain even brewer's grains and bean-curd dregs, food distribution officers were well off. Another distinctive feature of the food culture during the enlightenment and Japanese ruling era was that foreign food and recipes were introduced naturally to Korea through the influx of various foreigners. The industry of Choson was held by Japanese monopolistic capital, as a result, Choson had equal to the role as a spending site and was only gradually left destitute. In the Japanese ruling era, there were new type of business including such as patisserie of the types of civilization in the town, and those tempted Korean people. However, the Japanese and pro-Japan collaborators dominated commercial business. Being urbanization through the modernization, it was became patronized fast food in the populous downtown, and the change of industry structure and life style greatly influenced into our food culture. Acceptance the convenient Japanese style fast food such as Udong, pickled radish made was actively accepted with a longing for the advancement civilization. After the enlightenment, many Japanese exchange students went to Tokyo to get advanced civilization and provided urban mood according to their consumption of bread, coffee, Western food, which were considered a part of the elite culture.