by Joseph Yun Li-sun

Seoul academic marks South Korea's seventh gold medal (the first was in Seoul in 1988) in women's team archery claiming that "increased dexterity lies in" cutting cabbage and using smaller chopsticks, which made their hands and fingers more sensitive.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - The stellar performance of South Korea women archer at the London Olympics is based on their "sensitivity supposedly developed generations ago through the traditional method of making the national dish kimchi," an academic from Seoul said. "Another explanation for this increased dexterity lies in their traditional eating utensil-Korean chopsticks," which are smaller than those used by the Chinese. The Korean team won gold for the seventh straight time since the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

"Korean women excel at feel sports such as archery and golf because of heightened sensitivity and dexterity in their hands and fingers. This sensitivity supposedly developed generations ago through the traditional method of making the national dish kimchi," the academic from Seoul said.

Kimchi, also known as gimchi o kimch'i, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables, a variety of seasonings and vinegar. It has been a national dish for centuries and requires great precision to be prepared. The ingredients must be finely cut to allow the most fermentation possible.

"Another explanation for this increased dexterity lies in their traditional eating utensil -- Korean chopsticks. While other Asian countries also use chopsticks, they tend to be longer, wooden implements, relatively easy to use. Korean chopsticks are made of slippery, slender steel and are incredibly difficult to master," the academic said.

 

• south
• korea
• archers
• olympics
• kimchi