보기 좋은 떡이 먹기도 좋다 (A rice cake that looks good will taste good too)

This 잠언 means “What looks good tastes good”.

보기 (bogi) – “to see”

좋은 (joeun) – “and to be good”

떡 (tteok) – “rice cake”

먹기도 (meokgido) – “and to eat”

좋다 (jota) – “good”

Literal Translation/Meaning: A rice cake that looks lovely also tastes good.

Use: This phrase can be used when you are confident in the quality of the final product or result. A skilled chef would invest the same effort in its appearance as he would in its taste. As one of the pleasures is also seeing food, this aids the chef in elevating the dish.

Which kind of rotates in this one because when you see something that looks well-made, you can infer how much effort was put into it. Chef wouldn't offer too salty dishes with that much focus on looks, right? 

Many people would disagree with this adage because, after all, beauty comes from within, correct?

Although it may sound good, in Korean society, outward appearance is very important. Koreans have worked hard to make their surroundings aesthetically pleasant for many decades.

The classic architecture, clothing, and even minor decorations attract us with their beauty since they felt it important to embellish the exterior of everything around them.

According to the rationale behind this, if someone put a lot of time into producing an aesthetically appealing final product, it suggests they put a lot of effort into it, thus the quality will be good as well.

Example:

민수: 이 책, 내용이 주제별로 잘 분류되어 있고 사진의 질도 참 좋네.

Minsu: I chaek, naeyongi jujebyeollo jal bunryudoeeo itgo sajinui jildo cham jonne.

Minsu: “The contents of this book are well-organized by topic, and the quality of the photos is great.”

철수: 보기 좋은 떡이 먹기도 좋다는데, 한번 읽어봐.

Cheolsu: Bogi joeun tteogi meokgido jotaneunde, hanbeon ilgeobwa.

Cheolsu: “What looks good is usually good too, so read it.”

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꿩 먹고 알 먹는다 (Kill two birds with one stone)

꿩도 잡고 알도 먹는단 뜻으로 한가지 일로 두가지 이익을 얻음(일석이조)
    — Killing pheasants and eating eggs means getting two benefits with one thing (killing two birds with one stone)

Literal Translation: If you eat a pheasant, you also eat the egg

When to use it: This Korean saying can be used to describe circumstances in which you take one action and gain two benefits at the same time. Consider the scenario when you need to clean the exterior of your home. You find money on the ground while cleaning. From one activity, you gained two advantages (a clean home and money).

Example:

"Mom, I'm going to do volunteer work twice a month starting this month."

At Hyeon-seo's words, Mom was surprised and opened her eyes.

She said, "You say volunteer work? How did you come up with such an admirable thought when you were just trying to play every day?"

Hyunseo was excited to see her mother smiling brightly.

It was the day she finally went to her volunteer work for her first time. Hyun-seo decided to go to the nursing home where her grandmother and grandfather lived and help her clean. Her mother walked her to the front.

"Hello, Hyeonseo."

Hyeon-friend seo's Song-i, who had arrived first, greeted her enthusiastically as soon as she stepped out of the car.

Hey, you said you were volunteering to be with Song, right?

At her mother's comments, Hyunseo grinned and remarked,

She stated: "because my favorite, Songi, enjoys volunteering. She works as a volunteer, so I frequently see Songi. As a result, she enjoys eating pheasants and eggs."

Sosoksok Our saying implies to catch a pheasant and obtain an egg simultaneously.

Culture Story

The resident bird known as the pheasant can be found throughout Asia, including Korea, Japan, and northeast China. Local birds are year-round residents who do not migrate. A huge, vividly colored male in Korea is known as Jangki, and a little, bland female is known as Katturi.

In the past, people liked eating pheasant meat, but it's hard to find these days. Although it is unfortunate that there are no delectable pheasants, there is a saying that says to substitute lesser chickens for them: "Chicken instead of pheasants."

Pheasant meat was used to make jangjorim, po, dumplings, or was grilled. Pheasants can be caught in a variety of methods, but the approach that involved teaching a falcon to hunt was the most common.

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