Korean office-warming present?

November 20, 2006 8:27 AM

What's a good office-warming present for an office full of Korean people?

I go to an orthodontist near my office that is just great-- everyone is friendly and helpful and one of the employees is a friend of mine. Oddly (partly because of the part of town I work in), every employee there is Korean and I was finally told after about six months of going there that I am the only white patient they've ever had. They just moved into a brand new office and I'd like to get them a little present, but really have no idea about Korean customs and didn't know if there was some perfect thing to give... Any ideas?

posted by phaedrus441 to society & culture (13 comments total)

Are you giving the gift for the customers or the employees?

If for the employees - a nice food basket is always a great treat.
posted by Sassyfras at 8:31 AM on November 20, 2006

Kimchi.
posted by fixedgear at 8:40 AM on November 20, 2006

I don't think I would do anything "Korean".
A pretty potted plant would be nice.
posted by beccaj at 8:49 AM on November 20, 2006

Why not a nice flower arrangement.

Kimchi would be ridiculous.
posted by four panels at 8:50 AM on November 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Haha, I laughed out loud with the kimchi idea... I'm leaning towards the plant or something like that. I was originally wondering if there was some customary gift or something to bring, but I suppose not....
posted by phaedrus441 at 8:56 AM on November 20, 2006

Heh, sounds like my neighborhood. Plants are good. Put a nice red ribbon around the pot (unless they have some clear office color scheme, in which case try to coordinate with that).
posted by ilsa at 9:09 AM on November 20, 2006

Seconding plant, but also a box of "gourmet" fruit (fuji apples, hallabong oranges [third item down]). They'll cost you a pretty penny, but you'll be the toast of the office.
posted by war wrath of wraith at 9:42 AM on November 20, 2006

several jars of fruit teas - citron and the like - they are like marmalades that you dissolve in water and would be great to have at work, especially during the cold months. That and a nice electric teapot.
posted by luriete at 10:20 AM on November 20, 2006

Hibiscus is the national flower of South Korea, so a little potted hibiscus plant would be really nice. It's "Korean" but subtle enough that no one would think it odd for a white person to give it (like kimchi!).
posted by gatorae at 10:58 AM on November 20, 2006

Cookie bouquet?
posted by GaelFC at 11:25 AM on November 20, 2006

Great ideas--potted plant, fruit, tea, or cookies--you can't go wrong. My old boss used to always buy me pears from Harry and David. They were wrapped in gold foil, and so yummy and juicy you had to eat them over the sink.
posted by LoriFLA at 11:53 AM on November 20, 2006

Soju.

That will certainly warm up the office.
posted by Doohickie at 2:00 PM on November 20, 2006

Yea, kimchi isn't a good gift idea and ix-nay on the soju idea. Not everyone likes it and it's not exactly a gourmet alcoholic beverage. It's like if someone showed up to your office-warming with hot dogs and a six-pack because you're American (though...that doesn't seem like a bad idea to me necessarily).

Also I don't know if cookies are a good idea. American sweets and pastries are sometimes too sweet for Korean palates.

Fruit basket=traditional and no mistakes in Korean gift-giving. Actually around now should be the perfect season for Fuji apples and Korean Shingo pears.

I don't know where you live, is there a large Korean supermarket near you? I say this because what I've found in American groceries label as "Fuji" are very different in size and taste from what I can get from the Korean supermarket. Same thing with pears. The ginormous Korean Shingo pears are different from just regular Asian pears. Here's an example from our local market. You can see the box of Shingo pears go for 19.99 (the yellow round things the right of the clementines). Oh, clementines ("gyool" in Korean) are also a good idea because that's also Korea's fall-winter favorite fruit.

Also, at Korean supermarkets you can get these by the box, so it's perfect for giftgiving.

Some sort of plant would be a good idea. Potted orchids are a favorite, but more "office type" larger potted plants would do too.
posted by kkokkodalk at 3:17 PM on November 20, 2006