Burritos 'Booming' In North Korea As Paper Claims They Were Invented By Kim Jong-il
It was claimed the country's late leader invented the meal back in 2011
Did you know Kim Jong-il invented burritos in 2011? No, me neither. Watch North Koreans indulge in the 'national' delicacy here:
The dish - which you probably associate with Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine - recently featured in a national broadcast which showed people devouring the dish at a stand outside the Kumsong Food Factory in the capital, Pyongyang.
It was described as a 'wheat wrap' in the broadcast, which featured a mural of the country's former leader and apparent burrito inventor.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper - which essentially acts as a government mouthpiece - claimed that he created the meal in 2011, the year of his death.
That's quite the legacy, though no doubt many of you recall enjoying pre-2011 burritos.
Kim apparently advised that the 'wheat wraps' are best accompanied by mineral water in the summer and hot tea in the winter.
The report added that Kim Jong-un - his son and current Supreme Leader of North Korea - also takes a 'meticulous interest' in the foodstuff, which is apparently 'booming' in popularity.
However, for those who have escaped the secretive state, the sight of people scoffing burritos in Pyongyang is unlikely to remind them of home.
Hyun-seung Lee was born into an elite North Korean family but fled the country in 2014, and he said most of his countrymen couldn't even dream of such a meal.
He explained: "This is because they are not even given an opportunity to encounter it. The majority of citizens do not have money to buy the foreign food.
"Even if they have money, there is no place to eat it. In the 1990s, bread and butter lovers were satirised and criticised as socialist traitors."
As well as the financial and cultural obstacles, Lee said there generally isn't the necessary ingredients available to create meals such as burritos.
He said: "I have never seen any burritos or wraps on sale in North Korea. Perhaps there were no restaurants where you can eat burritos and wraps until now.
"The penetration rate of Western food in North Korea is extremely low, because there are very few restaurants where you can eat it and the food ingredients are not diverse.
"Various cooking ingredients such as milk, cheese, and spices are absolutely lacking."
Featured Image Credit: Pen NewsTopics: World News, Food And Drink, Weird
Jake Massey