The slightly cloying, plummy oyster-and-bacon pad thai elicited the opposite response, as did Filipino short ribs kare-kare, which, though well flavored with coconut, peanuts, and pickled chiles, were almost chalky in texture.

NEWYORKER: Talde

Hanjeongsik is a banquet of fish, meat, lettuce wraps, tofu soup and steamed egg, served with side dishes of kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage), acorn jelly, dried anchovies and boiled peanuts.

BBC: A perfect day in Seoul

The Lees took to the streets -- and then a printed catalog and eventually set up a website, boiledpeanuts.com -- selling the peanuts and other regional staples such as sorghum molasses, pickled artichokes and watermelon rind and stone-ground grits to displaced Southerners all over the country.

CNN: Regional flavors may be a click away