Vapid (pronounced vap-id)
(1) Lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat.
(2) Without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious; flavorless, spiritless, unanimated, tiresome, prosaic.
(3) Something (physical or conceptual) which appears to offer nothing stimulating or challenging.
1650s: From the Latin vapidus (literally “that has exhaled its vapor”) and related to vappa (stale wine). The word was used in Latin to describe anything the taste of which was thought bland, flat or insipid. Dating from 1721, the noun vapidity is is more frequent use than the companion vapidness while the application to talk, text, music and such thought dull and lifeless dates from 1758. The Latin vappa (wine without flavor) is still used figuratively in many languages (sometimes as "bit of a vapp") to refer to a man who is "a good-for-nothing" or a bit foppish. In English public (ie private) schools where Latin was taught, of the meals served, the pupils would use the Latin vapidum (nominative neuter singular of vapidus in the sense of "food or drink that has lost its freshness". In the context of political or corporate statements with an obvious or depressing vapidity, two fine words or descriptions are flummery & pabulum. Vapid is an adjective, vapidity & vapidness are nouns, and vapidly is an adverb; the noun plural is plural vapidities.
The Koryo Burger
It’s estimated that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, some 5,000 Western tourists annually would visit the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; North Korea), a trade it was hoped might quickly recover given it wasn't until early 2022 that the first COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic was confirmed. For the nation to have for so long remained virus-free was said to be (yet another) example of Kim Jong-Un's (Kim III, b 1982; Supreme Leader of DPRK since 2011) outstanding administration of the public health system, the outbreak the fault of corrupt or lazy officials who would have been dealt with in the DPRK's efficient way. It’s not yet clear when the borders will be re-opened, Pyongyang having no desire to expose its happy and grateful population to foreign diseases (or ideas) but one thing prospective tourists hungrily can anticipate is the national airline’s in-flight meal. Although Air Koryo serves only the infamously vapid Koryo Burger, it is legendarily consistent, always cold and presented on a paper doily. Inside the bun is a piece of unidentified processed meat, a slice of processed cheese and a dash of shredded cabbage or single lettuce leaf, finished with a dollop of sauce described variously as “reddish” or “brownish”. Some sources, claiming to have received confirmation from the airline, suggest the meat is chicken but speculation on various platforms has long pondered the matter because it seems impossible to tell from the taste (there isn't any) or texture (said to be equally indeterminate).
Air Koryo did in the past dabble with other culinary offerings. Some years ago for several months, for reasons unknown, on some inbound flights full meals appeared including curried rice and side dishes; also served was a sort of sandwich, wrapped in a Danish pastry but neither gastronomic innovation long lasted and in recent years it's been burgers all the way, Air Koryo clearly having decided to stick to the classics. The decision may have been in response to public demand given the cult-following the Koryo Burger has attracted, #koryoburger a must-visit tag for any foodie. Surely not as repugnant as some have alleged, the many reviews of the experience of eating one seem to struggle to find words adequately to convey blandness rather than awfulness although, apart from the plastic packaging which seems to be of a good standard, there’s no aspect of the burger which escapes condemnation, the buns said always to be stale (either through age, incorrect storage or some flaw in the manufacturing process), the meat patty vapidity to the point where it’s been suggested the admired wrapping may be more tasty, the lettuce or cabbage usually limp and the smell of the sauce suggesting some association with wood-working glue although one reviewer mentioned their relief at finding a thin liquid which oozed from the patty was too watery to be blood. Most however did concede the slice of processed cheese was much the same as "plastic cheese" anywhere on the planet. Koryo burgers are served chilled, apparently straight from the fridge and it may be that this accounts for much of the expressed distaste; were they served at the temperature at which burgers typically are enjoyed, it’s not impossible the Koryo Burger would taste more like similar offerings anywhere.
The airline review site Skytrax for years rated Air Koryo among the world’s worst airline but things must have improved because in recent ratings the operation has received an unexceptional but solid 6 / 10. Trip Advisor's reviewers seem broadly to concur, the site's aggregated rating 3½ / 5 which statistically is not significantly different from Skytrax's findings although one entry did note: "They did serve their notorious burgers on board but I didn’t try it." The more recent passenger reviews Skytrax publishes haven't especially condemned the Koryo Burger; although most won't go much beyond conceding it's "acceptable", at least one happy customer declared it "tasty" which may be generous but who knows, maybe they were lucky enough to get an particularly good one. For many reasons, in-flight catering is a challenging business with even air pressure affecting the way people perceive taste so expectations have to be reasonable. In the same way it's a good stay if one can check out of a hotel without having been robbed, poisoned or murdered by the Freemasons, if one's plane safely lands and one survives, that's a good flight. Customer write-ups of aspects of Air Koryo are not wholly negative, some claiming in certain aspects the operation is superior to some in other places.
Not a favourite among mainstream critics: If “vapid” has attracted an adverb, it’s a warning the reviewer really disliked a film. Upon release, The Canyons (2013) was not well-received but, like I Know Who Killed Me (2007), it picked up a cult following and has been reassessed, seemingly now better understood in its historic context. While not a landmark piece of cinema, The Canyons was a document of its time and, in the years since, has been shown at festivals of the underground & alternative as well as midnight screenings. The consensus at the time of release was that in a flawed film, Lindsay Lohan's performance was about the most interesting aspect.
Nor can it be denied there has been gastronomic progress in the DPRK’s skies. While in the days of the Great Leader and the Dear Leader, the only choice usually was (1) to eat the burger or (2) not eat the burger, in the new age of the Supreme Leader there's now a vegetarian option, which is the familiar Koryo Burger but with sliced cherry tomatoes in place of the meat patty. Few have commented on the veggie burger but one reviewer praised the fruit, saying they tasted better than those from Western shops which were firm, plump and shiny but usually lacked flavor. That is a common complaint, many missing the quality of acidity remembered in the tomatoes of yore.
No comments:
Post a Comment