Korean restaurant's menu goes viral for labelling its least spicy food 'white'… but do YOU think it's racist?
- Picture of menu which has spiciness level of 'white' was upvoted 7,700 times
- It sparked a debate about whether the menu label was racist or not on Reddit
- Some said it was just funny, while others said it was perpetuating a stereotype
There are stereotypes about almost every nationality and race, some of which are blatantly racist while others could just be seen as harmless fun.
And one of the most well-known is the old saying that white people can't handle spicy food.
It may not actually be true for many people, but one unidentified Korean restaurant in Toronto appears to be perpetuating that stereotype in one viral image being shared online.
The eatery's menu has a spiciness ranking, where the least spicy rating of food is labelled 'white'.
An unidentified Korean restaurant has a spiciness ranking on its menu - with the least spicy level of food being labelled as 'white'
The picture by user peternok, which has been upvoted more than 7,700 times on Reddit, has sparked a debate online about whether or not the sign is racist - and if it's acceptable to collectively stereotype white people.
Many people who say they are white found the menu 'funny,' while others said it is just fuelling an unfair and untrue generalisation.
But is all as it appears?
Several people put forward a very reasonable explanation for why the least spicy rating is labelled as 'white' at the restaurant, which appears to be located in either Canada or the US. They say the label is to do with the colour of a typical Korean broth.
Some people thought the menu label was racist, while others found the funny side
Korean broths are typically flavoured with 'red' spice - so if a customer asks for no spice at all, the colour of the soup will be white.
Several people claiming to be Korean speakers also said there are two different words for the colour white and 'white people'. The Korean word for the colour white is what is written on the menu, they said.
But it didn't stop the fierce debate about whether or not the menu is racist on the Reddit thread.
Some argued that the stereotype was true for a lot of people - one man said that his girlfriend once found a dish of his too spicy even though he had only seasoned it with salt and pepper.
Several people said there was an innocent explanation for the menu label and it was to do with the colour of Korean broths without any 'red' spice
But others argued that they were 'sick' of jokes about race, with one user arguing that joking about white people lumped Caucasians into one 'amorphous, unified, global entity'.
Several people said that other Asian restaurants have served them non-spicy dishes even when they asked for it to be hot because they were white.
But others, who said they had white skin, did not find the menu offensive.
One user, linatrinch, who said she was white, argued that white people need to 'collectively chill' about so-called 'racist' jokes.
'It's obviously a stereotype just like any other but nothing to get mad about,' she said.
Most watched News videos
- Amber Sherlock makes Julie Snook change before TV appearance
- Fight breaks out on Middle Eastern Airlines flight from Beirut to london
- Sheep attack shepherd after being frightened by a car in Germany
- She's falling for him? Girl gets 'pushed off ledge in prank' video
- Passenger is filmed slapping a member of staff at Stansted Airport
- Biden becomes emotional when awarded Medal of Freedom by Obama
- Female bullfighter is mounted by young bull
- Paranormal activity? Young girl spooked by 'ghost' in her room
- Amber Valletta makes a rare appearance at LAX with son
- Twin sisters separated at birth reunited live on GMA
- Angry passenger films family being kicked off Jetstar flight
- 'My Michelle': Stevie Wonder pays tribute to Michelle Obama
- Girl, 12, livestreams her own suicide after she was...
- Hero passer-by shoots dead gunman after the suspect shot and...
- Bad Sunny! Friend of Malia Obama is left with a scar after...
- The Incredible BULK: 6ft 3in Pakistani man who weighs...
- 'Punch-up at 35,000 feet': Chaotic moment passengers launch...
- 'A shocking, unimaginable tragedy': Baltimore congressman...
- Joe's tearful surprise: Shocked Biden breaks down as Obama...
- Catholic priest who inspired The Exorcist died from a fall...
- 'I told you about this two-and-a-half hours ago!' Channel...
- Tennessee high school senior, 18, raises $12,000 on GoFundMe...
- Killed by a space heater? Tragic house fire that killed six...
- PIERS MORGAN: The only hookers in this story are the cheap,...