Why is there a growing interest in learning Asian languages?

Entranced by the thought of East Asia, people are wanting to study languages from the area more and more. Even Korean, from a relatively small country, is in the top ten for languages being learned. Likely this is due to the interest taken in the cultural aspects of the place, and their prevalence in popular culture too. Japanese, perhaps less surprisingly, is an even more attractive topic of study. It used to be the case that interest in anime was the chief driver of this interest in Japanese, but the advent of streaming, and the virtually limitless choice it offers, has shown the world Korean romantic dramas and ‘Squid Game’.

How about if there was an even more engaging and productive way to delve into Chinese, Japanese and Korean? And what if there was more to it than that?

How about engaging with language on a whole new level: through cultural vents that put you right in the middle of the culture itself? At the heart of East Asian culture is the wonderful food. Language reflects our culture, and it can have a big impact on our relationship with food.