Character: 情

Pinyin: qíng

Meaning: love; affection  

Structure: The character 情 signifies “love” or “affection.”  I discovered it is difficult to associate the character 情 to distinct pictures or symbols. However broken down etymologically, the significance of the character 情 makes a lot more sense. The character 情 consists of the radical 心 (xīn) which signifies “heart” and the phonetic 青 (qīng) which signifies “green” or “blue.” We should be able to recognize either features since the radical 心 (xīn) appears in several previously learned terminology such as 快 (kuài, quick), 慢 (màn, slow) or 懂 (dǒng, to understand) while the character 青 (qīng) is a common phonetic which may be observed in the term 请 (qǐng, to invite). Now, combining the two definitions of the two features together, you can understand why the character 情 signifies “love.” It is because love requires a 心 heart which is as clear and pure as the 青 blue sky! 

Context: This picture was taken in my dorm room. It is a picture of the famous Orion Choco Pie wrapped in the newly released red packaging. 

History & Cultural Background: Choco Pie was first introduced to Korea by Orion in 1974. Over the years, competing companies such as Lotte and Haitai began to manufacture products similar to Choco Pie and Orion’s sales began to decline drastically. A lawsuit was filed against the industries however the court unfortunately dismissed the lawsuit claiming, “Choco Pie is a common name for confectioneries with marshmallows, bread crumbs and chocolate.” Orion, who had lost within the “battle of the pies” desperately required a countermeasure which is how the character 情 was proposed into Orion’s mission statement. Unable to appeal to consumers by taste, Orion decided to focus on the concept of 情, more so the notion of sharing. How? Well, Orion’s Choco Pie box consists of 12 pies. Twelve pies are one too many for one person to eat all at once so, in purchasing a case of Orion Choco Pie, the consumer will most likely share the snack with friends, family as well as neighbours. In this sense, Orion Choco Pie is a delicious snack which goes beyond the parameters of a typical confectionery and also behaves as a  means to exchange love and affection. And, thanks to the character 情 and the heartwarming message it embodies, Orion continues to place number one within the “battle of the pies” for over 27 long years. 

Personal Importance: Choco Pie is my favorite childhood snack. The layers of sticky marshmallow filling and sweet chocolate covering satisfy my sweet tooth immaculately! However, over the past couple of months, Choco Pie has evolved to become far more than a mere snack which reminisces the good old days. Though I am a little embarrassed, Choco Pie has become a huge part of my current diet. As a busy second-year university student, Choco Pie serves as an excellent substitute for breakfast, lunch, not to mention a late night snack. It is shocking how much flavor is jam packed within this small snack cake! While it lacks the proper nutrition, cheap refreshments like Choco Pie are a very important staple within a typical university student’s cuisine especially because meals are unreasonably pricey at food establishments on campus. In the future, I wish to part from my dependency towards Choco Pie, as a matter of fact any sweet confections of the like and take a step towards cooking whole, nutritious foods.