A voice-activated rice cooker has left one woman in Shenyang, Liaoning Province tongue tied after realizing it only takes commands in Korean.

The woman surnamed Ma said she's been learning Korean phrases online to communicate with the cooker since discovering the 5,000-yuan ($806) device she had purchased in South Korea over the Spring Festival holiday only understands its mother tongue, according to the Shenyang Evening News on Thursday.

Ma explained she was sold on the appliance when a salesman told her she could enjoy more fragrant and tasty rice simply by uttering the command 'cook rice.'

He must have failed to tell her it only responds to Korean.

"Some Net users suggested I spend 5,000 yuan on Korean classes," Ma said.

Ma also added that a colleague who also bought an electronic cooker while in South Korea is still perplexed by the Korean-labeled buttons.

Ma's story cooked up attention on social media over the weekend, leaving many boiling about the current Chinese obsession with foreign goods.

An industry expert also pointed out that many voice activated electronic cookers made in China not only are built with the same technology, but also understand Chinese.

Shenyang Evening News