Naengmyun

Summer is literally just around the corner and the weather is beginning to get warmer! And what does summer and hot weather mean? Vacation! And what does vacation mean? Relaxing and eating delicious food that will help cool you off in the heat!

This dish that I am going to introduce is not ice cream or the shik-hye slushie. They’re noodles. Yes, noodles again. But, these are cold noodles! I understand it’s not THAT exciting, but when was the last time you had something similar to cold noodles other than the left over pasta that you put in the refrigerator? No offense.

Cold noodles, or naengmyun, are the signature noodle dish to eat during the hot summer weather. It is enjoyed by adults and children alike and is a great way to beat the heat. As you can already tell, it is served with a cold broth.

The noodles are long, thin, and quite chewy. They’re made out of flour and starch. The starch is made out of various ingredients, but usually includes buckwheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Naengmyun comes in so many different shapes and forms and are made in numerous ways with an endless combination of ingredients. These cold noodles come from different parts of Korea and have their own signature look and taste. But, the most common one, pictured above, is the mool naengmyun, which literally translates to cold water noodles.

The broth for these cold noodles is made from beef. But, nowadays, there are other substitutes, such as chicken or Korean radish for vegetarians. I can’t quite explain the taste of the broth. It is somewhat beefy and sweet, but a bit bitter and salty and sour all at the same time. It’s quite an odd taste and I may have discouraged some people from trying this dish just now. The broth is funky, I would have to say. But, people add some vinegar and/or mustard to give the broth to give it a deeper taste. Some people add lots of vinegar or mustard or both. I like to add a few drops of vinegar and about half a spoon of mustard to deepen the taste and a bit of spiciness to the broth. The noodles are placed in the broth in a little ball form and a few slices of beef, cucumbers, some Korean radish, and half a boiled egg are placed on top of the noodles as some finishing touches.

This is one of the best dishes to eat during the summer. It’s tasty, funky, and fun to eat. My family go out and eat this dish all the time when it is the summer. Again, like I said before, there are many different forms of cold noodles. So, you have an endless list of choices. This bowl of naengmyun was eaten at Town Noodle in the Koreatown Plaza for $6.53 (including tax). So, if you’re still interested in trying some cold noodles after my odd description of the broth, then go out and try these noodles. Enjoy! 

Bo Ssam

For past two weeks, I have been sitting almost all day on my computer typing away my final papers for my classes while not eating much and sleeping at ridiculous hours of the day. I was not feeling like my usual self. So, my parents decided it was time to bring in the heavy machinery to give my body and my brain a boost. And their weapon of choice: bo ssam. Pork belly. Basically, MEATTTTT!!!! (I apologize in advance to anyone who does not eat meat.)

Bo Ssam is pork belly. The pork belly is grilled or sautéed or fried. It is boiled with some spices, such as ginseng, to minimize the odor of the meat. After it is boiled, it is cut into thin slices and served with various sides and sauces.

Some people eat bo ssam by itself, but I would not recommend this because you will feel sick. This sickness is not due to the meat having gone bad. It's just that pork belly is really greasy and oily, like any other meat, but, if you only eat the meat, you're probably going feel queasy. Trust me. I've been on that boat and you don't want to experience it. EVER! But, if you eat pork belly the "proper" way, *sits up straight and places a napkin on lap*, you'll be able to enjoy pork belly immensely.

Bo ssam is eaten in many different styles with a variety of sides. The main way to eat it is to wrap in a piece of ssam, or steamed Korean cabbage, with some ssamjang, which is a semi-spicy wrap sauce that literally translates into “wrap sauce/paste.” You can choose to include a piece of garlic, some onion, and a piece of pepper separately or all together. Another way to eat pork belly is with seh-oo-juht, which is a sauce made out of tiny pickled and fermented shrimp. I know, it sounds really disgusting. But, you don’t eat the shrimp itself. Rather, you simply dip the piece of pork belly into the water of the she-oo-juht. Okay, maybe that’s worse than the sauce itself. But, it gives a salty taste to the pork belly and helps to alleviate the queasy feeling that you get from eating too much oil. It makes you feel less sick. But, the other way to eat pork belly is with the kimchi. If you want to get really fancy, you can eat bo ssam with some raw oysters. I personally say that this is the best way to go, but if you think that none of these ingredients are for you, there is one ingredient that you must, and I mean MUST, eat with bo ssam. Kimchi. When all else fails, kimchi is the one ingredient that you need to eat bo ssam with. You have two types here: the traditional kimchi or jjang-ah-chi.

The kimchi is crucial to bo ssam because it blends all of the flavors together. The traditional kimchi needs to be recently and freshly made. Newly made kimchi is still “alive,” as in the cabbage has not become fermented and tender. The texture of the newly made kimchi is rough and crunchy and compliments the chewy pork belly. The jjang-ah-chi is a different form of kimchi that is made from dried Korean radish. It is not as crunchy as the traditional and newly made kimchi. However, it is sweeter and more enjoyed by younger people. Either way, you must eat bo ssam with kimchi.

I would say that this combination is a match made by heaven. It is so good! And this dish is very popular dish in Korea and has a special history to it. Bo ssam is not a common household dish. It was eaten during the gimjang season. The gimjang season is the season where huge amounts of kimchi was made and prepared for the oncoming winter. And after the kimchi was made, celebrations would commence and people usually ate pork during these celebrations. This is how bo ssam was born.

Honestly, for me, bo ssam is more than just my go-to energy booster food. It is a history lesson that you can eat. I never knew that there was a season of making kimchi that was celebrated after its completion by eating pork until my grandmother made kimchi. She is in her eighties now, so she has lived through the gimjang season. She taught me about kimchi, what to add, what the family “secret” ingredient is (and sorry, I can’t tell you!), and made bo ssam for me. This food brings my entire family together because we make kimchi together, divide it amongst ourselves, and eat it with bo ssam. You can find this dish at Gam Ja Gol in Koreatown for about $22 per person (including tax). So, go out and try some bo ssam! Good luck on deciding which combination you enjoy the most! 

Kim Bap

I know what you're thinking right now. You're probably thinking, "Why is there a picture of sushi?!"

No! This is in no way sushi or a post about sushi. Though they seem to look similar, sushi and kim bap are two different foods with completely different tastes. So, before I go on any further, please keep this in mind throughout the rest of the blog. Please and much thank you! 

So, kim bap. Kim bap is the Korean equivalent to cheese and crackers in a way. It's like a finger food, appetizer dish. But, kim bap is most commonly eaten as a picnic food. Kim bap is such a large part of the Korean food culture that almost every single little boy and girl grows up eating it at picnics and field trips, as a light meal and a snack. 

My grandmother, my parents, my cousins, and I all ate kim bap as young children and now as adults. You could even say that it has moved down through the generations. Each family has its own special "recipe" for kim bap. The one pictured in my blog is my mom's "fast go-to" kim bap. It has three ingredients: eggs, crab meat, and pickled radish (or danmuji). 

The basics are the same; rice and seaweed (gim in Korean). The literal translation of the word kim bap is seaweed rice. The seaweed is seasoned with salt and some sesame oil. The usual ingredients are eggs, spinach, cucumbers, carrots, beef (bulgogi), and pickled radish, or danmuji. But, like I said, these ingredients differ depending on the person who is making it. After you have aligned your ingredients on top of the seaweed and rice, all you have to do is roll it. There are some bamboo mats that help you to roll the kim bap and have it retain its shape. And lastly, slice the roll into bite-sized pieces and serve! 

Word of caution, don't add too many ingredients into one roll because the side of the seaweed will rip. 

Some modern, or "fushion," kim baps don't necessarily follow this pattern. Some people who make kim bap invent some insane combination of ingredients. So far, I have seen some with cheese, sausages, pork cutlets. The possibilities are endless. And you can practically put everything in a kim bap. 

These rolls can be found literally at every Korean market and some Korean restaurants. The price ranges vary depending on the ingredients inside of the kim bap, but usually they range around $5 for 3 rolls. So, next time you're at a Korean market, go check out the banchan, or side dishes, section and you will definitely see some kim bap. And if you're even more daring, try to make your own using your personal choices of ingredients as see what you get! You can simply search for "kim bap recipe" and check out the directions. All you would have to do is switch out the ingredients! Good luck and enjoy!

Slushie Shik-hye

When it comes to Korean food, the most common response that I get from people is rice. Just a good, plain old bowl of rice. It's white, fluffy, tastes delicious with side dishes, and is commonly consumed at least two to three times a day. And, it seems as if that's all you do with rice. Or, is it?

Eating and chewing would be the first thought that comes to mind for rice. But, there is another way to "eat" rice. Ya drink it! And no! I'm not crazy. 

In Korean cuisine, there is a beverage where you can drink rice called shik-hye. It's a traditional beverage that is quite sweet and usually considered a form of dessert. 

Shik-hye is made from rice and malt water. The ingredients must be kept warm so that the malt water seeps into the rice. When the rice starts to float around in the malt water, simply add some sugar, boil, cool, and serve. 

Everyone enjoys drinking this, especially the older generations, at parties, gatherings, and dinners. But, there is also an unlikely place where drinking shik-hye is common. It's at the sauna, or jjim-jil-bang. And as odd of a combination as it seems, drinking a glass of shik-hye at the sauna is absolutely fantastic way to cool down, relax, and unwind from your stress. Think about it. You literally sweat everything out at the sauna and then you replenish yourself with a nice, cool and sweet cup of shik-hye. This is my routine at the sauna: sweat, drink, and eat. (I don’t do this often.)

But, the picture of the chik-hye that I drank not too long ago is a fushion shik-hye. As in, it is a modern take on the traditional drink. This is a slushie shik-hye. It’s the same thing, but is slushie form. And I don’t think I had this much fun drinking something in a long time. It is a brilliant idea of introducing a traditional beverage to a modern group of youngsters.

I got this slushie shik-hye at Awoolim in the Koreatown Plaza foodcourt (size small). It is $2 for a small and $2.50 for a medium and these prices are not including tax. So, go out a try these drinks. So far, I haven’t found another place that sells these. I guess it’s time for an adventure! Enjoy! 

Childhood Food Memories

When it comes to your childhood, you probably think of your favorite stuffed animal, your blanket, or your pillow fort. For me, I think of snack time. Now, I know that most kids eat a chocolate chip cookie or an Oreo with a glass of milk for a snack. But, not me. I had a different sort of snack time.

Before you go on reading, please take a look at the picture above first.

Yep. That was my snack. I know, you’re probably thinking, “That’s not a snack! That’s a meal!” Yes. Snack time was very different for me. It was kind of my in between lunch and dinner meal. So, I guess lunner? (Get it? Lunch + dinner = lunner? Okay… I’ll stop now.)

What you see in the picture is the common Korean snack/meal-like-snack foods. I’ll start with the rectangular plate on the left and work my way clockwise to the cup and end with the small bowl at the bottom.

The rectangular dish holds 7 small pieces of shrimp dumplings. They are similar to dim sum or shumai, but these are the Korean version. To be honest though, I don’t really see a difference. They look and taste pretty similar. My grandma loves these and she used to make me some whenever I visited her when I was a child. And they were always the ones with the shrimp. So, to eat these just brought back so many memories of my grandma and me. These have a funky filling. The texture is a bit mushy, but it works with the chewy texture of the shrimp. And the outer shell of the dumpling adds to the variety of textures. And I really like the fact that the dumplings smelled like shrimp as well. They’re small, but they’re a good amount to be a snack.

The next one is the fish cake in oden broth. The fish cake is something that is usually eaten on a cold day. It’s probably the best snack to have during winter, especially if you’re on the go. The fish cake has a wooden skewer in it, kind of like a kebob. The broth has to be my favorite because it also serves as a drink. It fills and warms you up. I always get a warm, fuzzy feeling when I drink the broth. I’m not quite sure what this broth is made from, but it has a deep, rich taste that isn’t too salty or bland. But, most of the time, it’s made out from kelp. I really like the fish cakes because my dad likes. So, I get my love for them from him. These remind me a lot of him.

And lastly is a familiar one. If you have followed my blog, you probably remember my first post, Jjol-bok-kki. There were spicy rice cakes with jjol-myun. Now, these are just the normal spicy rice cakes. It is called dduk-bok-ki. Now, these are THE original snacks. Everybody loves them. Children and the elderly all eat this dish. It can be a meal, but it’s usually a snack/meal-like-snack. It is spicy and sweet and the texture of the rice cakes is chewy. It also has some fish cakes as well. This snack was my favorite because my mom always made them for me. Dduk-bok-ki is probably my go-to snack.

And there you have it! These are my childhood snacks. And they can be found in the Plaza Market foodcourt at the Awoolim venue. These three dishes only cost me $7.54 including tax. So, have fun trying out these small potions and decide if you consider them snacks or meals! Enjoy! 

Dong-teh-jung-gohl

Deadlines! Deadlines! Deadlines!

It's that time of year where everyone has something to do, somewhere to go, and someone to see. Anyone who has a job can explain the work of filing taxes. And trust me, it is. For college students, it's almost the end of the school year. And you know what that means! Papers, exams, presentations, projects, and most of all final grades!

During this busy season, I personally have been bogged down beyond belief. Like every other college student, I'm stuck in my room writing, reading, typing, memorizing, practicing, and crying away. But, after almost spending the entire weekend buried underneath my books, y parents thought I needed some fresh air. So, they took me out to dinner. Well, sort of. Not really.

We dined in... with take out. Yes, take out. I, too, was skeptical. But, I learned to never doubt your parents. Ever. So, for dinner, they brought home dong-teh-jung-gohl. Let me emphasize DONG! Not something else. (Please!)

Dong teh is known as the Alaska pollack or walleye pollack. It is a common fish eaten during the winter in Korea. The broth is most commonly stewed out of kelp and onions with some garlic. The pure broth is turned red with some crushed red peppers (go-chu-ga-roo). Some Korean radish, zucchini, onions, green onions, tofu, and some kimchi. And the star of the dish, the pollack, is added and stewed until it is cooked. The meat of the fish is white and the texture is soft and not mushy.

This dish is great on cold days and usually eaten during the winter. However, my parents bought me this dish as a stress reliever. This dish is spicy due to the crushed red peppers. And as disgusting as this might sound, you sweat when you eat this dish. And, I mean, sweat though this might differ depending on the person. But, I'll be frank, sometimes I sweat like a pig when I eat this dish. But, I feel so much better after eating and sweating. I know, it's weird, very weird. But I feel as if my stress melts away when I eat this dish and I feel good afterwards. 

Dong-teh-jung-gohl can be found at Chunju Han-il Kwan in Koreatown for an even $24 with tax. Yes, it is a bit pricey. But, it has its perks. It's meant for two people to eat, but it can feed more people because it is a lot of food. The dish comes with two bowls of rice and some side dishes. The side dishes are different day-to-day, but are equally delicious. 

So, if you're stressed out and want something to eat that will help you de-stress and fulfill your cravings, go out and try the dong-teh-jung-gohl because it helps you to sweat the stress out! And word of caution, try not to fill yourselves up on the side dishes, as delicious as they might be! Enjoy!

Dweh-ji-bul-go-gi

When it comes to food, nothing can beat mom’s home cooking. And I mean NOTHING! For me, my mom’s cooking reminds me of home, my childhood, and my family. When I’m feeling down and under the weather, my mom’s home cooking makes me feel better instantly and helps me to calm down and stop stressing out. And luckily, my mother made one of my favorite meat dishes for me today.

The name of this dish is pork bulgogi, dweh-ji-bul-go-gi in Korean. It is similar to its more commonly known counterpart, which is the beef bul-go-gi. However, the pork bul-go-gi has a completely different taste due to one of its main ingredients, crushed red pepper powder.

Now, hold on a second. I know what you’re thinking. SPICY! But, don’t fret. It’s not what you think.

The crushed red pepper powder, or go-chu-ga-ru, usually throws people off and makes them think that this pork dish is extremely spicy. Trust me; it’s not. The powder is part of the sauce that marinates the pork and simply gives the pork a different taste. Depending on the personal preference of the chef, the powder can be substituted with the Korean red pepper paste, or go-chu-jang.

The marinating sauce is either made out of the red pepper powder or paste along with some soy sauce, ginger, sesame seed oil, onions, garlic, and green onions. The meat is left to marinate in the sauce for about an hour or overnight. It is recommended that you eat all of the beef within three days of marinating it. Once the pork is marinated, grill the pork for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it’s cooked. When serving the dish, don’t forget to sprinkle on some freshly chopped green onions and some sesame seeds!

This dish is great for barbecues and all kinds of gatherings. Since this specific dish was my mom’s home cooking, I unfortunately don’t have any restaurant and price information. However, this is becoming a regular member of the Korean B.B.Q. restaurants. And, you also find this dish at smaller venues and in food courts all around Koreatown. So, go out and explore!

I wish you all the best of luck and enjoy!