Allie's Boot Camp

The whirlwind of all whirlwinds. There was jet lag…pink eye…phlegm…weight loss…head lice. An “I survived Seoul” t-shirt never seemed more appropriate or deserved.

Three-weeks, a respectable period of traveling. My coworkers consistently remarked on how close I must be with my parents. Why wouldn’t I want to surround myself with people who think I’m really cool? They’re the greatest annoying people I know! Every successive week my coworkers would comment “They’re still here??” Trust me to make three weeks feel like an eternity…yet have it pass in only the blink of an eye.

The first time I heard myself say “Mom” I swallowed the sound halfway through the syllable. Was I saying a coherent word? How unfamiliar it sounded coming from my mouth. To further compound this unfamiliarity, I stole a few new shirts from my mom! The ultimate role reversal.

Bethany graciously let me ‘rent’ her bedroom for the nights we spent in Seoul. It allowed us to be a little family again and for extra quality time. I reveled in daily breakfast responsibility: creative porridges, gourmet jams, the Korean golden melon called chamae. And since the trip was nestled between Mother’s and Father’s Days you can guarantee a few special breakfasts for the occasions. My dad made the daily coffee I quickly came to take for granted and kept the kitchen and dishes spic and span. Luxury!

The trip to Korea can be oversimplified by saying that my dad came to sightsee and my mom came to see…me. Neither of which are entirely true, but I think my mom would have been happy to spend three weeks chatting in my favorites cafes. It wasn’t until the trip was well underway that I realized how much my dad’s desire was winning out.

Months beforehand I had casually collected information from people and guidebooks in order to craft a diverse Korean experience. My parents’ first trip to Asia would be just so and timing was definitely on our side. Besides the lovely May weather, the trip coincided with two holidays and two administrative days, on top of weekends. Additionally, I burned my first three vacation days since September. Teaching seven full days still allowed us four free days to bounce around Seoul, five days on the subtropical island of Jeju, and four days shared between Gyeongju and Busan. More on the side trips in later posts.

Great heights and depths. Natural mountains, urban mountains. Subways, towers, caves, tunnels. Up, down, up, down. The stair count over the three weeks has to be astronomical. My parents managed to keep up on my adrenaline-charged tour, but always a few strides behind. Oh you thought this was a vacation? Ha! Welcome to Allie’s Boot Camp. Seoul? Sole? While the mileage took a toll on my guests, it was the report cards and syllabi during the term change, on top of planning and entertaining, that nearly did me in toward the end.

Speed dating Seoul: 4 palaces, the secret garden, museums, the royal shrine, the urban stream, temples, parks, traditional villages, the gates of Seoul, markets of all kinds, an array of flavorful neighborhoods, bustling modernity, a cable car ride to Seoul Tower for a panoramic view. Top to bottom we covered the city.

It didn’t stop there. Afterwork activities included badminton at the park, a Korean movie theater, and a night of mageolli (rice wine) and noraebang (karaoke). While I had to teach they heeded my recommendations to see the National Museum Korea, the War Memorial Museum of Seoul, Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, the DMZ, Olympic Park, a water treatment plant turned island park in the Han, and of course...Gangnam.

The people you encounter while traveling make the experience all the richer. They met many of my new friends and students…but also made their own acquaintances along the way. And there is no way we will ever forget these strangers as few people could escape my dad’s camera. No face left undocumented! It was excessive but near the end of three weeks memories already needed jogging. I joked that he would even take a picture of the Ethiopian cab driver in back in DC…but really…this wasn’t that far off…

To the groups of high school students blurting out ‘hello’ in a mocking and anonymous way. Big mistake, as they were soon engaged in unavoidable conversation that “Me no Englishee” couldn’t get them out of. You got ‘em good, Mom and Dad. They’ll think about the consequences of their actions before saying ‘hello’ next time…

Korean food was consumed near exclusively and in large quantities, often through shared meals with my Korean and foreign friends. Korean is just so delicious and cheap. Mom needed her daily bap and Dad became a fast fan of haemul pajeon (seafood green onion pancake). We all enjoyed bingsu (shaved ice based dessert) and are entertaining business plans to popularize it in America.

We had one particularly lovely lunch with the ladies from my adult class. These women had given me lengthy tips for sight-seeing in Seoul, Jeju, and Gyeongju. Not only did they treat us to the nicest meal I’ve had in Korea, they showered my parents with gifts. A testament to the importance of parents/elders in Korean culture as well as gift-giving.

The trip reaffirmed just how much patience is a virtue…that I’m still cultivating. My parents provided me with ample opportunity to practice. It took a few days for them to adjust to my pace of life and for me to adjust to theirs. In the end, I might have won out. Sorry, Mom! As a Seoulite of nine months (NBD) I’d forgotten how fascinating everything is at first and the pace with which they’d want to experience it. I loved having them and I was sorry to let them go home.

I’m thriving in Seoul. I can be independent when I need to be. But cozy nights of Jeopardy and Ina Garten recipes are still as appealing as ever. Let it be known I have yet to cash in on my post-college year of bumming off my parents…get out of my room, Dad!

Looking fresh on Day 1 at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Bring on the kimchi...

We looked so great you can't blame them for thinking

we were trying to run off with our new outfits.

Strolling in Bukchon Traditional Hanok Village

Noraebang-ing out some Beatles, ABBA, Journey, Dixie Chicks, and Sister Act

I would say this is downtown...except Seoul has a number of 'downtowns'

Spicy, cold buckwheat naengmyeon noodles in the market to cool off

Seoul extends in all directions, far beyond eye's reach

Modernity meeting antiquity at Seoul Tower

HoliMays

May is among the best months to be in Korea. We have woken from hibernation, the weather couldn’t be better. Any day is a great day as long as it's spent outside. The month is also chalked full of holidays.

May 1^st- Korean Labor Day. Essentially a bank holiday and some public schools are closed. Still a fine day for learning English at WILS…

May 5^th- Children’s Day. This is Christmas for Korean children. Kids have been talking about it all week, and longer. Presents they will receive from parents and teachers. Places and activities they will go and do. They are psyched.

Cinco de Mayo- Not to be confused with May 5^th. Celebrating involved fajitas, margaritas, and...frozen guacamole? Only in Korea...

May 8^th- Parent’s Day. Originally Mother’s Day but changed so that fathers don’t feel alienated. Children shower their parents with carnations, letters of appreciation, and…cosmetic surgery?

May 12^th- American Mother’s Day. This year my mom will spend it packing for Korea! When she arrives a few days later, she will be celebrated fully. Brunch is already planned out...

May 15^th- Teacher’s Day. A perk of teaching. My adult students took me out to a 2.5 hour buffet lunch. It's kind of an American place but Koreans love VIPS so I was in for the experience. In recent years Teacher's Day has lent itself to lavish gifts and bribery…my day involved more modest flowers, chocolate, cards, and a scarf.

The 8th day of the 4th lunar month (also known as May 17^th this year)- Buddha’s Birthday. Hanging lanterns glow on all major streets leading to a Buddhist temple because it's birthday month for this lucky guy. Rituals and big parades will ensue. All schools (including mine) get it off!

May birthday wishes to my lovely aunts, Rita (3^rd) and Venta (7^th). And to my father (23^rd)...but we’ll be celebrating in Korea!

"Allie teacher, very very I love you"

Dynamic Busan

Cities in Korea have all been paired with adjectives and…words? Hi Seoul. Colorful Daegu. Good Chungju. Happy Suwon. Fly Incheon. Amenity Seocheon. Better Life Yeonsu. Fantasia Bucheon. Jump Namwon and Jump Changnyeong. It’s Daejeon. Let’s Goyang. Alright alright, Let’s Goyang is pretty good, but seriously. Hire me.

On a rare three-day weekend I headed to Dyanmic Busan, Korea’s next biggest city of 3.7 million. Located on the southeastern coast of Korea, it’s the fifth busiest shipping port worldwide. Busan is also home of the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store known as the largest shopping complex (mall) in the world. But it’s summer when Busan really comes alive as Koreans flock to the beaches. Busan is unmistakably more relaxed than Seoul.

The weekend began bright and early on the Mugunghwa ‘slow train’ leaving from Yeoungdeoungpo Station. I’ve finally admitted that I’m a morning person. Even if I’m tired I feel much more in tune with myself when I wake with the sun. Trains are also my favorite way tot travel. A forced excuse to relax and soak up the scenery of rural towns, farms and mountains. Thankfully there were noraebangs on board, heaven forbid I go four and half hours without karaoke! So traisian.

At Busan Station, Caitlin and I proudly figured out how to use the lockers to stash our bags for a few hours. The lockers were fingerprint protected. It’s not just me, this is awesome, right?

First stop, a stroll through Yongdosan Park to reach Busan Tower. The tower isn’t particularly attractive in and of itself but the 360° views were awesome! I need my aerial view. Were we just tired or was the tower swaying…a lot? Either way, time to come down…

The downtown area of Nampodong is home to stores, vendors, street food, and entertainment. The annual Busan International Film Festival takes place nearby so we made sure to reach the epicenter at BIFF Square.

Eventually we found ourselves at the Jagalchi Fish Market, the largest fish market in Korea. Again, an incredible variety in species. A dried fish market and numerous restaurants occupied the second floor. Many restaurants persuasively fought for our business but only one ajumma could win. Raw fish and other cooked seafood, plenty of veggies, a beautiful view of the harbor.

Seoulites told me the accent in Busan is stronger. I initially thought the waitress said hello in Spanish (because that makes sense) but quickly realized she must be offering me ‘cola’ (which also doesn’t happen in Korea.) Wrong again. It was just water, which in Seoul sounds like mul but in Busan sounded like mola.

Gwangalli Beach was the recipe for evening relaxation. Gwangan bridge and a glowing skyline framed the coast. We walked along the beach, enjoyed haemul pajeon on the sand, and sipped persimmon wine while being mesmerized by the changing colors of the bridge.

Our hostel was adorable, despite a resident bunny who looked far too familiar to an evil, cord-eating bunny I used to know. The bedding was pink and frilly enough for a princess. However, roommates can make or break any hostel experience. And since it was apparently of the utmost urgency to rustle plastic bags before 7am, we didn’t catch up on sleep as planned.

Saturday morning took us to the mountains to Beomeosa Temple, the foremost temple in Busan. A combination of subway and buses rendered the trip a bit lengthy but the temple was scenic and peaceful. After a while, temples and palaces begin to look quite similar in Korea/Asia. Sitting aside a bubbling brook while drinking homemade shikhye on a perfect weathered day was most enjoyable. A few chatty Koreans stopped to talk to/at us. As a result we learned of the free lunch served at the temple. Bring on the bibimbap and doenjeong jjigae, though Caitlin would probably have preferred to not walk up the temple hill for a third time…

My original itinerary had us visiting the fortress and a second unique temple in the area, however, lack of appropriate footwear became a hindrance. Instead, we journeyed back south to Taejeongdae, a park spectacular cliff views. Unfortunately, the perfect day turned overcast and we were also a bit pressed for time. The views from Taejeongdae warrant a revisit on a clearer, less rushed day.

Exhausted is an understatement about how we felt by the evening. Luckily, Busan has quite the assortment of jimjilbangs to choose from. The rumored view at Vesta Spa ultimately won us over. Unfortunately by the time we arrived it was dark and the ocean was an invisible black abyss at night. Caitlin and I baked ourselves in a clay oven and soaked in hot mineral baths, full relaxation mode, as city lights twinkled below. The most memorable feature of this particular spa was the outdoor hot tub. To top it off, an adorable Korean toddler with his fishing rod, learning English letters on a steamed up window. At the spa, we tried the notable Busan mil myeon for dinner, a thin and cold wheat-based noodle.

“Are we crazy?” I thought as our Sunday morning alarm rung at 4:30am. It was still dark but we hopped in a cab to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple to arrive before the sun. The chants of Buddhist monks at a gorgeous coastal temple as we awaited the new day proved I was of a completely sane mind. The sun shone pink as we meandered through the temple, greeting Buddhas big and small. We even paid our respects to the Pagoda of Traffic Safety, because let's be real, we live in a city with questionable driving.

A stroll along the popular Haeundae Beach followed. In the summer, you can hardly see the sand due to hoards of people, blankets, and umbrellas. However, on an early April morning the crowds were quite thin. Before returning to the hostel for a free breakfast, we passed through Haeundae Market which was only just beginning to stir.

With time to spare, I explored Dongbaek Park on the far end of Haeundae Beach. Though only trying to maximize a few remaining hours in Busan, I was awestruck by the scenery. Busan seems greener and more natural than Seoul. Even the small touches, like potted flowers on the streets. A boardwalk hugging the coastline offered views of striking coastline, a little lighthouse, the Nurimaru APEC building, and the Haeundae skyline. My impression was most likely colored by yet another perfect weathered morning. Winter is firmly behind us and I’ve realized just how giddy a sunny spring day can make me.

Our remaining few hours ended where they began, wandering about Nampodong, hoping for postcards but at the very least securing a schneeballen. Don’t ask me why, but this German treat has gained popularity in Korea. Schneeballen? I’m not sure myself but perhaps I can give you an idea. Fortune cookie loosely folded into a ball, covered in chocolate, and then crushed with a wooden hammer. Weird but that’s how I like it.

The train ride home via the high speed KTX only took three hours, but due to my exhaustion level it felt longer than the slow train. A full and fantastic weekend. Back to home sweet Seoul.

Flish

Wait, that’s not a real word? I hope my students are learning English because mine is certainly not getting any better…English teacher problems.

A flowers and fish weekend. The rising tide of cherry blossoms that have been spreading north throughout Korea finally descended upon Seoul. Though I see stunning blossoms most springs in Washington, a row of fully bloomed cherry blossom trees has to be one of the most picturesque sights in the world. 

Cherry blossoms festivals can be found throughout the country. An afternoon stroll around Seokchon Lake in Seoul was reminiscent of the blossoms that line the Tidal Basin. The volume of people was definitely reminiscent! But instead of a landscape of national monuments, an island home to a popular amusement park, Lotte World, set the scene. So...it was a little different…

Yeouido Park, a top festival destination along the Han River, offered an energetic atmosphere on a sunny afternoon. There was also a nighttime viewing option but I don’t appreciate multi-colored lights illuminating the blossoms the way Koreans do. I want da babies in all their natural majesty.

What I have been most surprised and impressed by this spring is the citywide scattering of cherry trees. Though the festivals buzz with excitement, it’s those moments I turn a corner to see a row of blossoms I wasn’t expecting.

Fish would accurately capture the rest of the weekend. Saturday brunch could have been lethal. While blowfish is a delicacy, it is also poisonous. Deaths are rare but when my lips started to tingle I thought I had beaten the odds…oh wait…Korean food is just spicy. Blowfish, if you’re wondering, is rather flavorless but delightfully tender.

I’ve also had my sights set on the Noryangjin Fish Market for some time but held off until a Korean friend could help navigate it. We entered on the second floor overlooking the vendors…it was kind of a breathtaking sight. We mazed through colorful and unrecognizable sea creatures, both living and dead. It was like being at an aquarium…only you get to eat everything. Restaurants on the second level prepare your seafood purchases on the spot.

I was chasing a certain experience…the experience of eating sanakgi (live octopus.) Live in the way that something that is chopped into pieces is live, but no question that it was still moving. After it self-marinated in sesame oil and salt, I closed my eyes and took a piece to my mouth, chewing hard and fast. No, I didn't want to feel it squirming in my mouth nor did I want the suckers to latch onto the inside of my throat and kill me. Eating seafood in Korea is not for wimps, it seems. And since I had been the sanakgi enthusiast, I had the honor (read: peer pressure) of eating the little head…eyes and all…

Some days I eat fish (I'm a bit of a pesca-vegan.) Other days fish eat me. On Sunday I let a pool of large minnows exact their revenge. As I took refuge from the chaos of Myeongdong in a quiet café, my toes vibrated with pecking mouths feasting on a winter’s worth of dead skin.

Other notable fish as of late: grilled shellfish at a barbeque-style joint. Though the restaurant had a run-down feel to it, it was easily one of the most beautiful dinners I’ve had in Seoul. A tray tiered with stacks of shellfish of various shapes and sizes was set on our table for a long grill-side dinner.

And the monkfish soirée. Monkfish may be nicknamed “the poor man’s lobster” but the dinner was not without a price tag. I’m a sucker for unique food experiences and smoked monkfish and monkfish paté certainly met the qualifications. Most delicious fish of the blog post.

To round out a flish-filled weekend, a flip pong tournament (representing my culture…I see you ‘Murica.) Also, a visit to the Filipino market, a weekly street market where the Filipino community of Seoul gathers to sell traditional foods and groceries. Nearly every dish contained pork, but as an experienced vegetarian I found a way to make it work. Any culture who loves fried plantains and coconut milk is a friend of mine.

 Like jogging in the clouds!

Seokchon Lake

 Before...                                                         ...After

Noryangjin Fish Market

This went in my mouth...and I'd do it again.

 Still got some suction...

Grilling shellfish

Dr. Fish

A fertilized chicken egg at the Filipino market...I have to draw the line somewhere.

Frood

Korea has provided me with no shortage of blogging fodder. Rather, selecting which particular memories become immortalized has been more of the challenge. But today I owe a post to the beautiful unity of friends and food.

Our apartment is an ideal setup for dinner parties. Unlike some of my coworkers, my kitchen is not also my bedroom. Also, most of my Korean friends live with their parents, as is typical before marriage in many non-American cultures. Sometimes I’m co-chef, sometimes I’m a spectator of Korean cuisine, sometimes it’s potluck-style, sometimes I provide it all. Friends know that they can invite themselves over for a dinner party…there will always be wine.

Mexican doesn't strike me as the most challenging cuisines to cook, but though the city tries, Mexican is usually a little lacking. What is a guac-loving expat to do? Hopefully have friends who throw Mexican fajita parties and watch the hilariously awful movies like Machete. Sometimes you just need to stick your face into a 12-avocado bowl of guacamole.

I’m still a Seoul Vegan Potluck regular. Some months I invite friends along, but I’m not too shy or self-conscious to pop in solo...it's literally a cest pool of interesting people. My logic goes that anyone willing to check out the vegan potluck is probably someone I can find common ground with. And these days I can hardly walk through the Noksapyeong/Itaewon area without seeing people I know. That’s how a city of 25 million comes to feel a bit smaller.

I’m incredibly lucky to have found the SPACE community after a mere three weeks in Seoul. I’ve practiced yoga, attended workshops, participated in language exchange, met some of my closest friends, and dined healthily and deliciously. Such a wholesome and loving community where positive vibes abound.

One of my favorite events at SPACE is Mama’s Table. People gather for a healthy (usually vegan and gluten-free) home-cooked meal prepared by someone in the community. Creamy Swiss chard buckwheat crepes. Been there. Tamales and strawberry atole. Done that. I even sous-chefed for a meal of Moroccan lentil stew with chickpea poppers and fresh bread to get a little practice behind the scenes. Bekah and I are in the planning process of co-hosting a Mama’s Table meal in the near future!

SPACE has also offered a few healthy eating and cooking workshops. I’m always interested in learning about food, particularly in the most healthful of ways. At Nutrition Mission I buffed up my superfood knowledge and became introduced to the magical world of iHerb, an online health store that ships to Korea. At another workshop I gained insight into the macrobiotic cooking and eating philosophy. Gotta balance the yin and yang in my food! A few take-aways of a macrobiotic diet: eat whole, eat local, eat seasonal, eat organic. And chew 50-100 times!

The monthly Marche festival is another event where I can usually be found. It has a farmer's market type feel but with less focus on the produce and more on prepared foods, teas, jams, pickles and the like. My usual haul includes an incredible macrobiotic veggie burger, treats from a favorite vegan baker, and the best apples in Korea. Fuji, of course, that’s all you’ll find in Korea. This month I went a little manic and got fermented bread, ginger and chestnut jams, red mojo marinade, fresh cream cheese, and an herb planter that is going to make a great candle holder! Spent every last Won…and then some...

Confession: I’m an Alien’s Day Out groupie. This blog has had a big hand in shaping my experience in Korea. Not only has it been a useful tool as a vegetarian, but having access to this information inadvertently motivated me switch to a (mostly) vegan diet while living in Korea. Mipa often reviews vegan-friendly restaurants throughout the city which have served as my main dining out guide. Prior to veganhood I trusted her picks because vegan-friendly restaurants tend to have an atmosphere I enjoy. Entire outings with other groupies have been planned around her reviews. Last month I finally made it to the vegan mecca of Seoul, a buffet frequented by vegan and non-vegans alike. And hey, I even left comfortably full…kind of…

Oh and Mipa knows her vegan baking. Her goodies are available in select stores and cafés around the city. And via delivery through her online bakeshop! (Korea always delivers…even McDonalds…)

With friends come birthday celebrations! Often these are late night affairs but some of the most memorable were celebrating in the light of day. Sunset birthday hikes with mageolli, tangerines and a choco-pie "cake" at the top. Birthday bike rides fueled by half-baked brownies and refueled by adorable Korean parents supplying a picnic lunch (as is customary for parents to provide on birthdays.)

I've taken upon myself the duty of introducing my chingus to certain foods I consider essential. Guacamole, hummus, bagels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, banana bread, jello shots. I can't imagine life growing up without (most) of these things.

As someone who appreciates creative food and suave restaurant ambiance, I’ve wound up at quite a few great spots around the city. One of the only places I’ve encountered in Seoul that requires a reservation (even on a Wednesday!) is a polished Mexican restaurant by the name of Vatos Tacos. Everything was fabulous but the kimchi fries and mageollitas impressed me most. The Flying Pan Blue is another treasure, serving one of the most creative brunches I’ve had…and not just in Seoul. When a menu requires me to deliberate for fifteen minutes, I’m probably in a good place, physically and emotionally. The caramelized fig pancakes nearly had me, but I settled for Avocado Eggs Benedict on a thick slice of toast, piled with smoked salmon, fresh spinach, basil pesto, and pine nuts…lalalala...

I’ve ratcheted up my Korean studying lately. This is thanks to my best chingu to whom I teach Spanish in exchange for Korean lessons. Not only is it exciting to string together a basic sentence in Korean, it has been awesome to brush up on my Spanish along the way. I look forward to Tuesday dinners at a new restaurant (alternating Korean and international cuisines) and an adorable café…so much so that we’ve become a little lazier when it comes to the actual studying part! Until he met me he had no idea how satisfying a vegetarian diet could be. And coming from the son of a Korean barbeque restaurant owner in a meat-loving culture, there is no sweeter music to my ears.

Most recently I finally joined a CSA. The website is exclusively in Korean and it took a couple Korean friends to help navigate through registration. Every month I will receive a box full of organic goodness: veggies, farm eggs, tofu, kimchi and other Korean goods. I’m also elated to support a female agricultural community. No, E-mart, I do not care to pay your inflated prices.

If you've never tried frood, I highly recommend it. It's a delicacy.

 Hummus party!

Relaxing...it's a night of Korean food.

Our Mama's Table trial run #2. Ch-ch-check out my homemade crackers!

You can only go so long without guac.

One of many vegan potlucks.

Wholeistic at Marche festival!

Creamy Swiss chard crepes.                The best tamales I've ever had.

Alien's Day Out at a bakery exposition

We like to bike...and we also like brownies. 4 people, 1 pan, no problem.

A group effort to keep the choco-pie cake lit at the mountain top.

Maybe this is why I like studying Korean...

First box from Sister's Garden!

Bippity Bappity Boo

Rice. Along with kimchi it is the heart of nearly every traditional Korean meal. The side dishes are plentiful but they are just that, side dishes. I still haven’t come into this mindset since all the best tastes reside in them. You can’t really hate rice but I don’t think I’ll ever love it as much as Koreans do.

Rice is so important that the literal translation of “How are you?” is “Have you eaten rice?”

In Korea, rice is not just rice. It has it’s own vocabulary…cooked, uncooked, different types. The word I encounter most frequently is bap, cooked rice, and it's always...white.

There is an ajumma that I squabble with twice a week because I don’t finish my white rice. It is an exhausting game of moving it around to make it look like I ate some. Leaving rice uneaten seems borderline offensive...apparently the rice balances out saltiness of kimchi. When I’m lucky I can sneak some out of my bowl. The happy look on her face when she thinks I finished my rice almost makes me feel guilty. I’ve tried to explain that I only eat brown rice…she then proceeds to show me how five grains of brown are mixed into the sea of white.

The way I demonize white rice you’d think I was talking about Kim Jong-un (oh, too sensitive to joke about now?) However, the most health-conscious Koreans I've met also chose brown rice. Since kimchi is one of the world's healthiest foods, white rice must get balanced out...obesity rates in Korea are among the lowest in the world.

Sooo we're eating a lot of rice over here. I can only think of two Korean meals when rice wouldn’t be served in some form. I typically get my fill when I go out to eat and therefore rarely fire up the rice cooker at home (although the versatility of rice cookers extends far beyond rice...banana bread anyone?) It surprises me that in a rice-centric country brown rice isn't more common, or at least an option. Occasionally you get a blend of rice grains but alone Koreans say “the taste is just not good.”

I estimate I average four Korean meals a week…pathetic. If there was ever a time to eat Korean food, it’s now. I generally cook familiar foods and often scope out the foreign food scene when I go out. But lately, I’ve been craving more and more Korean food. Korean take-out is oh so cheap, it’s hardly worth the trouble of learning to make it. Buuuut…cooking is my creative process and sometimes teaching myself to cook a dish so unfamiliar to my cultural upbringing is a welcomed challenge! All the better when I can substitute brown rice! A few rice dishes I’ve braved in my little kitchen:

In my experimental kimchi phase a few months ago you may remember that I replicated kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice.) Even kimchi-skeptics appreciate this meal. Kimchi served warm (fried or in soup) is an entirely different beast.

Bibimbap might be the most quintessential Korean food. There are countless variations but the classic is veggies, rice and red pepper paste all mixed together. Sesame seeds, seaweed paper, and a fried egg are common accompaniments. My favorite variation is dolcet bibimbap, cooked and served in a hot stone pot…it stays warm all through the meal! I've made bibimbap but mine was much less photogenic than this restaurant version. On my flight in August I had no idea how to eat this or what it even was. Now it’s one of my favorite foods…how far I’ve come!

Ssambap is commonly offered as a vehicle to eat Korean barbeque. It’s a lettuce wrap with rice, meat, and a bit of doenjang paste. I have partaken most at grilled fish restaurants (seen here...yet no rice or lettuce to be seen!) but at home I attempted a tofu ssambap. With sesame oil and soy sauce on hand, a delicious tofu marinade is all too simple.

Kimbap, the Korean version of fast food. It’s quick and cheap and delicious. There are some non-vegetarian friendly versions but I typically stick to vegetable, kimchi or tuna. Even the veggie version comes with a slice of Spam though I quickly learned how to ask for a modification. Kimbap can be tricky to make if the rice isn’t the right texture or the knife isn’t sharp enough. I learned the hard way. After one failed slicing, I resorted to eating the second hotdog-style (so un-Korean!)

Typical Korean lunch for two... two types of kimchi, rice, soup and plenty of banchan! My fellow diner and I each have our own rice and soup, but the rest is communal. I definitely didn't make this one...