The Rice Thief, Gejang(게장)

I introduced Gejang(게장) a little bit in the post, Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea. I like Gejang very much, and my hometown, Yeosu, is famous for Gejang. Also many Koreans like to eat Gejang with rice, so Gejang is called ‘the rice thief’. Actually, this nickname is real! When I eat Gejang with rice, I can eat a bowl of rice with only two legs of crab. Because of this reason that people eat a bowl of rice quickly with Gejang, it is named with ‘the rice thief’. There are two types of Gejang: one is Ganjang Gejang(간장게장) the other one is Yangnyeom Gejang(양념게장).

←Yangnyeom gejang

Gejang is made by marinating fresh raw crabs either in ganjang (간장, soy sauce) or in a sauce based on chili pepper powder(양념, yangnyeom). The term consists of the two words; ge(게) means "a crab", and jang(장) means "soy sauce" in Korean. Although gejang originally referred only to crabs seasoned in soy sauce, it has begun to be called "ganjang gejang”. These days yangnyeom gejang (양념게장) is also appeared to Kroea. Yangnyeom gejang (양념게장) is relatively a new dish that emerged since the restaurant business of gejang began to thrive in Korea. "Yangnyeom" means "seasoning" or "seasoned" in Korean but refers to the spicy sauce made with chili pepper powder.

←The Rice Thief

My mother sometimes makes me Gejang, but it takes a long time and labor. It’s needed fresh crabs and it has to marinate in soy sauce for a long time, like three or four days. Therefore, I recommend that eat Gejang in restaurant instead of making Gejang. There are many restaurants of Gejang, but I recommend only one restaurant in my hometown, Yeosu. There is very famous restaurant of Gejang in Yeosu. That restaurant is popular to the people from another city. The restaurant’s name is “황소식당” (Hwang-so sikdang). There are always long lines in front of the restaurant, so you have to wait to eat. This is weak point of this restaurant, but this restaurant’s Gejang is wonderful! The reason that people wait a long time to eat is this restaurant’s Gejang. Also the price of menu items is very cheep. I really recommend you that come Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea and eat Gejang in 황소식당. It will be a wonderful trip to you.

Famous food in Korea, Kimbap

The weather is very nice these days. It is good weather to go on a picnic. Many people go on a picnic with sandwich or bread, but many Koreans bring Kimbap(김밥) for lunch. Whenever I go on a picnic, my mom makes Kimbap. Kimbap is a popular Korean dish made from rice (bap) and various other ingredients, rolled in Kim (김, sheets of dried laver seaweed) and served in bite-size slices. Kimbap is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch, served with Danmuji or Kimchi. The literal translation of the word Kimbap is edible seaweed and rice. From there, you can find many variations on the filling, including fish, meat, eggs, and vegetables, whether pickled, roasted, or fresh.

Todays, there are many types of Kimbap. The typical Kimbap is the black and long stick that rolled with ingredients, like vegetables. There are many different Kimbaps, such as tuna-kimbap, cheese-kimbap, kimchi-kimbap, and so on. Also there are different shapes of Kimbap, like triangle-kimbap(삼각김밥), kid-kimbap(꼬마김밥), and so on. Kimbap is popular food in Korea, so many different types of kimbap is made from people.

Traditionally, the rice is lightly seasoned with salt and sesame oil. Popular protein ingredients are fish cakes, imitation crab meat, eggs and seasoned beef rib eye. Vegetables usually include cucumbers, spinach, carrots and danmuji (단무지, pickled radish). After the Kimbap has been rolled and sliced, it is typically served with danmuji.

Let’s make a Kimbap!

Prepare ingredients : Kim(김), sheets of dried laver seaweed), hams, spinach, carrots, danmuji(단무지), cucumbers, fried eggs, fish cakes

1.     Toast Kim(김), sheets of dried laver seaweed) and put this on a bamboo blind(대나무 발).

2.     Put the rice that seasoned with salt and sesame oil on the Kim(김)

3.     Slice the ingredients to fit the size of Kim, and put on the Kim.

4.     Roll the Kimbap carefully.

5.     Slice the Kimbap for good to eat.

EXPO 2012 YEOSU KOREA

                ‘The Living Ocean and Coast’

Expo 2012 Yeosu is started on May 12. This Expo is the first theme of ocean Expo in the world. Yeosu is my hometown so I will introduce the Yeosu Expo to you. The world’s first opening festival over the ocean was held with a theme of “the Dreaming Ocean.” Also all of exhibition centers are over the ocean. Visitors could preview the theme of the Yeosu Expo, the Living Ocean and Coast, while enjoying the beautiful night of Yeosu. There are some introductions on the official site.

“The Yeosu Expo will provide an opportunity to enhance the international community’s perception of the function and value of the ocean and coast, share knowledge on the proper use of the ocean and coast and recognize the need for cooperation in the marine sector. It will also serve as a venue to learn about the achievements of and future models for the marine sector and offer a valuable chance to promote state-of-the-art marine science and technology and marine industries.”

The Expo will be an opportunity for the international community to clearly understand the role of the ocean and coast as well as the challenge facing humanity caused by the reckless development of the ocean and coast. The Exposition will present a role model for transforming the declining port and its neighboring area into a new space for living. Participants will be able to experience cutting-edge marine science and technology for the future.

Next, I’ll give you some tips of traveling Yeosu. When you finished seeing exhibition centers of Expo, you will go to eat something. By the way, Yeosu-si is included in Jeollanam-do that is famous for delicious foods. There are many famous restaurants, but I will pick one restaurant. Yeosu’s famous food is Crab Marinated in Soy Sauce. (Seasoned raw crab, 간장게장) This food is my favorite foodJ I will introduce 황소식당(Hwang-so restaurant). There are two main dishes: 간장게장, 양념게장 These are just seven-thousand won. These are very delicious and large in quantity. You have to go 황소식당 when you go to Yeosu!

The Best Dish for Hot Summer, Naeng-Myeon

The summer is coming on! It’s just May, but the weather is hot today. It’s not easy to eat hot food in this weather, so I’ll recommend a ‘cool’ food. Many Koreans like to eat cold noodles in summer, especially Naeng-myeon(냉면). I found exact definition in Wikipedia.

“Naeng-Myeon is a long and thin hand-made noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat (메밀, memil), potatoes, sweet potatoes, 칡냉면, naengmyun made with the starch from arrowroot (darker color and chewier than buckwheat noodles), and kudzu (칡, chik). Varieties with ingredients such as seaweed and green tea are available.”

Actually, there are two main kinds of Naeng-Myeon: Mul-Naengmyeon(물냉면) and Bibim-Nangmyeon(비빔냉면). Mul-Naengmyeon(물냉면) is served as a cold soup with the noodles contained in soup made from beef(육수), or dongchimi(동치미). I like Mul-Naengmyeon more because the soup makes me cool and not spicy. Bibim-Naengmyeon(비빔냉면) is served with a spicy dressing made primarily from gochujang (red chili paste, 고추장) and eaten all mixed. Many Koreans are always stressing about choosing between two things because these two things are all delicious. If you can’t eat spicy foods, you have to choose Mul-naengmyeon.

→ Mul-Naengmyeon

→ Bibim-Naengmyeon

 Naengmyeon is served with iced meat broth, so it’s very cool. Also there are boiled egg, cucumbers, slices of boiled beef, slice of radish and so on. I’ll give you a hint with these ingredients. You have to eat boiled egg first, because it protects the stomach walls. Naeng-myeon’s noodles are made of buckwheat flour(메밀가루). This flour’s particles are rougher than rice, so it’s easy to injure the stomach walls. Also many people in Korea usually put spicy Mustard sauce (or Mustard oil) and vinegar.

  There are many Naeng-myeon restaurants in Korea. The restaurants give some meat with Naeng-myeon nowadays. 육쌈냉면 is popular restaurant of Naeng-myeon. This restaurant’s dishes are cheap and delicious. They also serve delicious charcoal-broiled pork. How about eat Naeng-myeon in lunch? J

Beautiful Flower Pancake

It is getting warm these days. The forsythia, the symbol of the spring, bloomed and also cherry blossoms are in full bloom. In my hometown, Yeo-su, azaleas(Jindallae, 진달래) covered the entire mountain in pink. Also the azalea festival is held about this time every year. When I was child, I usually eat honey from azaleas and petals; also my mom cooked with azaleas. This is called “Hwajeon”, in Korea, people make jeon(전, similar to pancake) with azaleas’ petals. Hwajeon is very beautiful and has a nice fragrance. When I eat Hwajeon, it feels like eating an air of spring. For this reason, I really like Hwajeon, and I think this is the most beautiful food in spring. Let me explain more about Hwajeon and let’s make Hwajeon!

Hwajeon is a small, sweet tteok (떡, rice cake or pancake) made of any edible flower petals such as azalea or chrysanthemum and glutinous rice flour, and sugar. Its name means that “Hwa” is a flower, and “jeon” is pancake. People usually eat Hwajeon with syrup for dessert. It is really beautiful because of the flower and aromatic. It has a chewy texture and is very sweet. There are many jeons (전, pancake) in Korea, but Hwajeon is the most special jeon. Because it is made of flowers and has beautiful shape, people say “We eat Hwajeon with eyes”.

Then, I’m going to show you how to make Hwajeon. Before making Hwajeon, you have to get edible flower petals such as azalea.

1.     Wash flower petals and put them in the cold water.

2.     Knead glutinous rice flour(찹쌀가루) with hot water, and shape dough into a little ball.

3.     Heat up a frying pan and make balls into flat. Just fry them!

4.     Turn them over and put flower petals on them.

5.     After the cook, top with syrup. Try your pretty Hwajeon J

Chewy Tteokbokki(떡볶이)

 You might see many cart bars (포장마차) in Korea. Cart bars usually sell Korean snacks, like Tteokbokk i(떡볶이), Sundae (순대), fried food (튀김), and so on. Especially, Tteokbokki is the most popular Korean snack because it is easy to make Tteokbokki in the house. Also, there are many franchise stores and specialty Tteokbokki restaurants. Let’s taste Tteokbokki and make it!

 Tteokbokki’s main ingredient is rice cake, Tteok (떡). Especially Garaetteok (가래떡), cylinder-shaped Tteok, is used in Tteokbokki. However, there are many Tteok that is made of flour because of cheap price. But if you use rice Tteok, it will be more chewy and delicious. Another ingredients in Tteokbokki are fish cakes (어묵), scallions, boiled eggs and so on. Tteokbokki is spicy and sweet, because it is seasoned with starch syrup and red pepper paste, Gochujang (고추장). Also, there are variety kinds of Tteokbokki; For example, Labokki (라볶이) and making Tteokbokki with self-service (즉석 떡볶이). Labokki is a mix of Tteokbokki and instant noodles (ramen). Another one is making Tteokbokki with self-service. Actually many Tteokbokki restaurant have this menu for main dish. These restaurants are furnished with portable gas stove and pot. When uncooked Tteokbokki is served, people use portable gas stove to boil and wait until cooked. This is very popular to students because making Tteokbokki is interesting and fried rice (볶음밥) with Tteokbokki seasoning is offered to them. These two kinds of Tteokbokkis are very popular to Korean.

 Anyway, let me introduce Tteokbokki recipe. It is good to use special broth (육수), but we use just water. Here are ingredients of Tteokbokki: Garaetteok (가래떡), fish cakes (어묵), onions, carrots, scallions, a boiled egg, Gochujang (고추장), starch syrup, and tomato ketchup.

1.     Slice vegetables and fish cakes into small pieces.

2.     Put Garaetteoks into the pot and pour water as much as Garaetteoks are under water.

3.     Make seasoning : add Gochujang, tamato ketchup and they are in the ratio of 1:1. If you can’t spicy food, you have to put tomato ketchup more. Also put starch syrup 1tsp.

4.     Put the seasoning into the pot, and boil Garaetteoks with seasoning.

5.     When it is started to boil, put vegetables, fish cakes and a boiled egg.

6.     Boil this soup down as much as you want, and try your Tteokbokki J

Who was your first love?

 I saw the movie ‘Gunchookhakgaeron’. This movie makes me remember my first love, so I want to talk about ‘The first love’. Actually, many people keep the memories of their first love in their heart in all their life. I don’t know that ‘the first love’ is precious memories in other countries; however, especially in Korea, memories of the first love always gives the fondly feeling to people. Fist love does not come about. This sentence became a formula in Korea, so memories of the first love are more precious memories. Anyway, I want to talk about the movie ‘Gunchookhakgaeron’ first, and then talk about the memories of the first love more.

 The title of the movie is ‘Gunchookhakgaeron’ that means ‘An Introduction of Architecture’. This is the subject of the Department of Construction Engineering. Because of a main character, Seung-min(male), is a student of the Department of construction engineering. Another main character, Seo-yeon(female), is a student of music. They met each other in the class of An Introduction of Architecture at first. They got to know they live in the same village through their assignment of that class. They took same bus every time, and travel around their town for assignment. Through this, love blossomed between the two. However Seung-min thought that he had an unrequited love for Seo-yeon and he was poor at expressing his mind. On the final day of class, Seong-min decided to confess his love in difficulty, but he couldn’t confess because of misunderstanding. Seong-min hid his mind forever, but they met each other 15 years later. Seo-yeon requested that build her house at architect Seung-min. Finally, they got to know that they was their first love each other. The first love doesn’t come about either in reality or in the movie.

 Many people have sad but blissful memories of the first love. I also had an unrequited love long time ago, and this first love didn’t come about. I think the reason about that people cannot forget the memory of the first love is this hopeless love. Try to watch this movie and to think about your first love;)

Gunchookhakgaeron Trailer↓

Korean Traditional Soup and Rice, Kongnamul Gukbap

The second Korean food that I recommend is 콩나물 국밥(kongnamul gukbap). This word means Bean Sprout Soup with Rice. Kongnamul gukbap is unfamiliar to foreigners, so I will explain about kongnamul and gukbap.

First, Kongnamul is an example of Korean source of food, made from soybean sprouts. It is one of the most common side dish in Korea, and also a basic source of bibimbap. People basically blanch Kongnamul in boiling water and season to this. Furthermore, they make soup with Kongnamul which is good for reliving a hangover. Above this, the food with Kongnamul is endless because Kongnamul is a basic source of Korean food.

Next, Gukbap is Guk plus Bap(rice). Guk is a kind of soup, eating with rice. It is a basic dish for the Korean table setting. A kind of Guk is endless because the name of Guk is decided by its main ingredient. For example, Miyeok guk is made of seaweed with additional ingredients; moreover, Kongnamul guk is made of Kongnamul with additional ingredients, too. Kongnamulguk is the basic food of Korean dish because it is easy to make, and it’s a mild-tasting. Therefore, Kongnamul gukbap is Kongnamul soup with rice.

Kongnamul gukbap’s recipe is various, but the most typical Kongnamul gukbap is Jeonju Kongnamul gukbap. Jeonju is city of Korea; in addition, Jeonju is famous for the Korean traditional village. There are many Korean traditional houses and foods. Jeonju Kongnamus gukbap is a little different from other Kongnamul gukbap. Jeonju Kongnamul gukbap is served with raw egg seperately. There is a special recipe with this egg. First, put 2 spoon of the soup, Kongnamul gukbap, and then, put seasoned lavers a little. At first it looks like strange but the taste is wonderful! After eating egg, put the rice in the soup; also put salted shrimp and pepper a little. It will be a great Kongnamul gukbap. Why don’t you try this delicious Korean soup?

Traditional Korean Food, Samcheong-dong Sujebi

Today, I’d like to introduce you a delicious Korean food. Actually, many foreigners know about Korean foods that Bibimbap, Bulgogi and so on; however, they do not know Sujebi. It’s a one of the popular foods in Korea. I searched the definition of Sujebi from Wikipedia; Sujebi is a Korean traditional soup consisting of dough flakes roughly torn by hand, with various vegetables. Many Korean people usually eat Sujebi on rainy day, because this soup makes our body to warm and delicious. There is Sujebi’s brother, Kalguksu. Kalguksu has same recipe and flavor, except that the latter is made with noodles.

Anyway, I want to recommend the best restaurant of Sujebi. It is Samcheongdong Sujebi. This restaurant is so famous that there is a long-line in front of the restaurant. I also ate the Sujebi in this restaurant yesterday, so I will give you a vivid description of the flavor. First, when I went to the restaurant, I did not wait for a long time. Actually, the line was reducing quickly. When you order Sujebi, you just say “Sujebi e-inbun juseyo”; it means that order two portions of Sujebi. Then, a few minutes later, delicious Sujebi will be served to you. This will be enough to eat with two people, or a big dish. Sujebi will be served in a bowl with ladle, so you have to ladle soup into your dish. If you can eat Kimchi, try to eat together. In the soup, there are potatoes, shellfishes, young pumpkins, and so on. Especially, the soup really hits the spot! How about eating Sujebi on rainy day?

I will show you the way to the Samcheongdong Sujebi. At first, you have to go out to Exit 1 of Anguk station on subway line number 3. Then you go toward Jeongdok Public Library, and follow the people, because almost people go that way. If you don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi. A taxi fare will 3,000 or 4,000 won, not much. Try this delicious Sujebi in Samcheongdong and to walk around pretty Samcheongdong street!