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↓