Pa Jeon

Korea people usually eat ‘Pa Jeon’ in rainy days, and it is very good friend of Makkoli. Nowadays, Pa Jeon is called Korea pizza or Korean pancake by many foreigners. The Pa Jeon is related with rain and the story from the old Koreans’ life. Korea was an agricultural people, so they usually do farm working. When they had a rain, they could not work. Thus, they spent time to clean their house or fix their farming gears. Even though they could not do work, they needed to eat something. However, at the time, rice was the most valuable food, so they had to find some other food. Then, it was the Pa jeon which was made by flour.

Here is my special Pa Jeon recipe

Ingredients for 2 people

Green onion (80g), flour or Pa Jeon mix powder: can have this from Korean market (80g), egg (60g), salt (4g), cooking oil (24g), and water (150ml)

Source

Soy source, vinegar, (mix half and half)

1.      Mix the Pa Jeon mix or flout with water. Then, put eggs and salt, and mix it 5minutes.

2.      Wash green onions and cut it by 5cm per each.

3.      Put the green onion into the Pa Jeon mixture. (if you want to add meet or see food, it will make taste better)

4.      Put some cooking oil in the pen, and bake the Pa Jeon mixture. ( it would be a same size like pen cake or pizza.)

5.      Serve with small dish and enjoy it with source. (Pa jeon is really good to eat with Makkoli which is Korean rice wine.)

By Sungwoo Son.

Makkoli

Makkoli is traditional Korean drink which made with fermenting a mixture of rice and water. It is very milky, off-white color, and sweetness, and it is about 6~7% alcohol. The drink was not very famous in world market, and little people knew about the Korean traditional alcohol. However, nowadays, many people know about the drink especially it is a boom in Japan. I also could find some Makkoli in the Korean market which is located in Seattle area. It was very surprise because I could see our traditional drink in western market. When Korean talk about this Makkoli, we always emphasize that Makkoli have a lot of lactic acid bacteria. Thus, the lactic acid bacteria could help your intestine health, and it would improve your immunity.

             We have hundreds of Makkoli distillery over the all of Korea. In addition, each small town has their own special style of Makkoli. Some town adds some black bean with rice, and some town adds some ginseng for the Makkoli. It gives custom taste of the drink, and it is one great way to enjoy this drink. If you know Makkoli and like Makkoli, I would recommend Makkoli trip in Korea. I believe that It will be great travel.

By Sungwoo Son Highline Community College, W.A

Soju

           Soju is most famous alcohol in Korea. It is hard liquor, and many Korean enjoy it. Soju does not have special taste and smell, and it does not have a color. It looks like water or vodka. When Korean has BBQ, they usually drink Soju especially the Soju with Samgyupsal (Korean style Pork valley BBQ). There is many reasons why Korean really like the Soju, and I will introduce two popular reasons.

Soju is very popular among Koreans in an economic downturn. I think that the reason is cheap price of Soju. When I went a liquor store in Washington, U.S, I really surprised about the price of Soju because it was expansive. The price was around six dollars, but if I buy a bottle of Soju in Korea, I usually paid dollar and half. Thus, it is very reasonable price ordinary people, and it is kind of traditional memory for Korean.

Another reason is matching with many Korean foods. When we have Korean style BBQ such as Samgyupsal and Galbi, Korean usually drink Soju. I think that Soju usually reduce the oily taste from meet. In other words, when we have a Samgyupsal (Pork valley BBQ), we usually feels very oily and fatty. However, when I have the BBQ with Soju, the Soju cleaned up those kinds of oily feeling.

At the end of every year, Korean drinks a lot of Soju in a party. Some people die by Soju because of heavy drinking, and some people drink the Soju for celebration. When Korean put Soju in their glass, they put their memoly too. I believe that Korean really love the Soju, and I would say that the Soju is a soul drink of Korean.

By Sungwoo Son

Kim Chi soup (Ji gye)

Kim chi soup

Kim chi soup is very simple home style soup. It usually cooks with old Kim Chi. Old Kim Chi are very sour, so some people do not like the taste. It easily can find from any Korean restaurant, and it is very easy to cook. I believe that nobody hate this soup if they are Korean.

Cooking Recipe (for 4-5 people)

Kim Chi   (500g)

Water    (4 cups)

Diced tofu (little)

Red pepper powder (little)

Soy sauce   (one tablespoon)

A Chives   (One lump)

A onion   (One lump)

Chicken *boneless thigh*   (200g)

Red pepper paste   (Proper quantity)

How to cook

1. Cut vegetables and chicken by one bite size.

2. Put some water into a pot, and then add soy sauce and red pepper powder.

3. Add Kim Chi into the pot, and also add vegetable and diced tofu.

4. When the soup start to boil, keep boil it for 10 minutes.

5. Serve with a small bowl and rice.

By Sungwoo Son

Sam Gye Tang

Samgyetang, it is Korean style chicken soup with ginseng. When people see the word ginseng, they probably can guess what kind of food it is. it is very health food, and Korean usually eat the food on summer. It is kind of herbal soup that contains several oriental herbs such as jujubes, ginseng, and milk vetch root. The soup is very hot and tasty. We also believe that the herbs can give very good effect for human health, so many Korean enjoy this soup. There are some steps how to cook this Samgyetang.

Ingredients

A whole chicken, 15 cups of water, 1/3 cup of rice, 10 cloves garlic, 1~2 root of ginseng, 4~5 jujubes, salt, and black pepper.

1.      Rinse and place rice with clean water in a large bowl about 30 minutes.

2.      Wash and peel garlic, rinse jujubes, and ginseng.

3.      Rinse the whole chicken thoroughly inside and outside. *do not cut it in half!!!!*

4.      Put the all mixtures such as garlic, jujubes, ginseng, and rice. Then, twist the chicken lags, and tide with thread.

5.      Place the chicken in a large pot with enough water. * the whole chicken must be in the water*

6.      Boil over higher heat for 15minutes, and cook with lower heat for an hour.

7.      After an hour, take the chicken in the bow, and put some soup from the pot.

8.      Serve with salt and black paper. * do not forget to take off the thread *

By Sungwoo Son

Kim Chi

Kim Chi is one of the most popular Korean foods. Kim Chi is not just food, and It is part of Koran culture. It is a kind of vegetable we eat with almost every Korean dish. Furthermore, the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism appointed Kim Chi is one of the ten representative things in Korea. Nowadays, people can find the Kim chi very easily if they go to any Korean restaurant. I also really love this food, and I would say that Kim Chi is the best and basic food of Korea. There are two important reasons why Kim Chi is the best.

Many people know that the fermented food is very healthy, and Kim Chi also one of them. Many Korean people believe that Kim Chi can help diet. Kim Chi contains capsaicin which heats our body, and it helps fat burning. In addition, the main ingredient of Kim Chi is Napa cabbage, so people can enjoy this food with very low calories. Therefore, Kim Chi is sensationally popular in Korea especially young women.

             Another reason is great taste of Kim Chi. I believe that it is not familiar to western people, and it could be very spicy and salty. I would say that it is only the first time that people who has Kim Chi. Korean usually do not eat only Kim Chi. We eat the Kim Chi with many foods such as rice, pork meet, tofu, and etc. in addition, we have a lot of ways to cook with Kim Chi, and it make their taste better. I strongly believe that everyone can like Kim Chi if they know how to enjoy this food.

By Sungwoo Son.

<Soondooboo stew recipe>

Soondooboo stew can be created in these five simple steps.

1.      Prepare sliced green onion, onion, and green pumpkin in advance

2.      In a pot, pour small amount of sesame oil and fry kimchi and pork

3.      If meat and kimchi are done, pour anchovy broth in the pot. Water is okay, but anchovy broth would be better because it brings more deep flavor

4.      If it starts to boil, put chili powder, crushed garlic, thick soy, pepper, and sliced onions and green pumpkin. If the flavor is insipid, put some salt

5.      Lastly, Soondooboo falls plop into the water.

<Soondooboo>

Soondooboo might sound unfamiliar, but it is tofu with softer texture than regular tofu. Tofu is loved and can be found on most Korean food tables because it is high in nutrition, low price, and in every market. Tofu is known to be first made about two thousand years ago by King Ryooan. He was very into martial arts and did training in Hwenam. The monks who accompanied him studied and invented Tofu for improvement of the king’s dietary life. After tasting tofu, Ryooan ordered a mass production of tofu so the authority of invention went to Ryooan. Tofu is probably introduced in Korean in Goryeo Period, a period when a vigorous cultural exchange existed with China. In Joseon Period, Korean people’s skill of making tofu was excellent and people from China and Japan came to Korea and learned it.

Tofu is very healthy food. It is high-protein food that also contains

amino acids, calcium and iron. Its digestibility is 95%, so it is recommended for diabetes patients. Other effects include anticancer, osteoporosis prevention, high blood pressure prevention and decreased cholesterol. Also, although it is high-protein food, its calorie is very low, so it can be good diet food as well.

<Sulungtang recipe>

Ingredients: beef leg bone, miscellaneous bone, Satae, water, julienned green onion, small amount of noodles

Procedures:

1.      Soak bones and meat in the water and get rid of blood

2.      Put water into the bones and meat so they sink in the water and heat until it boils (pot)

3.      Get rid of the floating impurities and pour water out

4.      Poor new water into the pot and set fire on high

5.      After boiling for an hour, change the fire to medium

6.      After four hours of boiling, fish out meat out of the pot and, cool the meat, tear it apart and put it into a container

7.      After boiling for eight hours, cool it in a cold place

8.      Scoop out floating white oils

9.      Pour the soup into another pot

10.  Again, pour water into the pot (fully)

11.  Boil it with high fire for an hour and change to low fire, and continue to boil it for ten hours. (Until the soup turns into milky color)

12.  Cool the soup down, remove floating oil and continue to boil for four hours

13.  Boil the noodles and put them into a separate dish

14.  In a soup bowl, put julienned green onions and beef. And then, poor the soup.

15.  Put the noodles into the bowl and eat Sulungtang with rice!

<Sulungtang>

Introduction:

American people usually buy a chicken broth in a grocery store to make a soup. In most Korean soup, meat and meat bone are boiled for hours to make a delicious soup. Sulungtang is the most popular and well known soup. Its initial name was Sunongtang. Sunnongtang was not a food that was sold in restaurants like today; originally, people who participated in ancestral rites made food with offering (cow) and shared with others. This culture started in ancestral rites that took place in Sunongdan, and this is how this soup got its name. Sunongdan held rites for two agricultural gods, Sinnongsi and Hoojigsi, and the rites were called Sunongje. Joseon Period was a period agriculture has become the country’s basis, and many rites were performed at Sunnongdan. Over time, Sunongtang changed its name to Sulungtang. Sunnongje still exists today, and it is known that people still boil Sulungtang on the day. Sulungtang is very healthy food. It contains collagen, which is the main component of connective tissue. It is high in protein and is known to bring elasticity to muscle, joint, and skin. Collagen is even used in cosmetic products. Also, collagen also helps with cancer prevention and raises immunity performance. Especially those who pay attention to skin care should intake Sulungtang.

<Japchae recipe>

(4 servings)

Ingredients: 150g of beef, 100g of onion, 100g of chives (can be substituted with spinach or cucumber), 100g of shiitake mushroom (soaked in water), 1 egg, 200g of dangmyun (also soaked in water for thirty minutes to one hour)

For seasoning: suitable amount of thick soy, sugar, sesame oil, and sesame

Procedures:

1.      Boil water

2.      Chop beef, following its texture, and season it with thick soy, sugar, pepper, garlic, and sesame oil

3.      Julienne carrots and onions and season with some salt. Julienne chives as well, in same length as onions

4.      For the egg, separate yellow and white, fry them (in pan) separately, and julienne them

5.      Julienne shiitake mushroom and season it like you did with beef

6.      If the water boils, put dangmyun and cut the noodles in approximately thirteen centimeters. Season them with thick soy, sesame oil and sugar and leave it

7.      Fry in this order: onion, shiitake, and then beef. Fry chives last

8.      After frying these ingredients, put them altogether in a dish and finish off by placing the julienned egg at the top J

Introduction:

As pasta is Italy’s representative noodle dish and ramen or udon goes for Japan, japchae is a classic Korean noodle dish that is indispensable especially in holidays and birthdays.      Its origin came from Joseon Dynasty; Leechoong started making Japchae for the king by frying and seasoning various vegetables and the king loved this dish and gave Leechoong a position of a minister. Like this, japchae was originally made with only vegetables, but as noodles known as dangmyun, which is made with mung bean, potato and sweet potato were developed and widely used in early 1900s and soon it has become a japchae’s ingredient. Nowadays, people try in innovative ways to make japchae, such as putting seafood or thinly sliced potatoes in japchae. Because dangmyun, various vegetables, mushroom, and meat are fried separately and later mixed and put together by seasoning to complete this dish, it does not only provide healthful and balanced nutrition but also look appetizing. I never thought the dish that was initially made for a king would become a food that make Korean home tables so abundant. I hope it will continue to be loved as Korean traditional and feast food.