Korean Beef

Despite the increasing invasion of import beef from the US and Australia, we still consider our beef the best with its top quality and foreigners who have also had it are fascinated by its taste, which they had never got from steak. If you come to Korea, do not miss eating beef!

Sweet Red Bean Gruel

Recently the temperature decreased and as a result lots of people including me feel depressed sometimes. Occasional lonesomeness may be solved by warm hugs from your family and friends and, if your physical insides also need some warmth, how about this sweet red bean gruel? Finely ground sweet red bean garnished with chestnuts, red beans and a ginkgo nut will be enough to make your stomach delightful.

Oyster with Rice

Nowadays it is a good season to eat oyster and, among many ways to have it, we chose oyster with rice steamed in a stone pot. It is good indeed to have some food in the right season. Enjoy oyster if you can!

Trial of Raw Thornback

Sliced raw thorn back would be possibly less interesting food you can have in Korea. First you chop a raw thorn back and the pieces are sealed in a jar over a week. During this riping process, thorn back, in order to control the osmotic pressure, generates some elements and ammonia. Therefore these cause some stink when we eat it. Raw thorn back is normally served with other two companies, kimchi and steamed pork, and thus they are in total called 'trial.' It was the first time for me to have raw thorn back and I'm glad you cannot smell it on your monitors.

Rice Steamed in Bamboo

Rice is a main dish for Korean and there are various ways to cook it. This one is steamed in the big piece of bamboo cut, including pieces of jujube, ginkgo nut and charcoal. And what you see on the pan are sliced beef and garlic. What a good food! (I think I should avoid posting any further food and restaurant stuff for the time being.^-^)

Noodle (Kalguksu)

Hello, I'm back. Thank you very much for your wishes, and I had a really relaxing time. Today's photo is in line with the previous post and here comes the noodle. There are various kinds of noodles in Korea and this dish is called, 'Kalguksu.' When it's rainy or gets chilly like today, most of Korean miss this warm noodle soup. Eat good food for your weekend!

Food Zone Near Baseball Stadium

Among professional sports in Korea, baseball is the most popular one. Now the season is turning the corner to the final but, as you can see in the photo, I took this on the first day of the season in the spring. This food zone is seen right out of the metro gate, which has numerous kinds of street food. There is a saying, without something to eat, Koreans go nowhere.:) I'm happy we love eating.

Samgyeopsal

Do you like meat? I do. Though I don't like the way some people breed livestock in order to get as much meat as possible, I have to admit I can't give up the taste of meat. What you see on the picture is one of Korean's best loved meat, 'Samgyeopsal', which means rich marbled belly part of pork. We usually roast kimchi, mushroom, onions, garlic too on the pan. Compared to beef, pork is crispy and cheaper here in Korea.

* I came home late being a bit drunk from a couple of pints of beer over a football match against Syria for regional final qualifications for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. So, I hope you to please understand that I can't reply to yesterday's comments you put.

Snack Cart

Since late 90's, the megaplex cinemas has been the general trend in Korea. It's ironic, however, that we've got less options to choose films we want to watch due to domination of some major film distribution companies. Nowadays most of cinemas is filled with smell of pop corns, but the traditional snacks at Korean cinemas used to be the one on the picture above: dried/half-dried squid, dried/fried filefish, dried octopus, roasted chestnuts etc. And I'm happy to see that these are still in the cart though I do not eat anything during films.

Pajeon

When it's rainy, there is an appetising food and Korean's most loved food is 'Pajeon (pan cake with leeks).' And pajeon's best company is 'Makkeolli' or 'Dongdongju', types of fermented alcohol. These alcoholic beverages are normally served in an earthenware pot with a wooden ladle as you see on the photo. Pajeon, which we also call Korean pizza, can change its names depending on ingredients like seafood, kimchi, potatoes. If you come to Korea after receiving my SOS, I will treat you to these two.;)

You can also look around the photos of my home-made pajeon at my personal blog.

Bibimbap

Have you heard about Bibimbop, one of the most popular Korean food? This one on the pic is unconventional type though. I ordered bibimbop with soybean soup sauce and seafood. Compared to wide spread of Japanese and Chinese food to other countries, the reason for less popularity of Korean food is in large part due to its less influence on and penetration into the other cultures, but also because of less simplicity of cooking and storing. Once getting over these obstacles, I'm quite positive Korean food will be as huge a success as other Asian neighbourhood's.

1st July Theme Day: The Color Red

This the first theme day I participate. When I found this month's theme, two things came across my mind and this is one of them. This is kimchi, Korea's best known food. Last year I was involved in a full process of making kimchi (I just helped my mom and grandma;)) and realised how amazing kimchi is. I will write about kimchi in my personal blog someday.

You are very welcome to discover red in other cities.
Shanghai, China - Mumbai, India - New York City (NY), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Hamburg, Germany - Stayton (OR), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Hyde, UK - Oslo, Norway - Brookville (OH), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Joplin (MO), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Selma (AL), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Seattle (WA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Evry, France - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Grenoble, France - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Hilo (HI), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - La Antigua, Guatemala - Brisbane (QLD), Australia - Singapore, Singapore - Tel Aviv, Israel - Hong Kong, China - Sequim (WA), USA - Paderborn, Germany - Saarbrücken, Germany - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Tenerife, Spain - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Sydney, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Cologne (NRW), Germany - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Mainz, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - North Bay (ON), Canada - Jakarta, Indonesia - Montréal (QC), Canada - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Baziège, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - New York (NY), USA - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Sharon (CT), USA - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Villigen, Switzerland - Chicago (IL), USA - Torquay, UK - Brussels, Belgium - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Paris, France - Seoul, Korea - Manila, Philippines - Milano, Italy - Austin (TX), USA - Chennai, India - Madrid, Spain - Seoul, South Korea - Wailea (HI), USA - Toronto (ON), Canada - Ajaccio, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Zurich, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Budapest, Hungary - Moscow, Russia - Auckland, New Zealand - Torino, Italy

Bloomsday Celebration 2007 블룸스데이

It's a bit late to post this daily photo but I shouldn't delay any longer. Last Saturday, at Irish Ambassador's Residence, it was held 'Bloomsday Celebration 2007.' For what this event means, let's see the description on the invitation:

"16 June, 2007 marks the 103rd anniversary of the date on which a young Dublin medical student named James Joyce had his first date with young Galway woman named Nora Barnacle who later was to become his wife. That date was so significant for Joyce that, when writing his famous novel Ulysses years later - a novel which attempts to recount the Odysseus of Homer in the snap shot of one day in the life of Dublin in the early twentieth century –, Joyce not surprisingly chose this date for his novel.

In recent years this date has become the focus for the annual international celebration known as “Bloomsday” in honour of Leopold Bloom, the novel’s leading character."

It was a truly beautiful evening with excellent speakers' brilliant reading, the cool wind and nice food. The picture is shrimp cocktail catered by Hyatt Hotel.

사진 올리기에는 조금 늦었지만 더 늑장 부려서는 안 되겠다. 지난 토요일 주한아일랜드 대사관저에는 2007 블룸스데이 행사가 있었다. 어떤 내용의 행사인지는 초대장에 적혀있던 아래 내용을 참조하시라.

"2007년 6월 16일은 더블린의 젊은 의대생이었던 제임스 조이스가 후에 그의 부인이 된 노라 바나클이라는 골웨이 아가씨와 첫 데이트를 한 날로 103번째 해를 기념하게 되었다. 조이스에게 있어서 의미심장한 이 날짜를, 수년 후 그의 대표작이 된 '율리시즈'(호머의 '오디세우스'를 20세기 초 더블린에서의 일상의 한 나날을 풀어내듯이 묘사한 소설)에 등장시킨 것은 당연한 일이리라.

근래에 들어 이 날짜는 매년 열리는 전세계적인 행사의 핵심이 되었는데, 소설의 주인공인 레오폴드 블룸을 기려 블룸스데이가 되었다."

그 날 밤은 소설을 굉장히 맛깔스럽게 읽은 낭독가들과 시원한 바람, 근사한 음식이 어우러진 아름다운 밤이었다. 사진은 하얏트 호텔 출장 부페팀이 마련한 새우 칵테일이다.