For this biweekly journal, I will talk about some of the things I have been working on towards my Korean learning experience, while under quarantine. Over the course of these past few weeks, I found that all I am doing is eating, sleeping, and studying. As a result, I am limited to the number of things I can do. Besides the routine of talking with my parents and teaching from Jimin, I wanted to explore a new way to expand my Korean learning experience. As a result, I decided to try something new, and that has been cooking. In the last biweekly journal, I mentioned that I would be challenging myself by studying and cooking traditional Korean cuisine and talk about my experience.
Traditional Korean food consists of rice, soup, and many side dishes. If you have ever visited a Korean restaurant, it is common to be given many side dishes along with the main dish you order. Though I do not know when this cultural tradition started, it is evident that this is now an integral part of the culture. As a result, I grew up eating this way, and I even eat like this to this day. So, for my challenge, I wanted to replicate a traditional meal that Koreans would eat. In other words, I wanted to help my mom make food/ have her watch over me and give me pointers as I try to cook for my family.
My mom is the person who primarily makes food for our family. She cooks very well and is very knowledgeable about how to make a variety of Korean dishes. So, I asked her to help me make a Korean staple dish called dwenjang jjigae. Dwenjang is a type of bean paste that has a very distinct flavor that is like miso in Japanese cuisine. This stew is one of the most common staples of Korean cuisine and is loved by most Koreans. This is a simple dish and a perfect and easy way to get started.
In order to prepare, I looked online for different recipes and YouTube videos that showed how this stew was made. I also asked my mom to help me. The recipe consists of the bean paste, water, onion, tofu, and potatoes. From the different recipes I looked up, I realize that there is a different variation with a ton of different ingredients, but the ones I listed were the ingredients that all of them agreed on. Once I figured out the recipe and gathered all my ingredients, I was ready to cook. I chopped up the vegetables and tofu and measured out the bean paste that I was going to use. In a bowl, I brought the water to a boil and then diluted the bean paste into the water. I tasted it to make sure that I added enough bean paste. Once the flavor was adjusted to my taste, I added the tofu, potatoes, and onions and allowed the mixture to boil for a couple of minutes. Once the potatoes were cooked, I knew the stew was done and I served it with rice to my family. I was happy with the product. I enjoyed my experience cooking, so this will definitely be something that I will continue to practice and do in the future.
Comments