What is soju? Simply put, soju is a clear, distilled, rice based drink from Korea that has long been the world’s most popular liquor. It’s the No. 1 selling liquor by volume, and sales have only been growing in recent years. In terms of potency, Jinro classic soju is 20% alcohol and falls somewhere in the middle…
There are so many memorable scenes in the film Parasite, but one that stands out for me was the ramdon scene. Ramdon is the movie’s fictional name given to a popular humble dish in South Korea called chapaguri – a mashup of two different instant Korean noodles, Chapagetti and Neoguri. The scene underscores the casual…
So you’ve been going steady with your Korean partner and it’s finally time to meet his or her family over a Korean dinner. You’re nervous because you want to make a good impression and show them that you care about Korean culture. You’ve been practicing your chopstick skills all week but you wonder what else…
What is japchae? No Korean feast is complete without this colorful glass noodle dish made up of a beautiful medley of vegetables and meat. Luckily, a delicious japchae recipe is easier to make than people might think. This festive dish might seem intimidating to make at home but it’s important to remember that it’s basically…
You may have heard of Korean turtle ships but have you heard of Korean turtle chips? If not, you are missing out! Koreans take snacking very seriously and the competition is fierce for ranking high among the best Korean snacks. There’s no limit to how creative they get in terms of variety of flavors and…
What is Korean Fried Chicken? Many decades ago, Koreans came up with a uniquely addictive variety of fried chicken that people just can’t seem to get enough of. With a super crispy crust and a deliciously sweet savory spicy sauce, Korean Fried Chicken is affectionately known as the other KFC. Perhaps the most famous Korean…
What We Eat During a Pandemic Ever wonder what other people are eating for dinner these days? We asked Korean Americans across the country to photograph a week’s worth of dinners and the responses have us totally inspired. As suspected, there are lots of people eating way better than we are, but mostly it appears…
Forget Sourdough, Let’s Make Kimchi! by Susan L. Shin As we all adjusted to the new lifestyles mandated by the pandemic, there seemed to be a massive sourdough bake-off across the country. If you’re one of the many who couldn’t get your hands on flour or yeast, why not make kimchi instead! Kimchi always seemed…
One of my husband’s favorite dishes is Korean spinach soup with doenjang and clams. My mother-in-law made this dish regularly when my husband was growing up, and it always reminds him of simpler days back in Jersey. With high quality fresh clams sometimes hard to find, I wondered if canned clams might substitute. Turns out…
Surviving a pandemic means a lot of home cooked meals. Four months into lockdown and with restaurants starting to open up, I realized that cooking three meals a day, every day actually hasn’t been much of a burden at all. When I thought about why this might be, it came down to a handful of…