In the city of Appleton, Wisconsin, there’s a Korean market and a Korean restaurant. Every time I’m around, I give them each a visit (or two), and my family in the area really seem to appreciate the experience. Knowing how much some of them like Korean food, you’d think this would have been Part I for me, just to pique their interest in this series. That it’s Part IV speaks to the depth of the goodness I have found in all of Korea.
So, let’s get to it.
I’m going to boil my love for Korean food down to one thing: “flavor.”
And when I say “flavor,” I mean so much more than “good taste.” It’s the combinations of flavors that often make a single meal into a cornucopia that fits the tastes of every person at the Korean table. The side dishes can be combined in so many ways with so many textures and flavors that any combination can bring a different experience to the food. Wraps and peppers, garlic and kimchi. They all can be added as the eater wishes – or just popped in the mouth as a follow-up. What you layer on one leaf of lettuce (to include the leaves of other plants if you’d like!) can change the flavor each time you go back to the main dish. Dip in some pepper paste, top with shredded cabbage in wasabi; maybe next time add a thin slice of radish and a piece of garlic you’ve toasted on the grill. Or no lettuce. Or maybe lettuce with a sesame leaf. Or just a sesame leaf. Chase it with a piece of kimchi [by the way, I’m describing to you the grilled fresh duck I ate just last night]. The point is, each mouthful can be what you want at that very moment, and most every mouthful can be different. Or the same, should you settle on a flavor combination that you really love.
Koreans love their combinations so much, they name them: 치맥 – chicken and beer. 파막 – p’ajeon (a fried batter and scallion “pancake” that often includes seafood or other ingredients) and makgeolli (a milky-white rice “wine” that I love with Kimchi stew). 삼소 – samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) and soju (maybe you can see a pattern here?). The drink adds to the communal nature of the Korean table. The side dishes are shared, the drink is poured by your friends, and the meat is coming right from the grill without the intermediate stop on a plate. There is a closeness and trust involved, and most people would give it little thought but joy having experienced it (even as far as one can go in these cautious times).
But perhaps the one thing that still amazes me about Korean food is that some people I know love it but can only treat it as an infrequent experience – something they only get to do should an errand take them near a Korean restaurant – but I get to eat it every day.
I can assure you too…it never gets old.
All of the pictures in this post were taken by me within the past two weeks.
Warning: I should not have to warn of the dangers of drinking and driving, but I absolutely will. Always have a plan if you’re going to drink alcohol with your meal.