Hey! Time keeps going by quickly. It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of November. I have a lengthy post below but first I wanted to let everyone know that tomorrow is Moon's Lunar birthday so do wish her a happy b-day! Her mom and I will be cooking seaweed soup and various other dishes in the morning and having a gathering with her brother later in the day. It should be good fun. Question - What is Joon's lunar birthdate? I'll get back to you on that....
With thanksgiving a distant memory over here I thought that it was time to write a blog about the food. I have certainly gone through many phases as my taste buds and body adapt to the new diet and foods I encounter. Some days I find myself only thinking about what I miss from home and other days I feel lucky to have such an awesome selection of Korean food everywhere I turn. Every day brings a new dish that I have never heard of or seen before.
Certainly, local food is a great benefit of island living. Most fruits and vegetables that are local are cheaper than anything from the mainland. There is nothing I like better than buying potatoes covered in black dirt or eggplant and broccoli picked the day before. We have radishes growing in our yard right now and squash seems to grow almost by accident. Huge pumpkins just appear in the yard.
A daily diet consists of either eggs or cornflakes w/raisins(my new comfort food) for breakfast. Lunch is usually leftover soup from dinner and a Korean soup or fish for dinner. I have found bread that looks and tastes like wheat bread but there is no guarantee that it is not just food coloring added to make it look brown. Peanut butter costs a fortune but I have determined that nothing tastes like home like a pb&j. Also there is Classico pasta sauce. I used to compare pasta sauces for sodium content etc.. Now Iam just grateful for the real deal. I am impressed by the availability of olive oil and grapeseed oil. I did not expect to find those in such great quantity. And then there is my junk food fixes. The day I found popcorn kernels imported from indiana was a good day. Choco pies (essentially moon pies) are good for a chocolate craving in a pinch. Better are the chocolate digestive biscuits (a close second for ginger snaps) with milk and the two weirdest new habits are instant coffee and ice cream cones (no breyers here - it really hurts). I have taken up making our yogurt and using the rice cooker to make bread like creations (banana bread round cakes?). I do like to experiment.
One of my favorite food features is how cheap it is to eat out. Tons of restuaraunts full of awesome foods. Take out is my favorite. You can order JJam BBong ot jajamyun and the scooter delivers it to your door in real dishes. When you are done eating you place the dishes outside the door and they come back to pick them up. No tip! Ican't figure out how they make money sometimes.
I think what I miss the most is cheese. It is a bout 6 bucks for a pack of what looks like individually wrapped american slices. I get the impression that all things are available somewhere in Korea but the price is high if you want it. I also miss something as simple and plain as oatmeal. We have been experimenting with different grains to develop a warm morning comfort food. Finally the lack of oven. I miss baking in general. There are some things that I could create or adapt if I only had an oven. It is not a common feature in houses and this house is no exception. I have fou nd all the ingredients to make a loaf but I will have to wait until I meet someone with an oven or make the investment in a bread machine. (maybe when Iam drawing a bona fide paycheck). Moon was surprised to find herself missing some foods that she was not particularly impressed with when she arrived in the US. I suspect I will experience the same phenomenon when I return to the US. I wonder what Joon will like the most. For now he has taken to rice, fish and tofu. Not a bad diet.
Okay, long enough? all these thoughts have been in my head for a while. Good to get them down in writing. We will see how my tastes/cravings evolve.
I am going to post a couple of links of sights that I found interesting. The first is just a local newsletter for expats on the island called
Jeju life
The second site is a blog written by someone with actual writing skills that I found pretty entertaining so check it out. I am linking to a particularly funny writing about the signs that advertise food but definitely go back to the main page. I like his take on things.
World Famous in Korea
Have fun and Party on! Joel, Moon, and Joel
