My Red-hot Addiction

When I was 6 years old, Papa put some crushed red chili on my soy sauce and vinegar mixture while I was eating my favorite fish. I threw tantrums at him because it's too spicy and he ruined my appetite. He made me quiet by saying, "You couldn't go to Heaven if you couldn't eat spicy foods"! Being a gullible little girl, I believed in his words and started adding peppers to my favorite dishes. My taste buds were able to tolerate it in the hopes of having a surefire way of going to Heaven! As I got older, I realized that Papa tricked me but it was too late to whine about that because I had already developed a penchant for spicy dishes!

As the years went by, my favorite local snacks with pictures of hot pepper were becoming almost tasteless. My dosage for this addiction was increasing! Were my cranial nerves becoming numb? What went wrong?

After my first Korean dining experience, I came to a conclusion that nothing was wrong with me and that my cranial nerves just need a good "kick" from spicier foods! I had immediately become a fan of Korean dishes. As I learned more about them, I was astonished that red pepper was introduced in Korea during the 16th Century due to the Age of Exploration. Although I've tasted non-spicy Korean foods, it's hard to imagine what it would be like if that historical moment never happened!

If it never happened, there would be no gochujang, a condiment that's bright red and sticky made from starch, powdered fermented soybeans, red chili powder, salt, & water. It goes well, not just with Korean dishes, but with Filipino dishes too. A tablespoon of gochujang mixed with a cup of steamed rice can make leftover viands seem like an exotic meal. It's a bit pricey for an ordinary worker like me but it's a red-hot addiction worth splurging for!

My Tangy Addiction

During my first dining experience at a Korean restaurant I was puzzled why they serve Japanese sushi named kimbap. I told my Korean student about it. He informed me that it's quite different from Japanese sushi and is originally Korean. How could I tell the difference between both foreign dishes? I assumed that they probably taste alike. At that time, the only Japanese foods I've eaten were ramen and sashimi!

After eating futomaki at a Japanese buffet in Emilion Restaurant, I've finally gotten the distinction between it and its Korean cousin. Both use sticky white rice but the other ingredients are entirely different. You don't need condiments to enhance the flavor of kimbap since it contains sesame oil and tangy vegetables and/or meat. There's no need to use chopsticks if you bring it on a picnic or have a quick fix when you're hungry! On the other hand, futomaki is usually served with soy sauce or wasabi since it contains raw fish.

I like both dishes but I like kimbap better because it's more convenient to prepare and eat. Most of my Korean students prefer to bring dozens of kimbap rolls while traveling. As for me, I have to hone my wrapping skills for preparing my tangy addiction! Oh! I mustn't do the same mistake of using ordinary local rice for it...

My Pungent Addiction

Back in 1999, I was a 15 year old high school kid struggling with tough subjects like Trigonometry and Calculus. Mama told me to visit our Korean neighbors to solve my numerical burdens. All I have to do is spend a few hours with them talking in English in exchange for my free Math lessons!

When I entered their home, their was a very strong and pungent smell. It doesn't smell like anything my sensitive nose has encountered! After an hour or two of equations and conversations in broken English, I felt the need to escape! The scent from the kitchen was so strong that my olfactory nerves were becoming numb! At the end of the day, I decided not to have free Math lessons anymore!

A few months later, my Korean neighbors went back to their own country. I cherished the Morning Glory notebooks and the powdered Vitamin C they gave me but not the scent that reeked from their kitchen. For several years, I had a hidden disgust for Korean cuisine due to my nose-wrecking experience!

In December 2005, I applied as an English tutor for Korean students in a language academy near my home. The new applicants and I were trained in a classroom which also served as a dining hall for the students. Our training started at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and the scent of anything that was eaten for lunch clung heavily in the air! As the days went by, flashbacks from my former neighbors' home entered my head due to the familiar scent in the classroom. My Filipina boss told me that the students love to eat kimchi, a traditional pickled Korean dish, on a daily basis. She also added that she found it tasty and appetizing. After I got home, I surfed the Internet for some information about kimchi. I was amazed at the fact that the magazine Health has included it in its list of the "World's Healthiest Foods"! I guess that's the reason why my students regard it as a staple food along with rice.

The scent of the classroom/lunch room was becoming more appetizing. I felt ashamed that I was too narrow-minded about Korean dishes when I was a teenager! I wanted to try kimchi at that time yet I was too timid to ask my students for some. I also didn't know that it was sold, not only in Korean restaurants here, but also in some local grocery stores. It wasn't until in April 2006 that I had my first taste of that coveted dish. One of my students invited me and their other tutors for a dinner at Kim's Bab Restaurant. They ordered bibimbab, a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sauteed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste) & kimbap, made from steamed white rice (bap) and various other ingredients, and rolled in gim (sheets of dried seaweed. Kimchi was one of the appetizers. It was too spicy yet I almost finished the entire plate! I guess it appealed to my masochistic alter ego... my tongue hurt yet it was very delicious! My students taught me where to buy kimchi and since that day, it has become my pungent addiction.