"Does Korean broth actually ever contain milk - cow's milk or goat's milk?"
Milk or dairy product has not been a part of the repertoire in traditional Korean kitchen. Goats were frequently raised as livestock but their milk was not used in cooking. In Korean households, soy milk or soy products usually took the role of daily protein supply, much as western & other dairy farming nations used milk & milk-related items. Cows & Oxen were predominantly used as beasts of burden, tilling soil, transporting goods, & turning grain mills. Bovines were often considered, & treated like a family member. They were also regarded as one of the top-ranking family assets, following the land, & the house. For this reason, cows were often kept for many years, and when the time eventually comes , it was slaughtered & was shared with the entire village. Hence, somewhat poor quality of tough meat & ensuing cooking methods of extended cooking-time or extensive meat-tenderizing. Due to this close relationship with the bovine & in reverence to the animal, almost all the parts of the cow were used, nothing much was wasted. The skin was often sold to tannery, & the hooves were used to make glue. Beef was a very rare treat, indeed, in traditional Korean kitchens. Annual consumption of beef coincided for the most part with major celebrations such as weddings, 60th birthdays (5th full cycle of birth year Zodiac), at times for funerals. Incidentally, bovine heads were also used in Korea, as in many other cultures. The bovine head was used to make headcheese. For this reason, one can still find severed cow head in traditional markets, neatly arranged in rows of blank stares. Head cheese is made by boiling the head for an extended period of time on high heat, dislodging all the edible parts from the skull & facial bones. This cooking process also releases collagen from skin, bone, cartilage. This collagen is what gives the name cheese in the solidified finished product. Collagen released in this manner is much like Jell-O, a commercial gelatin product. In fact, gelatin sheets were frequently made from cow parts in the past. After boiling the head for an extended period of time with choice of seasonings, the meat & cartilage falls off the bone. Bones are, then, removed from the boiling liquid. Then, the remaining meet, cartilage, & skin were poured into a mold lined with cheese cloth. When the mixture slowly chills, it becomes head cheese. Just like Jell-O with fruit bits, minus the color, & minus the meat. Slices were made with warmed, wetted, sharp knife to serve the anxiously awaiting hungry mouths. Certainly, for wealthier class of people, land-owners, aristocrats, the royal households, & the likes, beef was more frequently afforded & enjoyed. The scenario discussed above is more likely from perspective of the general populace and the working class.
Today's Korean kitchen is much more diverse. Korea has opened its agricultural market to a variety of foreign dairy products. Korea also has a thriving dairy industry that has been growing since the end of the Korean war. People's tastes also have changed. Dairy products are often found even in the remotest of villages. Korean-produced cheeses were limited to cheddar type of packaged slice cheeses until recent years. Currently Korean dairy producers are producing much large array of products; various types of milk, ice cream, cream, yogurts, and multiple types of cheeses. Most commonly consumed imported cheeses mozzarella, Parmesan, & feta, at this time. Koreans have been traveling extensively in recent years. With increased foreign travels, many Koreans get to taste a large variety of dairy products. This fact, coupled with exploding restaurant market will bring more & more diversity in the dairy aisle in the future. There certainly is an overwhelming amount of interest, curiosity or even obsession in the panopoly of dairy possibilities.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Kimchi & salt 김치와 소금
"Are the pickling methods healthful? I wonder whether the salt content has to be high. People with hypertension have to be careful."
Thank you for your question. Pickling method in most traditional cuisines was developed due to necessity to preserve food in the lack of modern refrigeration. The most prominent element in pickling is salt, followed by vinegar, sugar, & other spices. Kimchi is a hybrid of the mainline pickling method as it utilizes traditional salt pickling in conjunction with the natural process of fermentation. It is in a way, like ranching. That is asin "ranching of the normal flora". Salt controls & corrals the natural fermentation process by selectively promoting certain beneficial micro organisms while preventing development pathological ones that cause spoilage or rotting of produce. Similar method is also employed in other traditional kitchens such as in German sour kraut making. Without managing micro-organisms, a jar of bokchoi cabbage or German cabbage will end up in primordial soup of rotten vegetation, unfit for human consumption. Humanity has developed various method of controlled fermentation for millennia. Kimchi is one of those collective human culinary achievements.
While it is true that the traditional kimchi recipes require a generous amount of salt, there are many variations in kimchi recipes. Even in the same household, kimchi differs depending on the seasonal vegetable availability, seasonal temperature, atmospheric moisture content, & more importantely projected lenghth of storage. As you can see, kimchi recipes have always been dynamic & ever so adaptive to external requirements. Traditionally, housewives learned from their mothers how to make kimch to fit the immediate need of the environment. These recipes have been accumulated, modified through hundreds of years. Let us also remember that the original forms of kimchis were meant to be a slightly salty condiment to big bowl of bland rice, not a western style stand-alone salad or an entree. It had a different function.
Let us now look at some common salt variations in kimchi. Guht-jeol-yi is almost like western salad. It has the lowest amount of salt, in general. It is intended to use fresh in-season vegetables that are full of their unique flavors. The main vegetable ingredient is quickly wilted with minimal amount of salt, then seasoned with spicy dressing that usually includes cayenne pepper, garlic, green onion, ginger, toasted sesame sead or oil. Optionally, Guht-jeol-yi can be made with a dash of fish essense in place of salt, giving it a rich flavor of fermented protein. Certainly there are seasonal variations & regional adaptations.
Second type is regular kimch for everyday use with perhaps intermediate amount of salt. This type is intended to be consumed within two to four weeks. Then, there are longer term kimchis that are intended to last over winter months without refrigeration; late october to march. These are more generously salted. The source of sodium is mostly from natural sea salt. Since many recipes call for a seafood essence, a secondary source of additional sodium can be from these salty fermented seafood essences called "jeot-khal" ( akin to fish sauce frequently used in south eastern Asian kitchens). A much smaller & minor additional source is from MSG. Most Korean cooks are leary about MSG & there have been active debates regarding the use of it. Current trend is more of natural methods of cooking, independant from artificial chemicals. However, one can still discover trace amount of MSG in some commercially prepared, & marketed kimchis. Please refer to the label on the jar of kimchi you purchase.
In the last decade the Konglish(Korean English) term "well being"(wellness) has been over used & abused by the Korean media. The popularity & naturalization of the term into daily lives of Korean people shows the general sentiment & commitment of the public when it comes to health issues. After all, it is the Korean people themselves who will be affected the most as they consume the most amount of kimchi. Salt issue is on the minds of Korean people. MSG is more rapidly losing its place in most health-oriented kitchens in Korea.
An interesting factoid; In Korean culinary calendar kimchi making is one of the most prominent nation-wide event. Firms used to give special bonuses to help families in preparing several huge jars of kimchi for the winter. With the advent of modern refrigeration& also with the establishment of modern grocery chains, the kimchi event is not as prominent as in the past. The tradition does continue, though. In spite of the availability & convenience of kimchi shopping in grocery aisles, most Korean families still partake in "Kim-jang"(kimchi-making) season.
Kimchi has, long, been evolving, as you can see, & it will continue to do so to fit the needs of the consumer. On average, today's kimchis are made with far less salt than in the past. Many families also make special effort to make sure the delectable mainstay of Korean cuisine doesn't cause an adverse effect in later years by modernizing their recipes. Certainly, Kimchi can be made with a minimal amount of salt. Kimchi is healthy & beneficial, overall, and it has exciting explosive flavors. It's delicious, try it. You may like it.
Thank you for your question. Pickling method in most traditional cuisines was developed due to necessity to preserve food in the lack of modern refrigeration. The most prominent element in pickling is salt, followed by vinegar, sugar, & other spices. Kimchi is a hybrid of the mainline pickling method as it utilizes traditional salt pickling in conjunction with the natural process of fermentation. It is in a way, like ranching. That is asin "ranching of the normal flora". Salt controls & corrals the natural fermentation process by selectively promoting certain beneficial micro organisms while preventing development pathological ones that cause spoilage or rotting of produce. Similar method is also employed in other traditional kitchens such as in German sour kraut making. Without managing micro-organisms, a jar of bokchoi cabbage or German cabbage will end up in primordial soup of rotten vegetation, unfit for human consumption. Humanity has developed various method of controlled fermentation for millennia. Kimchi is one of those collective human culinary achievements.
While it is true that the traditional kimchi recipes require a generous amount of salt, there are many variations in kimchi recipes. Even in the same household, kimchi differs depending on the seasonal vegetable availability, seasonal temperature, atmospheric moisture content, & more importantely projected lenghth of storage. As you can see, kimchi recipes have always been dynamic & ever so adaptive to external requirements. Traditionally, housewives learned from their mothers how to make kimch to fit the immediate need of the environment. These recipes have been accumulated, modified through hundreds of years. Let us also remember that the original forms of kimchis were meant to be a slightly salty condiment to big bowl of bland rice, not a western style stand-alone salad or an entree. It had a different function.
Let us now look at some common salt variations in kimchi. Guht-jeol-yi is almost like western salad. It has the lowest amount of salt, in general. It is intended to use fresh in-season vegetables that are full of their unique flavors. The main vegetable ingredient is quickly wilted with minimal amount of salt, then seasoned with spicy dressing that usually includes cayenne pepper, garlic, green onion, ginger, toasted sesame sead or oil. Optionally, Guht-jeol-yi can be made with a dash of fish essense in place of salt, giving it a rich flavor of fermented protein. Certainly there are seasonal variations & regional adaptations.
Second type is regular kimch for everyday use with perhaps intermediate amount of salt. This type is intended to be consumed within two to four weeks. Then, there are longer term kimchis that are intended to last over winter months without refrigeration; late october to march. These are more generously salted. The source of sodium is mostly from natural sea salt. Since many recipes call for a seafood essence, a secondary source of additional sodium can be from these salty fermented seafood essences called "jeot-khal" ( akin to fish sauce frequently used in south eastern Asian kitchens). A much smaller & minor additional source is from MSG. Most Korean cooks are leary about MSG & there have been active debates regarding the use of it. Current trend is more of natural methods of cooking, independant from artificial chemicals. However, one can still discover trace amount of MSG in some commercially prepared, & marketed kimchis. Please refer to the label on the jar of kimchi you purchase.
In the last decade the Konglish(Korean English) term "well being"(wellness) has been over used & abused by the Korean media. The popularity & naturalization of the term into daily lives of Korean people shows the general sentiment & commitment of the public when it comes to health issues. After all, it is the Korean people themselves who will be affected the most as they consume the most amount of kimchi. Salt issue is on the minds of Korean people. MSG is more rapidly losing its place in most health-oriented kitchens in Korea.
An interesting factoid; In Korean culinary calendar kimchi making is one of the most prominent nation-wide event. Firms used to give special bonuses to help families in preparing several huge jars of kimchi for the winter. With the advent of modern refrigeration& also with the establishment of modern grocery chains, the kimchi event is not as prominent as in the past. The tradition does continue, though. In spite of the availability & convenience of kimchi shopping in grocery aisles, most Korean families still partake in "Kim-jang"(kimchi-making) season.
Kimchi has, long, been evolving, as you can see, & it will continue to do so to fit the needs of the consumer. On average, today's kimchis are made with far less salt than in the past. Many families also make special effort to make sure the delectable mainstay of Korean cuisine doesn't cause an adverse effect in later years by modernizing their recipes. Certainly, Kimchi can be made with a minimal amount of salt. Kimchi is healthy & beneficial, overall, and it has exciting explosive flavors. It's delicious, try it. You may like it.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Fish eyes: 어안
"I consider myself an adventurous eater, but eating fish eyes has been just a step beyond what I am willing to try. I don't mind at all having the head with eyes served with the fish and I agree that the cheek meat is the best part of the fish. I just haven't been able to take the leap to eating the eyes. Do the eyes actually have an enjoyable flavor and texture, or are they primarily consumed to not be wasteful?"
Thank you for your question. Yes, it is mostly to consume every part of the fish. This means any fish large enough to have the eyes separated from the sockets. It is not a common occurrence, unless you order cod-head "tsim" or "dae-goo-muh-ri-tsim". Eyes do not have a pleasant taste, nor texture. The ones from mackerel or tuna turn hard with cooking, akin to hard cartilage. There was also an issue of bragging rights among children or siblings. Today's Korean children may even cringe at the thought. I can't think of any culinary tradition where eyes are considered a delicacy, but then again I have not yet encountered all the cuisines. As for small fish items such as anchovies, it is counter-productive to separate eyes from these microscopic fish. Therefore, most small to medium dry anchovies are sold and used as whole fish. So, are small fresh fish as in deep-frying. These crunch tempura-battered small fish are eaten whole as in most other cultures. In recent years with more discerning cooks, and consumers, large anchovies are more frequently used with its heads off & gutted. Many claim that the head & innards impart a bitter taste when one prepares anchovy broth. These trimmed anchovies are also used in spicy "myul-chi-tsim"
Thank you for your question. Yes, it is mostly to consume every part of the fish. This means any fish large enough to have the eyes separated from the sockets. It is not a common occurrence, unless you order cod-head "tsim" or "dae-goo-muh-ri-tsim". Eyes do not have a pleasant taste, nor texture. The ones from mackerel or tuna turn hard with cooking, akin to hard cartilage. There was also an issue of bragging rights among children or siblings. Today's Korean children may even cringe at the thought. I can't think of any culinary tradition where eyes are considered a delicacy, but then again I have not yet encountered all the cuisines. As for small fish items such as anchovies, it is counter-productive to separate eyes from these microscopic fish. Therefore, most small to medium dry anchovies are sold and used as whole fish. So, are small fresh fish as in deep-frying. These crunch tempura-battered small fish are eaten whole as in most other cultures. In recent years with more discerning cooks, and consumers, large anchovies are more frequently used with its heads off & gutted. Many claim that the head & innards impart a bitter taste when one prepares anchovy broth. These trimmed anchovies are also used in spicy "myul-chi-tsim"
산채 "Can you eat that? Can you eat that one too?"
Can you eat that? Can you eat that one too?
Korean cooking utilizes a large variety of wild vegetables. I always had an undeniable attraction to wid edibles. I have spend my early years, growing up surrounded by nature & its bounty. As soon as I could walk my sisters and brothers took me along on their wild mushroom hunting, wild vegetable picking, snail gathering, fishing, & occasionally bird trapping. It was always a fun activity, as we didn't own a television; for that matter, none of the toys, either. I learned early on what's edible, & what's not; not too different from what humanity has done for millennia. As I proceeded with my academic work in later years, I could even call them out by their fancy scientific names. I always had one too many questions to my good-hearted botany professor, Dr Schultz. My botany professor even let me give a lecture on edible plants. I spent hours in the wood near the campus, looking at plants, gathering wild edibles, & hunting for delicate morels. In rare occasions, if I found a willing friend to come along, I would always end up overdoing things by overwhelming the uninnitiated with too much details. Invariably, these friends would end up flustered with information overload or if not by my intense enthusiasm. I know when I reached this point by their responses. "Do you eat that one? How about that one? ", they would mechanically ask. Often, they are not looking at the plant, nor even pointing at an actual plant.
There are literally millions of wild plants that are edible. Humans in all different parts of the globe have identified what to eat on daily basis since the dawn of time. However, not every edible plant is palatable.There are even less in the category of wild plants that are actively sought after. These rarified plants are endowed with wonderful flavors, scent, & texture. The hunter-gatherer instint never seems to have left the Korean kitchen. Go to a Korean market, grocery store, or even road-side stand, you will find cornucopia of vegetables that you may not have even imagined.
Now, back to the question. Do I eat "this", or "that other plant" on the side of the road. Well, "yes" & "no". Yes, being me, I would prepare it lovingly, & eat it, provided that it is not poisonous. Now, whether you would eat it is whole different matter, all together. You see, eating is not always about feeding to sustain life. We want flavor, texture, nutrition, ambience, color, scent, or even odor in some cases (durian comes to mind). We want all of that. In other words, to establish itself as a staple food item, a plant has to have all these elements or, minimum, most of these elements.
I have great news, Koreans over generations have tried out all the aforementioned elements & established what is acceptable for food. In Korea, many scientists are also involved in research of wild vegetables. Some of the plants are established not only as food but also as medicine. This is one of the reasons why the line between Korean food & medicinal plant pharmacopeia is often blurred in Korean cooking. In many modernized nations, these vegetable traditions are lost in the name of modernization, agricultural efficiency, corporate farming. Thankfully, though, in recent years, small groups of people in many countries are reviving or rediscovering this long lost tradition.
Korean wild vegetables are consumed in two major ways. They are often eaten, in season, fresh, or they are made into a dried form for preservation.
I will focus on the dried form as fresh form is more common way of preparing vegetables in most countries. This form is somewhat unique to Korea. When wild vegetables are in season, they are hunted & gathered, then these aromatic vegetables are quickly blanched in boiling water. They are, then, sun dried in well ventilated part of the house. When they are bone-dry, they are compacted tightly by hands into a ball. Tying of these adult fist-sized compacted vegetables is a sort of folk art. The more compact, the more generous the vender, as you will get more per bunch. These are traditionally sold in bunchs, not per kilos. In this form, the vegetables can last many months, even years. They are usually consumed during the winter month when vegetables become scarce. Along with kimch, these dried vegetables provided a wide array of nutritional options during harsh winter months. This dried form is named "San-Chae". This form is frequently found hanging like three diminutional mobiles in traditional homes. One can also encounter the same in most Budhist temple kitchens. The Korean form of budhism requires vegetarianism. One thing about dried vegetables is that the flavors are somewhat unique. It has the initial humble earthy taste, but then it leeds you to its unpretentious delicate depths.
In modern Korea, wild vegetables are going strong, aided by ubiquitous appearance on health columns, or in TV programs. They are often touted as healthy, medicinal food, or miracle cure.
One can easily find specialty "San-Chae" restaurants in Korea. One an also discover some of these wild vegetable delicacies as toppings for Bi-bim-bob. Look for the word "San-chae" on the "Bi-bim-bob" section of the menu. Outside Korea the most common offering in wild vegetable category are fern shoots, aster leaves, & balloon flower roots(this one,mostly farm grown).
"Sure, you can eat the grass, and even the tree bark" but "why would you?" "You definately have a better taste than that. Get out there, see what plants have been there along right under your nose on your back yard or strol down the Korean grocery aisles.
Go ahead, try it! you may like it!
Korean cooking utilizes a large variety of wild vegetables. I always had an undeniable attraction to wid edibles. I have spend my early years, growing up surrounded by nature & its bounty. As soon as I could walk my sisters and brothers took me along on their wild mushroom hunting, wild vegetable picking, snail gathering, fishing, & occasionally bird trapping. It was always a fun activity, as we didn't own a television; for that matter, none of the toys, either. I learned early on what's edible, & what's not; not too different from what humanity has done for millennia. As I proceeded with my academic work in later years, I could even call them out by their fancy scientific names. I always had one too many questions to my good-hearted botany professor, Dr Schultz. My botany professor even let me give a lecture on edible plants. I spent hours in the wood near the campus, looking at plants, gathering wild edibles, & hunting for delicate morels. In rare occasions, if I found a willing friend to come along, I would always end up overdoing things by overwhelming the uninnitiated with too much details. Invariably, these friends would end up flustered with information overload or if not by my intense enthusiasm. I know when I reached this point by their responses. "Do you eat that one? How about that one? ", they would mechanically ask. Often, they are not looking at the plant, nor even pointing at an actual plant.
There are literally millions of wild plants that are edible. Humans in all different parts of the globe have identified what to eat on daily basis since the dawn of time. However, not every edible plant is palatable.There are even less in the category of wild plants that are actively sought after. These rarified plants are endowed with wonderful flavors, scent, & texture. The hunter-gatherer instint never seems to have left the Korean kitchen. Go to a Korean market, grocery store, or even road-side stand, you will find cornucopia of vegetables that you may not have even imagined.
Now, back to the question. Do I eat "this", or "that other plant" on the side of the road. Well, "yes" & "no". Yes, being me, I would prepare it lovingly, & eat it, provided that it is not poisonous. Now, whether you would eat it is whole different matter, all together. You see, eating is not always about feeding to sustain life. We want flavor, texture, nutrition, ambience, color, scent, or even odor in some cases (durian comes to mind). We want all of that. In other words, to establish itself as a staple food item, a plant has to have all these elements or, minimum, most of these elements.
I have great news, Koreans over generations have tried out all the aforementioned elements & established what is acceptable for food. In Korea, many scientists are also involved in research of wild vegetables. Some of the plants are established not only as food but also as medicine. This is one of the reasons why the line between Korean food & medicinal plant pharmacopeia is often blurred in Korean cooking. In many modernized nations, these vegetable traditions are lost in the name of modernization, agricultural efficiency, corporate farming. Thankfully, though, in recent years, small groups of people in many countries are reviving or rediscovering this long lost tradition.
Korean wild vegetables are consumed in two major ways. They are often eaten, in season, fresh, or they are made into a dried form for preservation.
I will focus on the dried form as fresh form is more common way of preparing vegetables in most countries. This form is somewhat unique to Korea. When wild vegetables are in season, they are hunted & gathered, then these aromatic vegetables are quickly blanched in boiling water. They are, then, sun dried in well ventilated part of the house. When they are bone-dry, they are compacted tightly by hands into a ball. Tying of these adult fist-sized compacted vegetables is a sort of folk art. The more compact, the more generous the vender, as you will get more per bunch. These are traditionally sold in bunchs, not per kilos. In this form, the vegetables can last many months, even years. They are usually consumed during the winter month when vegetables become scarce. Along with kimch, these dried vegetables provided a wide array of nutritional options during harsh winter months. This dried form is named "San-Chae". This form is frequently found hanging like three diminutional mobiles in traditional homes. One can also encounter the same in most Budhist temple kitchens. The Korean form of budhism requires vegetarianism. One thing about dried vegetables is that the flavors are somewhat unique. It has the initial humble earthy taste, but then it leeds you to its unpretentious delicate depths.
In modern Korea, wild vegetables are going strong, aided by ubiquitous appearance on health columns, or in TV programs. They are often touted as healthy, medicinal food, or miracle cure.
One can easily find specialty "San-Chae" restaurants in Korea. One an also discover some of these wild vegetable delicacies as toppings for Bi-bim-bob. Look for the word "San-chae" on the "Bi-bim-bob" section of the menu. Outside Korea the most common offering in wild vegetable category are fern shoots, aster leaves, & balloon flower roots(this one,mostly farm grown).
"Sure, you can eat the grass, and even the tree bark" but "why would you?" "You definately have a better taste than that. Get out there, see what plants have been there along right under your nose on your back yard or strol down the Korean grocery aisles.
Go ahead, try it! you may like it!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Traveling with a knife; 칼을 품고 여행하는 사나이
Anyway, back to the kitchen. Times were different back then, kitchens were women's domain. It simply was not a place for a boy or none of the male members of the family for that matter. On the other hand, many renowned chefs were mostly male in professional kitchens. Also, there was an obvious glass sealing in professional opportunities for female chefs in this setting. It seems as though things have changed quite a lot since then. Today, cooking has become a national pass-time, as well as an obsession in many families. Gender distinction doesn't seem to occur in home kitchens any more. In fact, many young people-both genders seem to romanticize a life as a chef. Might as well, it does come with lucrative rewards for the ones who succeed.
Home kitchens had long been a territory where maternal linage has took deep root. Often were the teases from my brothers regarding my stint as a kitchen helper. My brothers used to say, "If you keep this up, your family treasure will fall off". Thankfully, those days are long gone. There is now equality in professional kitchens as well in home kitchens.
Well, my rude introduction into the kitchen as a child has set me up for a life-long journey into delicious world of food. The skills I had acquired became handy during my college years when I financed my studies partially with catering income. Out of necessity, I had to specialize in small sit down dinners in people's homes. Thank God for those professors, and wealthy doctors. One thing I had to learn quickly as a traveling cook was finding my way around in strangers' kitchen. I did multi-course meals, giving each course exotic names from far-away places. This humble tradition continued, even when I stopped the catering gigs. With new-found freedom after years of studies, I travelled, I ate, & I cooked.
I travel with kitchen knife. Weird, I know. If I am staying over night somewhere, there will be some kind of food prepared by me. All my friends & family members scattered in three continents were routinely subjected to my culinary assaults, experiments, and delights. I thank them for letting me indulge in my culinary inspirations. Like many people who love to cook, I feel the rush when I watch people come together, sitting around the table, opening up to share my food, their emotions, their happiness. I usually sit there & just watch; their smiles, their chatters, their lip smacking, their compliments. We are a family again, as if no time has passed, & as if no distance ever existed. And I think to myself, "this is what it's all about".
My Gracious friends in Northern Germany. Beautiful land, Beautiful food, Beautiful people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)