Land of the Morning Calm

And Steaming Hot Nights



The entire journey to Korea was plagued by one thought... food. Just what was I getting myself into? How good could Korean food actually be? Or was this going to be a big disappointment after all?

I was wonderfully surprised by what I found in Korea. All the thoughts of what was awaiting me could have never compared to what I found. The people were far more wonderful than anybody could have ever described to me. Their food was just the icing on the cake.

The first thing you are struck by upon arriving in Korea is just how polite the people are. Even in simply handing something to you they show a level of respect not seen here at home, and all just by the manner in which they do it. Holding a piece of won with both hands or placing one hand on the arm that extends the money just shows how kind they were to a visitor to their home... their city... their country. It shocked me at first I have to admit.

I have a habit of nodding when I say hello, many of the Koreans I met had a similar response by nearly bowing when they said hello. I also have a habit of saying thank-you a little more often than many fellow Americans I know. Koreans seemed to have the same habit as I noticed by the ever present "kamsahamnida".

But anyhow...

The food was amazing to me. It was simple, fulfilling, and surprisingly complex in flavor. Yaku Mandu was all those three things in one amazing dumpling. Each vendor and restaurant had their own take on mandu. Some had meat while others were purely vegetarian, some had heat while others were sweet, and some were simply filled with the ever present kimche.

I found one particular vendor who made these mandu so perfectly that I went back time and time again. She made her own soy sauce that she loaded in a spray bottle so as to coat each mandu while they were steaming hot. And all this was prepared right there on the road every night.

But that was far from the only way you could find mandu.

Jjinmandu or steamed mandu was another favorite of mine while hopping in and out of one restaurant to the next. It reminded me a lot of the Chinese dumplings I have had. Yet the Koreans mandu had such variety and so many complex flavors. It was wonderfully unique and new to me.

I came across kimche stuffed mandu, beef mandu, chicken mandu, hot pepper mandu, vegetarian mandu, and though I didn't eat it... pork mandu. Yet despite all the different types I had... there just isn't one type of mandu I could call my favorite. Instead I turned into a mandu fanatic. I just couldn't get enough.

So in the end my questions were answered (as far as food was concerned). The land of the morning clam was far from a mistake for me. It was a place of amazement for me. A place that once you have been you will forever wish you could go back. A place where food is as much a part of the culture as that haunting phrase "kamsahamnida".