The spicy, appetizing kimchi

No Korean dining table is complete without a selection of little saucers containing different varieties of kimchi, which is perhaps what patis and suka, or atsara, are to Filipinos. Kimchi is the collection of starters laid on the table, numbering from six to as many as the diner desires. It has an interesting history as gleaned from the Kimchi Field Museum located at the Convention and Exposition complex in Seoul, South Korea. Our recent trip was highlighted by a visit to this place.

There’s an old Korean saying that goes – “A man can live without a wife, but not without kimchi”. This maybe an exaggeration, but truly, a Korean meal is never without this staple.

The museum is a project of the Pulmuone Foundation aimed to uphold and improve traditional food culture. It reveals that the development of this special vegetable concoction dates back to the pre-historic times. The Koreans are a farming people, raising a great variety of vegetables. Even in their own homes, they always have a backyard farm, from where they get their basic ingredients for kimchi – cabbage and red chili. Garlic is also added to the mix, which is then set to ferment. In winter time, they are stored in big pots, packed in straw, and buried under the earth to prevent freezing. Today’s housewives have small refrigerator for this purpose.

Mounds of kimchi are sold in all markets and supermarkets. At the museum, 80 types are displayed. Among them are those done using octopus, shrimps, oysters, daikon radish, and anchovies. After being exposed to this for two weeks, we agree that it does enhance any food served. It is also healthy, as most Korean dishes are. You may find kimchi at Korean groceries here. There’s one in Alabang and another in BF Homes, Parañaque.

Korean beef, which sells at a much higher price than those imported from Australia and the US, is something to marvel at. We envy the quality and tenderness. Even the brisket used for their kalbi (grilled meat) is tenderloin-soft. We wonder now why even the best sirloin in the local market comes out tough when cooked. Could it be the feed given to the cows? As for pork, we were told the best breed comes from Jeju, which sells for US$2.20 per hundred grams.

We went to an elegant dining place located in front of the Jejok train station, 35 minutes from where our hosts live. This is the Law Wang’s Japanese retaurant, which is done in dramatic black with high ceiling and leather-upholstered seats. The buffet (US$26 per person) is sumptuous, although those in our Metro Manila hotels have larger spreads. The sushi bar is fantastic, but we got disappointed with the stewed lamb which was a bit tough. One does not visit Daejeon and miss having their famous fried chicken, served at Hof where the chicken is perfectly fried, served with honey mustard and soy sauce. The wonder is, it was not greasy at all. In Seoul, at the Nam Dae Mun market, which is very popular among Filipinos who have gone to Korea, there is a line of small eateries specializing in pata – not the crispy kind we know, but rather soft-skinned and flavorful. Needless to say, we had bibimbap, bulgogi and kalbi. The trip was indeed quite a food tour. But, inspite of all the food available in Korea, our daughter still requested us to bring Mama Sita mixes, Chinese chorizo of Kwong Bee from Cebu, and Knorr seasonings. Even our grandson, now in UK boarding school, misses our adobo. 

It is the Year of the Carabao, a beast of burden. Hopefully, the Filipinos will not be too burdened with woes, public and otherwise. At least LPG now costs P490 a tank. Chicken is still at P118 a kilo. The 1.8 liter Magnolia Nutri Oil is tagged at P224.50. A pack of tuyong salinas is P64.71. Marby pan de sal has gone up to P41.50. We will check the price of seafood in the wet markets compared with those in the supermarkets. Maybe we should all make frequent visits to where they cost less, such as the dampa on Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Araneta Farmer’s market, and Quiapo.

Mea culpa. We failed to thank our Editor and her angels in a recent column. But they deserve more than a “thank you”. Here’s great appreciation for their support and patience, especially when we’d nearly miss deadlines, when phone numbers lacked a last digit, when a word was mis-spelled, etc. It’s great working with you, gals! May 2009 be good to you!

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