[Food] Ramen (라면, Korean Style Instant Ramen)

[Food]

[Food] Ramen (라면, Korean Style Instant Ramen)

Maybe I have told you once before (or not :P), I love rainy days. It's always comfortable and cozy to have a hot spicy ramen and a bowl of rice for supper on such a day. Perhaps I could go out and find any fine Chinese restaurant for a bowl of Zzambbong (Spicy noodle soup that is sold in Chinese restaurants in Korea) instead of ramen, but I decided to make an instant ramen.

I slowly walked to my kitchen and looked for any ramen that might be in the cupboard. I love hot and spicy ramen soup. It fills my body with warm energy and you can feel it twice as much when eaten on a cold day...

I worked in the Korean Army for 5 years before becoming a freelancer. Well...being a soldier in Korea makes you hungry (it doesn't mean Korean soldiers are financially poor or deficient, you would understand what I mean if you joined the Korean Army). Whatever the weather (sunny, rainy, snowy, cloudy, day or night) you work in the Army - drills, training, exercise, office work, being on-guard, patrolling...I remember my colleagues and I were always tired and hungry. We understood we had to be on duty to protect and keep the peace of our country from any foreign threats. As a Korean male, we have to do it whether you like it or not, unless you are physically or mentally unhealthy.

Yeah....it snowed 3-4 meters. I was one of the 'snow-cleaners' too. I had never seen that much snow in my life until then.

I remember the heavy snowy winter season while I was in the Army. Korea experienced its heaviest snow on record in 95 years...and I was there, near the border of South and North Korea - the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone). I was a paramedic at the headquarters of one battalion near the DMZ and got one call from a platoon base which was a bit far away from the headquarters. 

Common instant noodle supply for the Korean Army. Any Korean man in the Army loves this cup-noodle, like I do :)

Ring ring....Ring ring....

"Hello, it's medical corps."

"Sir, it's 00 base, sir. We've got an injured soldier during snow removal, sir."

"Okay, tell me what happened, soldier."

"He accidentally hacked his right shin (bone of leg) with a pickax when he was trying to break frozen snow."

"....Oh..my....poor buddy.....how's his condition now? any bleeding and swelling? can he stand up?"

"No blood, but his leg is swelling so fast. He can't stand up by himself sir."
-Aarrgghhhh! Careful, guys!- (I could hear that poor guy was screaming via phone)

"Okay, lay him down on any stretcher and warm him with a blanket. Tell your platoon leader that we will be there as soon as possible."

I reported the patient to my army surgeon and the battalion commander quickly and picked our medical tool box with the medics on my team. But...

"Sir, how do we get there though? All roads in the area are out of access because of the snow," one soldier asked me. 

Hm...I know that it takes like 40 minutes with the military ambulance to the post...then....

"Then we have to walk on foot. Don't we? Take the sleigh-type stretcher? large splint and...."

My boss (army surgeon) snapped. So the four of us had to walk to the post where the patient was. I remember we took off from HQ at 2 pm and it was almost 4pm when we arrived. He was lucky that it was just a simple fracture, otherwise we would have to call for a medevac. It was a long and hard 'walk' on a snowy mountain on a snowy day carrying all the gear for him - a very unique experience if I weren't in the Army (Ahaha...). Anyway, we safely sent him to a military hospital for greater medical attention and had to walk back home....all the way again :(

A ramen with sliced rice cake and dumplings

After that 'journey' rescuing a soldier who accidentally hacked his leg, we were exhausted, but luckily one friendly staff sergeant who worked in the kitchen of the mess hall, cooked hot-spicy special ramen with dumplings, rice cakes, pork and kimchi, particularly for us.

Oh, we were like 'hallelujah praise the Lord' though we didn't practice any religion at all. Even 5 years later now, I can say that was the best ramen I had ever tasted.

Countless variety of Korean-style ramen

Today, I cook the same ramen with the same recipe that the sergeant cooked for us in the mess hall on that day, but I can't make the same ramen that I tasted. It's such a shame. I'm certain that the ramen on that snowy day was as good as the hardship we endured on that day.

It is now raining heavily (fortunately it doesn't heap up like snow does), so I opened the window a little to listen to the raindrops while I enjoy my ramen :) The sound of raindrops will soothe my lonely heart for sure as I reminisce on my Army days.

I just put this image of cup-noodle because it is one of my favorite ramen. LOL.

Bon appétit!

[Food] Gamjatang (감자탕, Pig's backbone soup)

[Food]

[Food] Gamjatang (감자탕, Pig's backbone soup)

It was one hot spring day during my mid-20s in the army. I was being trained and disciplined to become a prospective sergeant. Everyday was a long, hard day.

Some people may already know that every Korean man must join the army after 19 unless exempt on physical or mental grounds. Unfortunately I was a healthy young man with such lousy eyesight that everything looked blurry (and still does now) without my beloved glasses. I joined the army in spite of the fact that I didn't like Korea or its army at all because I just wanted to run away from reality. Oh, well....if you ask how terrible a condition I was in, I....uhm....had to quit my bachelors course due to finances, broke up with my girlfriend who I was supposed to marry within a few months, and was despised in my family because I gave up my overseas study and future.

Wasn't that terrible enough? You might say 'Have some guts, fight for your life!' but I would say 'Shut up, those disasters have almost shredded my mind!'

Consequently, I quickly left my life as a student and member of the Kim family and started life as a recruit in bootcamp - the lowest class in the army. As time went by, I became a private, first-class private, and then I decided to work as a staff sergeant because I believed that was my only way to make money in Korea, staying far from family to whom I didn't want to return.

Korean Army Recruits

Endless PRI (Preliminary Rifle Instruction) drills and training made me gnash my teeth for a few days. Repetitive exercise of...

Hit the deck! Take aim! Shoot!

On your knees! Take aim! Shoot!

Stand up! Take aim! Shoot!

.....with all the battle gears and a 4.3kg rifle, it wasn't an easy thing. Then, after these countless exercises, I was pushed to the shooting range with an exhausted body.

Oh, well, I wasn't very good at shooting rifles and felt like all the targets were mocking me with the words 'You can shoot us.....in your dreams'. If you don't pass rifle shooting training with good marks, you have to go back to the PRI and do everything again. Isn't that great? I can't count how many PRIs I had to do that day.

Anyway, back to my story. It was one hot spring day :( I'm sure all candidates were starving and thirsty. The sweat, dry wind, hot sun, annoying dust and an angry drill sergeant. Ah! Great! 

I remember that lunchtime had come but no one was moving. We all laid on the ground regardless of whether it was full of dust or not. We just wanted to rest. All of a sudden, from afar, someone with our food rations shouted:

"Guys!!! GET UP!! It's Gamjatang today!!"

"It's MEAT! soldiers!!! MEAT!!"

Everyone simultaneously opened their eyes and slowly turned their heads towards the people with food. Their shouting was so powerful and we were slowly rising from the ground like a swarm of zombies.

Meat?! Gamjatang?!

Gamjatang! Meat! Energy!

Without exception, all 'zombies' ran down to the ration box like lightning and 'attacked' Gamjatang. Yes, I was one cruel zombie too. XD

Even now, Gamjatang is one of my favorite foods :)

Chopped pig's backbone

Gamjatang is Korean style pig's backbone soup with potatoes, perilla, sesame leaves, dried oriental cabbage and fermented kimchi - full of protein and carbohydrates. Mild spicy, nutty and salty flavor is very addictive with full-steamed backbone meat, which is very soft and tender. 'Gamja' means potato and 'Tang' means soup in Korean. So it means 'Potato soup' but its main ingredient is, ironically, pig's backbone.

Doenjang (Korean bean paste)

Perilla

Sesame leaf

Oriental Cabbage leaf

Raw Gamjatang

Pig's backbone is a very cheap ingredient. It was left behind after rich and powerful people took all the meats. One man in Incheon had gathered pig's backbone from among the remnants, boiled soup with other cheap ingredients, and sold it to poor people at a cheap price. Later, this soup became 'Gamjatang'. So Incheon has many famous Gamjatang restaurants today, and Gamjatang is now a very common Korean dish.

A 24-hour Gamjatang restaurant

Today, Gamjatang is not really a cheap dish like it was before. However, Gamjatang is certainly a welcoming dish for all Koreans. Like Gukbap, it is a dish Koreans eat when they want to eat meat and get some energy for a sad and monotonous life. To comfort and cheer somebody up :)

I still can't forget the Gamjatang that was cooked in a messy hall. I was hungry, not only for food but also for warmth from my family. I had struggled to overcome the loneliness and despair of my reality and past that had tried to consume me. I clenched my teeth and was resolved to prove to my family that I was no longer a 'loser'. I was determined to prove that I'm a 'winner' in other ways. I don't know why, but Gamjatang's hot and soft taste filled my soul with life every time I ate it.

I think that, maybe today, I'll call my friend who is under pressure like I was. And I will ask him to have Gamjatang for dinner then will say, as I give him a piece of backbone,

"Here's your piece of life. Eat it. Let's wish our lives to be a piece of cake."

Instant Gamjatang noodle

Bon appétit!

[Food] Budae Jjigae (부대찌개, General Infantry Stew / Army Stew)

[Food]

Budae Jjigae

(부대찌개, General Infantry Stew / Army Stew)

Brrrr.....Brrrr......

Incoming call - 0. 1. 0. 4......

"Hello? Jerry speaking"

On one silent evening with pangs of hunger, a phone call interrupted my tranquil time of web-surfing. It was a number that I hadn't seen before, so I hesitated to pick up; but my curiosity got the better of me.

"Hello? Is this Jerry Kim?"

A very friendly voice echoed into my ears, but I had no idea who it was...let me think...Hmm...I tried hard to guess who the owner of that voice could be whilst hoping that it would not be the beginning of one mad spy movie.

"Yes, this is Jerry...and who is this?"

A very energetic and cheerful shout hit my ear drums.

"Hey! It's me, Vance! Vance 'I'm From Everywhere' Miller."

"What the...! Oh, my, no way! Aren't you supposed to be in Iraq now?"

"Yes, way! My brother. Long time no see. Guess, what? My new long-tour area has been moved to Yongsan in Seoul, from Iraq. I'm in Korea now! Yeah!!!!!! Yoohoo!!!"

It didn't sound like he would ever stop shouting into his phone (and his friend over the phone). As the reader of my article, you must be thinking that he had gotten so high off of drugs, but he was just being Vance 'I'm From Everywhere' Miller.

"Wow...I'm more than excited to see you. Welcome to Korea, bro! So where are you now? I'd like to buy dinner for you, buddy."

"Uhm...I'm at Seoul station.", Vance 'I'm in Korea now' Miller answered in a toned-down voice.

"Ok...then find the nearest entrance for Subway Line 1, take it and get off at Uijeongbu station. I will see you at the station in an hour. Cool?"

"What? I'm new to Korea. Do you think I'm the artificial intelligence for Google Maps?"

"Don't worry, Mr. I'm From Everywhere But Korea. I, Jerry kind Kim, hereby swear to send you a map with a Korean transportation guide ASAP."

"Copy that, catch ya later."

In high school, Vance, J.J. and I were the 'Three Weird Monkeys' of the school. Vance is half-German-half-N.American, I'm Asian (Korean), and J.J. is Malaysian of Sri-Lankan origin. You can imagine the camaraderie between the (white, yellow and brown) three boys who did countless funny, foolish, dangerous and weird things in school. It was so hilarious.

Vance was someone who had travelled to more than 20 countries. So when someone asked him 'Where are you from?' he would jovially say 'I'm from everywhere!' This is why we gave him his nickname.

After graduation, Vance left for America to join the U.S. Marine Corps so I could only talk to him through SNS or whenever he used his laptop. I was so glad to see him again because more than 10 years had passed since we had last seen one another in person.

One and a half hours later, I met him at the famous Budae Jjigae (General Infantry Stew / Army Stew) restaurant in Uijeongbu. He still had a pale complexion with golden-hair and a muscular build.

A typical menu board of Budae Jjigae restaurant. You can order and add more meats and noodles.

Uncooked Budae Jjigae. The yellow square is sliced cheese.

The restaurant was very noisy with the chattering of Koreans, and non-Koreans in U.S. Army uniforms. We sat in the corner and started to reminisce over school experiences and friends while waiting for the Budae Jjigae to be served. When we finished talking about what J.J. was doing in The Philippines, he asked:

"Anyway, what is this meat and veggie stew we are having tonight? Budae Jjigae? What’s that?"

"Well, 'Budae' means 'Unit’ or ‘Army' and Jjigae means 'Stew' in Korean. It is a very modern Korean food with sad origins, and it has never looked like a Korean food. Do you want to hear about it?"

"Yeah. What is it? Tell me."

The Korean War. The tragic war that caused the 2nd most casualties in world history (The 1st being World War 2). Koreans were divided into the North and South and killed each other because of democracy and communism. After the war, Korea was totally devastated and had to rely on supplies from the UN. With the exception of some powerful and rich people, it was very common for Koreans starving to death void of bags of corn powder, flour and powdered milk. Moreover, there were orphans flooding every street who could only speak the English phrase 'Give me chocolate, give me food' to foreign soldiers for their survival.

At that time, camps of wealthy foreign soldiers from the United States was a good place to scavenge for a meal. Binned leftovers from US Army bases including pieces of bacon, ham, sausage, corn, bread, biscuit, C-Rations etc....were all great foods for hungry Koreans. Although pieces of broken glass, cigarettes, saliva and plastic bags were found in 'good ingredients', that didn’t matter because Koreans had to survive for themselves and the country. They gathered remnants to make stew or porridge for supper. Koreans poured water, kimchi and American ‘stuff' into any pot they had, and boiled it. This is how Budae Jjigae began in Korean culture.

One day, an old woman who owned a restaurant near a U.S. Army camp in Uijeongbu, started to make Budae Jjigae as a side dish for alcohol. It then

became a very popular dish in Korea. It’s no wonder that Korean cities that have

U.S. army bases are very famous for Budae Jjigae.

The Budae Jjigae Street in Uijeongbu

Today's Budae Jjigae is slightly different from what people in the past had eaten :)

I continued to talk as Vance started to scoop a few pieces of ham with sliced tofu.

"Minced Pork, Korean Red Chilly Paste, Kimchi, Minced Garlic, Ramen Noodle, Bacon, Spam, Sausage and baked beans, tofu, onion, spring onion, cheese etc....you can put anything you want....but Koreans usually like spice, so spicy chilly paste is irreplaceable. Oh my...Vance, I like these Spam and sausages too. Please leave some of them for me. Are you a dinosaur or what?"

"O...ory....Ery...it eed tho gut doh (So...sorry...Jerry...it is so good though)"

Vance answered with chunks of sausage in his mouth. Yeah...I almost forgot he is a half-German meat-lover.

Cooked Budae Jjigae

This is called 'Johnson Tahng (Johnson's Soup in Korean)' - smaller version of Budae Jjigae.
This can only be eaten at Budae Jjigae restaurants near U.S. Army bases.

Various instant Budae Jjigae Noodles for 'homies' like me

These days, Budae Jjigae is one of the most popular foods in Korea, but not many people know why or how it appeared in our history and culture. Nevertheless, I think that Budae Jjigae is one of the many proofs of Koreans having overcome terrible hardships in their history. Stories of the Korean War about families being separated, massacred, sacrificed, victimised and missing cannot be heard without shedding tears. In spite of this, Koreans have navigated their course to what it is today, which is one of development and hope for peaceful reunification.

Furthermore, Koreans should not forget that the successful reconstruction of the country could not have been achieved without cooperation and support from the global community, like the delicious combination of ham and kimchi in Budae Jjigae......and....

A Korean soldier working alongside a U.S. soldier

"What's the name of this food again, Jerry?"

"Budae Jjigae. It's spicy and meaty, isn't it? Who would ever thought that western meats taste better with kimchi and chilly paste stew?"

"Absolutely, my brother. You Koreans are geniuses."

"Hahahaha...(Laugh Out Loud)..."

"So, what do we do now? I don't want to go home yet. I'm so lost without you, guide me please with your kindness."

"Well, there is a traditional Korean bar around here...do you want to try? I will drink a non-alcoholic drink, you know me."

"Jerry, Jerry, Jerry...are you still an underage? or do you think you are still a teenager? Let's get boozed up with a bottle of beer sometimes."

"Be quiet. I have to go to work early tomorrow."

"Ok, ok...fine. Let's move..."

"Oh, by the way, do you remember a girl whom I had a major crush on?"

"Yeah.....uhm......nope...."

.......like Vance and I :)

-Lest We Forget-