Why Do Koreans Crave Jeon When It Rains? Before I answer that question, there's something you should know. Jeon is my soul food. Whenever my family held a Jesa , many different kinds of Jeon would be prepared all at once. To me, those days felt like an all-you-can-eat Jeon buffet. The fun of choosing? Not really. I just ate all of them. Have you ever heard of Jeon ? Jeon is a Korean dish made by coating ingredients in batter and pan-frying them in oil. Potatoes become Jeon. Kimchi becomes Jeon. Cabbage becomes Jeon. Fish becomes Jeon. Meat becomes Jeon. Sometimes Jeon reminds me of pizza. Pizza can have hundreds of different variations depending on what you put on the dough. Jeon is the same. Change just one ingredient, and it becomes a completely new dish. That's why I think Jeon is one of the most versatile dishes in Korean cuisine. Oh, and there's one more detail. Jeon is often enjoyed with a simple dipping sauce made with ...
Could Today's Bibimbap Have Begun on the Jesa Table? When people think of Bibimbap today, they usually picture a beautiful bowl filled with colorful vegetables, beef, and a perfectly placed egg. But whenever I see that image, one thought always comes to my mind. Could the Bibimbap we know today have begun on the Jesa table? Of course, this is only my personal thought. Let me tell you why I feel that way. My father was the second son in his family, but our family still held Jesa, which was somewhat unusual. Traditionally in Korea, Jesa is usually hosted by the eldest son. Jesa is a traditional ceremony in which families prepare food, gather together, and pay their respects to their ancestors. Today, many families keep it much more simply, and some no longer practice it at all. But when I was growing up, Jesa was one of the biggest family events of the year. Ironically, while it was a lot of hard work for the adults, it felt like a festival for...