Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew), the Food My Children Remember Me By

For Koreans, asking us to choose between Doenjang-jjigae and Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew) is like asking,

“Do you love your mom or your dad?”

or

“Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce) or Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup)?”

It’s a really difficult question.

But if I absolutely had to choose, I’d say Kimchi-jjigae, maybe 60 to 40.

I guess it’s simply because I prefer food with a little more heat.

Whenever I come back from a trip abroad, the very first thing I look for is Kimchi-jjigae.

I must be craving that refreshing, spicy taste of Kimchi-jjigae.

Kimchi-jjigae can taste quite different from one home to another, depending on the Kimchi each family uses.

But in my opinion, while Kimchi itself really shows the personality of each household, those differences seem to become less noticeable once it turns into Kimchi-jjigae.

I think what you add to it, and how you cook it, makes a bigger difference.

The most common choice is, of course, pork. Canned tuna Kimchi-jjigae is also very popular.

Some people like pork with plenty of fat, while others, like me, prefer a leaner cut such as pork hind leg.

My husband is always disappointed about this.

“It tastes so much better when there’s some pork fat in it.”

He’s probably right. Pork fat does make it richer and more flavorful.

But when you start thinking about health, it becomes a bit of a dilemma. Haha.

 

Cooking lean pork in a pot to make a light and healthy base for Kimchi-jjigae.

The Food My Children Associate with Me

One day, I asked my son,

“What food comes to mind when you think of Mom?”

I thought he might have to think about it for a while.

But without hesitating for even a second, he said,

“Kimchi-jjigae.”

I honestly didn’t expect that answer.

I thought he might say something a little more… impressive. Something more special.

So I was quite surprised.

Then I asked my daughter the same question.

And strangely enough, she gave me exactly the same answer.

“Kimchi-jjigae.”

“How did you two come up with the exact same answer?”

We laughed about it for quite a while.

Ever since I found that out, whenever I make Kimchi-jjigae, I feel a little emotional.

I don’t know exactly how to describe it.

Somehow, Kimchi-jjigae became a little more special to me.

Now that I know it’s the food my children think of when they think of me, I also feel a little pressure to make it taste even better.

I just don’t want to disappoint them. Haha.

My Kimchi-jjigae Secret

Maybe my children think my Kimchi-jjigae tastes different from the kind they eat outside because I have my own little cooking trick.

I use equal parts Kimchi brine and water when I make it.

You might be thinking,

“That much Kimchi brine?”

But surprisingly, it doesn’t make the stew too salty. Instead, it gives the broth a really clean, refreshing taste.

That’s why I always keep a container of Kimchi brine in my Kimchi refrigerator.

I also think the amount of sweetness makes a big difference in Kimchi-jjigae.

I like it with just a little sweetness.

So whenever my husband and I go on a trip together, I always make a big pot of Kimchi-jjigae before we leave.

When we come back, the kids have usually eaten it all, and the pot is already washed and put away.

My secret cooking trick: keeping a container of rich Kimchi-gukmul (Kimchi brine) ready in the fridge.

 

homemade Kimchi-jjigae

The Food I Think of When I Think of My Mom

It made me wonder:

What food comes to my mind when I think of my mom?

When I thought about it, the first thing that came to me was a kind of bread my mother made when I was very young, around six or seven years old.

She made it using Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) to ferment the dough.

Looking at it now, it was somewhat similar to the traditional Korean Sulppang (Steamed Rice Wine Cake) you can still find in stores today.

But it wasn’t exactly the same.

My mother stopped making that bread after we moved to the city.

Maybe that’s why those few pieces of bread I ate back then stayed in my memory as

the food only my mother could make.

Funny, isn’t it?

It wasn’t something I ate every day.

In fact, I only had it a few times.

And yet, that little memory is what makes me think of my mother.

So whenever I happen to come across Sulppang somewhere, I end up buying some and eating it, just to satisfy that little bit of longing.

What about you?

What food comes to mind when you think of your mom?

I wonder what foods people in different countries and different regions associate with their mothers.

I’d really love to know.

K-Food Story

Stories behind Korean food by Somang