Cynthia: So I'm guessing soju is a close record of shochu, the alcoholic drink that owns Japan -- and is now making inroads in the U.S. Here's the local press on it: "Shochu, a Japanese spirit, is similar in taste to vodka, but has significantly fewer calories and a slightly lower alcohol content. Shochu also produces an enzyme that breaks down blood clots, which aids in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes." Love it -- gotta find a health benefit even in your guilty pleasures.

As for kimchi -- definitely my kind of cabbage. We have a large Korean population in Chicago, and I've been enjoying their cuisine for a couple of decades.

Amusing story -- well, at least I was amused -- I was in Ulaanbatuur, Mongolia, and our guide was eager to try out the brand new foreign restaurant in town, which was Korean. We sat down and I started reading the menu and said, "Oh good. They have all my favorites, bulgogi, chapchae, bibimbop." The waitress looked stunned and asked, "How you know Korean food?" I said, "I'm from Chicago," and that was good enough for her.

Even when I'm not eating a whole Korean meal, I'll usually have a jar of kimchi in the fridge, for snacking. I don't like the blindingly hot stuff, but fortunately, there's a range. We have a few huge Korean megastores not far from where I live, so I can get all sorts of pasan (side dishes, which includes kimchi), so I can get not only a variety of kimchi, but also spicy cucumber, which I like even better than kimchi. Great stuff.

comment left Jun 28