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Zen Kimchi |
| Zen Kimchi
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| Website name
| Zen Kimchi
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| Type of site
| Blog
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| Owner
| Joe
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| Created by
| Joe
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In a land celebrated for its cuisine and culinary discoveries under any random pojangmacha or upscale eatery, it's surprising to see the lack of blog props going out to Korean food on a more regular basis. In comes Joe, the proprietor of Zen Kimchi. A video blog that is not afraid to stick the lens down some of Korea's more lip curling feasts, while tipping hats to mainstream discoveries, as well. K-Scene, an expat magazine in Seoul, spotted Joe's food journal on their radar and he's also now working at both ends of the kitchen line, between Zen Kimchi updates and writing food articles on K-Scene.
An recent email exchange we had with Mr.Zen yielded the following:
- GJ: So for starts, how long have you been in Korea for?
- ZK: Since February 2004
- GJ: What do you do here?
- ZK: I teach English, do computer stuff, and occasionally write for K-Scene Magazine, among other little projects I'm always working on.
- GJ: What areas/cities of Korea have you lived in, and are most memorable to you?
- ZK: I've lived in Seoul and in the suburbs, particularly Ansan and Anyang. I moved to Seoul after my first year, thinking it would be more exciting. I found it miserable and highly inconvenient. I had to go to the next subway stop just to buy groceries. I now live in Anyang on the south side of Gwanak Mountain, and this is the most memorable area for me. I enjoy being close to nature and having the city convenient at the same time. Nonetheless, Ansan was a nice place with a decent nightlife, even though my favorite hang out spots have gone out of business.
- GJ: I read on your blog that you were approached by K-Scene to write food articles. What is it like writing for an expat magazine in Korea?
- ZK: There's a bit of a sense of community with the magazine. Most all the writers are contributors, so they don't have their own offices or anything. They're English teachers who are passionate about certain things and write about them. K-Scene is in the same genre as city mags, such as Atlanta's Creative Loafing. But since we're expats in a country that doesn't speak English, we do it for the love of it -- definitely not for the paycheck.
- GJ: Given your interest in food, what are some tidbits of Korean food culture that you are privy to, that the average expat may not have experienced?
- ZK: Oh, there are lots of things. Korea should bill itself as the destination for those who treat dining as an extreme sport. I was the kid who ate weird stuff if people dared me to and ended up raving about it so much that other people tried it after me. Yet I did get in trouble for convincing half my class to eat a box of dog biscuits I brought to school in the fifth grade. If something is strange and other people like it, you have to try it. You are alive. You should experience the life you were given. So, a few things the average expat may not have tried?
- Gobchang Gwi -- Grilled cow intestines stuffed with garlic with a flambee of soju. This stuff is the most evil and damn good man food. It's the stuff that your brain thinks you're not supposed to eat, but it tastes so good.
- Jogae Gwi -- Another grilled item, grilled shellfish. It's the ultimate clambake. It's also the most dangerous of foods in Korea, not because of any bacteria (little chance of that). It's that you will very likely get burned from the spitting shellfish getting their revenge.
- Cheonggukjang -- It is the stinkiest of stinky soups. Anyone who appreciates a good stinky runny cheese would appreciate Korea's talent for fermentation in this soup. People usually go "Ooh, gross, fermented?" Yet a lot of foods release their full nutrients when fermented or broken down. There was a malnutrition epidemic in Europe centuries ago because people ate a diet of the new corn from the Americas but hadn't learned how to break it down with lime like the Aztecs did. So they were eating food but getting no nutrition from it. Anyway, this is a good kick-your-ass stew that is as satisfying as a meat chili but healthier.
- GJ: What is it about Anyang? It seems like every other day, I read about a teacher living down there and how much they love it. What is it about that Anyang scene that makes the difference?
- ZK: Really? It seems like everyone still wants to live in Seoul because you're supposedly "no one" unless you live in Gangnam or Itaewon. The city planners in Anyang seem to have been big players of SimCity. The layout of the parks with the commercial zones and residential zones are too idyllic to believe. There is a balance of the old, mainly all the mountain temples, with the most cutting edge of modern city planning going on. How many towns have you lived in that have fountains shooting out of the ground, sculptures everywhere, and a great selection of restaurants from international (Mexican, Brazilian, Vietnamese) to the most romantically traditional Korean? It's green, the air is breathable, and it's a lot cleaner than Seoul. There are also good pockets for nightlife. I've never felt the desire to head to Hongdae with the decent bars around here. Then again, I'm a bit old for the college meat market scene.
- GJ: Ok, some last quick ones, designed to unearth some dining nuggets for readers. Best non-Itaewon burger (no chains or Bigger Burger)?
- ZK: Honestly, I haven't been able to explore many burger places. I miss a good greasy cheeseburger. I do think Lotteria's new Frico Cheeseburger is freaky but good.
- GJ: Spiciest thing that you've ever eaten in Korea, outside of Krazy Korean wings at Shwing?
- ZK: Dalk Bal -- Chicken Feet. Spicy chicken feet are starting to become the rage in Korea, and restaurants that specialize in them are popping up. These restaurants try to pump up the heat in everything they put on the table. The chicken feet are grilled and basted with a sweet hot sauce. I just wish they would have some mercy and put a ramekin of ranch dressing on the side.
- GJ: Best place that serves something resembling western breakfast (excluding Suji's, Puffin Cafe, Nashville, hotel buffets, and USO)?
- ZK: I've never been to one. My partner in crime, Brant, makes a mean breakfast.
- GJ: Finally, how do you take your doenjang-jjigae. Bean base or shellfish base?
- ZK: I take it any way I can. The stinkier the better. Just make sure I have some rice by my side.
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