Microwavable quick and easy Korean food

Have you ever had a hankering for a quick fix and some microwavable savory, yet somewhat healthy Korean food? I've found the college student's quick Korean food fix dream come true! Last week, I meandered into H Mart in San Diego with my friend.  We are usually slammed by the smell of the fishy items like in many Asian markets and the aroma from the carby-licious bread goods from Paris Baguette. This is a Korean market with lots of fresh produce, fish, meat, and all the good Korean foods you could ever want. There are plenty of ramen options, too! : ) 

Walking through the store on the weekend you will hear from all corners, "SAMPULL, SAMPULL, TRY A SAMPULL..." In the most Korean ahjumma accent you can imagine. To me, they quickly begin speaking Korean. After all, I am a Korean / Asian face. In most cases I'll start out speaking English because I want to set the foundation for being American and then attempt to spat out some broken Korean when trying to get a point across or confirm something. 

My friend and I discovered bibimbop and japchae bowls. They were on sale for pretty much dirt cheap. By now, the sale price is likely no longer valid, but I'd still recommend checking out these bowls. They're not that bad! The sample assistant persistently challenged us to sample both foods as well as have me snap a quick picture of them. She was inviting and friendly explaining that college students bought baskets full of these pre-made meals. Well...sorry, lady! We are not college students, but we won't pass up a good sample! I'm gluten-free and therefore had to refrain from any food potentially doused in soy sauce. 

Japchae

Lady modeling Bibimbop bowl, but not wanting to show her face!

how NOT to eat bibimbap

Yesterday evening my friend and I decided to go to a meeting to inquire about writing for a Korean magazine in San Diego. 'twas a very interesting and fun experience learning about it and meeting all of the people. Though almost all of the people were familiar faces to me, my friend met lots of new people.

Afterwards, we ran out in a flash to find a Korean restaurant.  We originally intended to eat dinner beforehand, but we got a late start. By the end of the meeting our stomachs were making the gurgle gurgle, "please feed me" sounds.

We ended up on Convoy St. at Grandma Tofu and BBQ. In Korean it is known as 할머니순두부!
We ordered a selection of favorite Korean foods.

I usually like to eat fairly healthy and enjoy eating a good hearty bibimbap. I always order the hot stone pot bibimbap. If you would like to sound like you know what you're ordering you can say you want the dolsot bibimbap, which written in Korean is 돌솥비빔밥. The hot stone bibimbap is the best! It cooks up all the vegetables and makes the rice and other foods at the bottom crispy. The stone pot itself always adds extra flavor.  Because I am abstaining from gluten for an undetermined amount of time, I order mine without meat. Most restaurants will add soy sauce to their meat marinade. Though Koreans will tell you that their soy sauce was and is traditionally made without wheat, in America almost all soy sauce is made with the glutinous goodness that we know of as wheat.

As many stereotypical Asians do when their food comes out, we started snapping pictures.  My friend snapped a picture of me while I grabbed my chopsticks and picked up the first vegetable in my stone pot. HOWEVER, might I inform you that this is traditionally NOT how to eat your bibimbap.  See below.

Modeling how NOT to eat bibimbap

How do you eat bibimbap? I would say it's best eaten after adding some gochujang, Korean red chili pepper paste to the top. Using your spoon and or chop sticks mix all of the vegetables, egg, meat, sauces, etc. together.  If you're eating the bibimbap in a hot stone pot, be sure to scrape the food off the sides and allow the other parts to warm up, too.  You can then eat your bibimbap with a spoon!  It's okay to eat with chopsticks too, though it's much more commonly seen and easier to be eaten with your handy dandy spoon. Note: be careful not to burn yourself against the edges of the hot stone pot. When they say hot, they mean it!

My friend ordered the combo with soondubu jjigae (tofu soup) and kalbi (tasty marinated ribs) that comes with a hot stone pot of rice.  A look at what we ate:

Left: Friend. Right top: hot stone bibimbap, bottom: the dishes

Summer Samgyetang. Ginseng chicken soup.

Samgyetang (삼계탕) is a delicious hot ginseng chicken soup very popular in Korea during the summer, especially on bok days (복날 translated as dog days).
The bok days are the three hottest days according to the lunar calendar.
Chobok: 초복 (begginning)
Chungbok: 중복 (middle)
Malbok: 말복 (end)

Samgyetang is often eaten for its health benefits and supposed internal cooling. I know! In America we think cold cold cold when it's hot whereas Koreans think just the opposite! Battle fire with fire, they say! When your body is hot, your blood pools at the surface of your body for cooling. That often leaves the stomach and internal organs without proper circulation and  weaker digestion. By eating a hot healthy soup, your body not only gets nutrients but the proper cooling and circulation it needs.
In the past, dog was the meat of choice in the soup during those hot days. Chicken or samgyetang is the most common meal of choice now. It is traditionally eaten on these three days as a way to rest after a long days work and replenish the body with nutrients and energy.  It is tasty and rejuvenating.

For 2013 the bok or dog days fall on:

Chobok: July 13
Jungbok: July 23
Malbok: Aug 12

Samgyetang is a soup made with a whole chicken stuffed with rice, garlic, ginseng, ginger, and jujubes (dates). It is cooked and placed in a broth made for samgyetang. The broth comes in variations with salt and more spices or even creamy milky-like mixes and flavors while other times it is allowed to take on the flavors of the tasty stuffed chicken. A simple broth that soaks the flavors of the chicken is my favorite!

I made a new Korean friend in San Diego and in honor of Chobok we went on a journey to find samgyetang.  We found this delightful dish at "Old Village" Korean BBQ Restaurant on Convoy St in San Diego. I believe it costs $16.99 for one bowl.Believe me, it is worth every penny and I would go back for more! It tasted fabulous! Even my friend said there was no difference in taste and feeling from the samgyetang eaten in Korea.

I felt a little uneasy and queasy that day, but after eating the soup my stomach felt calm, satiated, and satisfied. I was happier and had more energy to take on the next day!  Old Village Korean restaurant has a lot of other varieties of good traditional flavors and Korean foods that you may also consider trying, if your stomach doesn't favor this ginseng chicken soup!

I hope you will taste your way to some samgyetang this summer. I'm ready for more. There are a few days left of summer. Rest and enjoy!!

I want to learn Korean! How? Why?

Haven't I always wanted to learn Korean? How do I go about learning Korean?

I made it a goal to learn and study Korean this year!  I started my journey to learn Korean several years ago on my first trip to Korea. I said I would learn. I did ... a little... I was able to get by, to read, to greet, and text or write basic emails. While in Korea for the one year between 2009-2010, I devoted a significant time to study Korean grammar and the basics. I had no choice but to learn if I wanted to travel in Korea. And suddenly out of nowhere I had this Korean family and relatives I never knew existed. Learning was necessary. I read books, watched Korean dramas, and talked to friends. I went from very little comprehension to being able to understand my fellow Korean teachers speaking at and to me.  Then...I came back to America.


After returning, I found myself lost in a land of no Asians or Koreans.  My focus remained on job searching and exploring other professional opportunities. A part of me was resistant to studying or learning because I knew it was my duty to learn to communicate with relatives and friends in Korea, but I hadn't fully processed my experience. Nor had I understood on a heart level the urgency to bridge the cultural and physical gap by learning the language like I understand today. I slowly phased myself out of watching dramas, as well.  Soooo..... as the saying goes, "if you don't use it, you lose it". It's true! Some lost. BUT NOT gone forever is the Korean I learned.  Once I got back into the Korean community in San Diego, I beat myself up over not remembering everything.I was ashamed to read and hear conversations that I recognize all the words and grammatical structures to and do not remember the meaning of!  I know it's there.  That is a journey of overcoming and forgiving in itself still in process. This next phase of study and review is going to need some careful extraction and nurturing back to life!

After some time meeting those interested in learning, feeding off their passion, and finally beginning to process some past experiences I had suppressed, I knew it was time... time to study. Time to learn.

I am ready!

I originally attempted to enroll in a Korean Language course at a university in San Diego, but the cost was too high and conflicted with my current work schedule. Instead, I registered for an evening class taught through an independent program. I promise to study several times per week outside of the two class sessions each week. Even if I learn nothing big or new in the class, it will be a great refresher and hopefully a confidence booster in the department of speaking. Unfortunately my speaking and writing skills are down the drain. We shall see where the class takes us.

Now that I have met many other friends or students trying to learn the language, I have stumbled upon many different resources and sites to learn Korean or to communicate with others that want to teach their language in exchange for another language.  My favorite way to learn and share culture is face to face where I can see expression and observe body language, but I realize that wasn't always easy for me and it's not going to be easy for people in other countries wanting to make friends in the target language and culture.  As part of my study, I will explore these sites and expand my understanding of human interaction through online relationships and educational websites.   Recently, I became interested in the online dating phenomenon. Many of my friends have found themselves in a whole new world of online dating as they seek life-long friends and partners. Though I haven't registered to online date or plan to do so, I believe that nourishing my hunger to learn Korean language through internet resources will give me a better understanding of what it means to build relationships with strangers through a common interest of learning and sharing online. I really desire to learn as much as I can about human interaction and thought processes.

Some weekly challenges I want to hold myself accountable to doing:

I WILL:

• Challenge myself to meet others, to learn from them and share with them. 
• Be willing to be vulnerable, make mistakes, and ask questions for my own learning.   This entails being confident in the shoes of a learner and not being afraid to ask questions. Curiosity is a precursor to knowledge and understanding. The more we ask, the more we learn. This is a mountain for me to climb because I am always shy to ask for help or even to ask too many questions.  I am always willing to offer others help in their times of need, I will do the same myself. 
• Be curious! Mentioned above, but it needs its own bullet!
• Study at least 10 hanja per week.  Hanja is the name for the Chinese Korean characters that you see on old Korean texts and on Korean newspapers. Learning hanja is helpful because it builds vocabulary. Many Korean words have roots from the Chinese characters. See future posts on hanja. 
• Learn a set number of vocabulary words.  Looking for resources to find and learn vocabulary words at the moment.
• Try to watch at least one or more episodes of a Korean drama during the week.  Okay, so this isn't a tough one for most people that probably devote hours to drama, but I haven't had as much time or interest in recent dramas due to the length of time I spend outside of home. Dramas will sharpen listening skills and observation of social interactions.  
• Find an article to read and dissect. 
• Practice speaking by talking to at least one friend in the target language. We can practice English conversation and pronunciation afterwards. : ) 
• Write at least one or two diary entries per week. I agree, this should be more, but I'm trying to make a habit of learning to do this in English first!  I will increase the numbers as I go. Don't forget folks, let's not overwhelm with too many goals. 
• Listen to kpop or kballad. Oh no!  Can't get sucked into that world again...but it's just another avenue into the language and culture.  
• NOT give up!

So why the sudden change? You can probably infer from the gibber jabber above that I did some thinking and reconciling with my own thoughts.

Motivations to learn:

1. Graduate school. I am interested in international-ly related fields.
• second or third languages are a requirement for graduation and for jobs. 
2. Communicating with friends.  They already say I comprehend a significant amount and pronounce words well. It's that word extraction part that I have trouble doing in English and my second or third language.
3. Building a relationship with relatives or family and other friends in Korea.
4. Make sure my brother doesn't surpass my Korean ability if he ends up staying in Korea for much longer! ; )
5. Learn my mother tongue! 

Let's keep growing and going!  I hope that by posting these goals and motivating factors I will be held accountable and you will too!

Kimchi!!

My American friend loves kimchi. Her favorite place to eat kimchi in San Diego is at a place called Convoy Tofu House.

It has the most delicious sweet savory and spicy flavor. It is a darker red than the average kimchi and is always fresh. A plate of kimchi and a bowl of rice is a fantastic meal in itself.  Do you know the secret to kimchi recipe at Tofu House? It beats me! Let us know if you find out where she can buy containers of this goodness!

Tofu House is best known for its tofu stews. 순두부 찌개 Why else would it have tofu in its name? You can eat tuna tofu stew or seafood tofu stew or meat tofu stew and so much more. You can also choose from combos that give you the option to choose one stew and then an add on like kalbi or sushi.  If the regular menu items don't suit your fancy, then you can always fall back on bibimbap or dolsot (hot pot) bibimbap! Those shouldnt fail you.   
Eat the kimchi!

Updates!

What have I been doing?   

I have been busy finishing up the last month of service for my volunteer service program!  It's been an eventful month both at work and personally.  I am in the process of securing a job and hopefully a place to live. Job hunting and interviewing is no task for the weak.  Must be strong and diligent.  Yours truly also needs a place to land before focusing on this blog.  I want to get back into the kitchen, but I haven't had one to use for most of the year, so hopefully we will have some Korean cooking to look forward to later on.
Check back in September for something new.

Where have I been hanging out? 

Just because it may appear that I left the Korean blogo-sphere, I haven't left the Korean community! Each week I attend a Korean meet-up in San Diego. At the meet up there are a lot of people interested in learning Korean or highly obsessed with kdramas and kpop. There is also a group of Koreans interested in learning English.  We exchange our cultures and languages and often hang out together outside of the weekly meet-up time and date. Please join if you are in the area!

What do I think about?

Korea. Korean language. Korean friends. Service. Work.  You see I haven't forgotten.

What do I plan to do in the next couple of months? 

All of the above. Plus focus on learning the language.  It's a must.  Perhaps you will read some more personal posts from me.


I will be back.

I promise.


Until then.

Artistic Observations: Meeting Yim Choon Lee, A Contemporary South Korean Artist.

Last month, a friend and I attended an artist's solo art exhibition in La Jolla (San Diego), California.  I received the opportunity to meet Yim Choon Lee, a South Korean contemporary artist still gaining exposure to the world today. In the short time I spent walking around gazing at the artwork and admiring the mind of the artist, I was surprised more than once or twice.  I visited art galleries in the past, but never attended a special artist reception with the artist present.  This was a first.

[Disclaimer: I do not have a professional background in art. I am only the lay viewer of art that on rare occasion peruses a gallery with fairly complex art designs and themes.] 

As I entered the Salazaar Contemporary Gallery, the location of the exhibition in La Jolla, I found myself walking into a small crowd of art lovers, photographers, and gallery owners. It was a classy event with wine readily available to sip on to enhance your viewing experience.  I was immediately drawn to the left where I saw a blue piece of art. The piece had an open space with large sections along the side and one in the center full of intricate designs behind what appeared to be twisted pieces on the canvas.  Upon closer viewing, I found painted Chinese characters and other unique designs along the twists.

Small section of the art piece. Notice the twists and detailed paint. 

What I observed was the result of the Yim Choon Lee’s process, “Tearing Art.”  He paints both sides of a canvas.  On one side, Korean traditional papers are placed on the surface and painted over, creating a total of three surfaces. Then, the linen on one side is cut to reveal the backside. The pieces are torn and folded to create an elaborate, beautiful piece of art.

 His information page and website as quoted says:  

“Three surfaces of the painting represent the past (traditional paper surface), present (back of canvas linen), and future (front of canvas linen). In tearing art, one painting glues together past, present and future in three dimension.” 

I continued to move around the room thinking about my own past and present glued to and molding my future, as I admired each of the pieces of art. The art was amazing in all of its three-dimensional forms. This is art I could observe with multiple senses. I stepped back to see the piece and feel the presence of the work as I soaked in the colors and design. Later, I moved in closer while I envisioned (no, I did not touch) following the twisted pieces with my finger.  I imagined hearing the artist tearing and folding the pieces of linen in a studio in his home. I was enamored by the simple yet complex works - some happened to be only black and white. [You can see them on the website. Photo not posted here.] Moving towards the back of the room, I viewed more complex pieces with very vibrant shades of color.

Viewed from a different perspective. The colors move from lighter to darker on the far end.  

Eventually, I met Katherine Kim, Yim Choon Lee’s agent. She was busy making her rounds meeting other important people.  Despite being busy with potential buyers and viewers, she still stopped to speak with me. I was greeted with her bubbly nature, a gentle touch and lots of enthusiasm.  She began to take me to some of his bigger works and answer a few of my questions.  Eager to meet the artist himself, she brought me to Yim Choon Lee, where he also warmly welcomed me with a large grin as he showed off some of his art. I greeted him in Korean, though he was shy to reply and speak in English. Our brief communication was powerful nonetheless. I immediately felt comfortable and close to Yim Choon Lee and his agent, Katherine Kim.  While looking at one piece, Yim approached me with his large grin and what felt like the innocence of a proud child, motioning me to follow him. He pointed to the detailed twists of his blue painting saying, “these Chinese characters. Painted.”  It made me smile.  The artist certainly has a lot to be proud of.

Surface details. 

As I viewed the art and spoke with Katherine, I was even more surprised to learn that the artist is a police officer by day.  By night, he uncovers the artist within. He has a college education and studied in Taiwan during his younger years. Katherine proudly mentions his many talents.  Does Yim ever sleep? 

Where did this brilliant man get the time and inspiration to do his work? Yim Choon Lee, born in 1965 on Geoje Island where he still lives today, comes from several generations of Korean traditional bamboo and paper artists.  As a child, he traveled with his father throughout the beautiful countryside collecting bamboo for his father’s art. Katherine shared that his experience learning the bamboo techniques and viewing the beautiful country as a child were a large inspiration and influence for his artwork today. Observing the colors and twists, I can see many elements of bamboo and nature forming images in my head.   

My mind was baffled by his work.

I looked around some more and returned to the artist, asking him to name his favorite piece. He likes them all, but points to the Black Hole piece and names the Black Hole series [four paintings] his favorite.  As seen on the artist statement of “Destruction and Creation,” Yim creates new art by destroying the canvas. New social norms are created by changing the old social idioms.  He beautifully bridges the gap from traditional to more contemporary art. 

            “Black Hole series portrays the human heart’s desire to express itself independently from  societal references. As a policeman in Korea, I have seen life and death circumstances which could have evolved differently. If these victims were allowed to express their feelings of frustration and overwhelming circumstances, they would not need to end their precious life.”- from the Artist Statement Page.

Black Hole (1 in the series of four pieces)

Many people can identify with this art.  The human heart in all its complexity desires to be known and expressed in some form.  Take a peek at the art yourself and enjoy the “awe” moment as you let the art help you dive deep into your own soul. What feelings and emotions stir in you?  As I think about my internship year in San Diego soon drawing to a close, I begin to process the past and present as I prepare for the future.  

So, what if you decide you want to see the art? Where can you catch some of Yim Choon Lee’s work?  You can view his art at his coming exhibition in Seoul, South Korea in September.  After observation, I presume you will be interested in meeting the artist and seeing it up close yourself.  Yim is still a newer artist and has only held exhibitions in Istanbul, Florida, and South Korea. Feel free to spread the word about his work and check out his next exhibition. You won't regret it.

You will find the exhibit in the Insadong region of Seoul. Insadong is known for its cute shops, art, craftsmen, traditional goods, and souvenirs. It has a traditional feel enjoyed by both native Koreans and foreigners. The art lover is sure to find him or herself in Insadong on trip to Seoul.  Subway stations near Insadong are Jonggak Station (Line 1), Jongno 3-ga Station (Line 1, Line 3, Line 5), and Anguk Station also serviced by Line 3. 

You also have a few weeks left to view it in San Diego. The exhibition gained so much attention and interest that the gallery extended the exhibition through August. If you're in San Diego or La Jolla, please stop by and take a look.  You can see it at: 

Salazar Fine-Art Gallery
1162 Prospect
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 551 - 8453

Find Yim Choon Lee’s page on Facebook and check out his website. 

Here are the friendly faces!    

The artist: Yim Choon Lee, The Business Manger/Agent: Katherine Kim

Thank you for sharing your art and introducing yourself to us, Yim. Katherine, thank you for playing a large part in sharing Yim's "Tearing Art" with the world.  You have opened my eyes to a new world of art.  

~~~~~~

Sources: 

Site: http://yimchoonlee.com/

    including the Artist's Statement

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yimchoon.lee

Lee's Agent: Katherine Kim. 

A night of K-pop and flash mob moves

What do k-pop, hallyu, flash mobs, and San Diego all have in common?
You can find them all in one place right here in San Diego.

Last week I learned of a Korean Culture event at The Sejong Institute of Language and Culture (SILC) of the California International Business University (CIBU) through a group posting on Facebook and some online advertisement. Though I had other plans set aside for that Tuesday, I was not able to attend to them. This became an ideal opportunity to inquire about the event. I hadn't heard of SILC or CIBU and was eager to learn more about it and the events/programs it had to offer.  Don't forget I'm quite busy volunteering my time, but in my few moments of free time I do try to keep an open ear for Korea related events. I also discovered that my new Korean friend was going to be attending the event with her English tutor.  The title of the event was K-Pop.  By attending the event I thought I would learn a little bit about kpop.  After calling the receptionist at SILC, I was told the agenda consisted of a presentation on K-Pop and Hallyu (Korean wave), a dance performance and some light refreshments to follow. I envisioned I might hear an interesting lecture on history and culture. What did I have to lose? I figured this would be a great opportunity to network with some professors and or other young professionals or students in the area interested in Korean culture and history.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a young eclectic crowd of high school-aged somethings, fun individuals in their early 20s intermixed with a few international students, professors and Koreans that run the SILC. We listened to a presentation about Kpop and the Korean hallyu. Korea's pop music has rapidly picked up popularity all over the world. Hallyu refers to the rapid spread of Korean culture and popularity across the world. The term originated in China after journalists observed the rapid growth and popularity of Korean culture in China. Many Kpop groups travel to put on shows and meet their loyal and dedicated fans halfway across the globe.  I was surprised to hear that a kpop channel has received over 700 million hits! However, after briefly thinking about it, many loyal fans are probably responsible for multiple clicks! Everyone can use a little kpop in their life!  Popular  groups such as 2PM, Big Bang, SNSD, and 2NE1 were named.

After the brief history of Kpop and short video, the real hoppin' fun began. We were introduced to the San Diego Kpop Flash Mob group started by young individuals with a new found interest in Kpop and love for dance. The group of individuals goes by the acronym SDKFM. They're definitely an interesting crowd of individuals as we can see by their Facebook page description: "SDKFM is a group of crazy (borderline clinically insane) San Diegan individuals who love Kpop and dance. We aim to spread the love of Korean pop culture in our city and have fun." As their opening statement suggests, they know how to do just that: have fun! I admire the group for their passion and desire to share their love of Korean pop and culture.  They're doing their part to spread hallyu and make it even bigger right here in San Diego. Wherever you go, you're bound to find a Korean loving soul somewhere. Check out SDKFM's Facebook page here.  SDKFM definitely got their dance on in their performances!  I only got a brief video from the "sidelines" on my cell phone, but you can hear and see the crowd joining in with a rhythmic clapping.

Fortunately, some of the videos from members went up on youtube last night. You can get a clearer picture of their moves and popping beat.  Here is one of the videos I found: 

Following SDKFM's performance to a few Kpop mixes, members of the crowd came up to show off a few of their own moves. The crowd went a little wild for an extended period of laughter and dancing.

The evening was an informative and interesting night. I learned something and met an enthusiast group of Kpop loving individuals. We were quickly pushed out of the room due to building policies and I was not able to meet any of the Sejong Institute's staff personally, but I know that I will return for the next event in May and maybe even before then for a little tour. I have a feeling I'll walk into the next event with no expectations because they'll probably be blown away by exposure to more fun local San Diegans!

If you missed any of the links above check them out again here below:

California International Business University (CIBU) : http://cibu.edu/

The Sejong Institute of Language and Culture (SILC): http://cibu.edu/category/sejong-institute-of-language-and-culture-events/

San Diego Kpop Flash Mob (SDKFM):  https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoKpopFlashMob

Simply Yujacha

With winter creeping in like a thick fog and creating a frigid chill in the air, a hot beverage to soothe the mind and body sounds just about right.  What? You say you have a slight cough or sore throat, too?  It's that time of year isn't it?

I know the beverage for you. Yujacha (유자차) or citron tea.  Yujacha is similar to what most people know as marmalade. It is made of the citron fruit. Unlike the lemon or orange, the citron fruit is a smaller somewhat longer shaped fruit with little tasty juicy fruit to be eaten. The fruit is thinly sliced and made into a jelly-like preservable substance with the addition of honey or sugar.

In November (yes, this post is getting up a bit late), I received some citron tea from someone at a small company, Dalhae Trading, in exchange for some information and quotable remarks from my post about my love for tea and omijacha. To say the least, I was very excited to receive this package in the mail!  I absolutely love tea and yujacha is great during the winter cold season.

What do I do next? I grab a pot and boil up some water. I dish two spoon fulls of this delightful substance into the mug and I pour in some boiling water. Stir it up and give it a second to flavor up the water. Then, down my throat it goes all in one smooth relaxing move.  You'll notice, if inspecting the citron tea part of the fruit or pulp is used to make the substance. This makes reaching the bottom of the mug fun because now you have a chewy bittersweet treat awaiting you.  You've gotta like the pulpy-ness to enjoy the bottom of the mug and I certainly do!

Why do I drink this? 

1. It tastes good.
2. It's loaded with vitamin C-like healthiness and used as an herbal remedy to fight off winter illnesses.
3. It soothes a sore throat and a cough.
4. Did I say, it tastes good? Yes! You should try some.

Where can I find some of this goodness in a jar? 

You can find this in most Asian markets like the tea aisles of Korean or Japanese stores.
Or you could be adventurous and try to make some yourself.  Many cultures have their own version of the citron tea used to treat the common cold.

Where can fellow San Diegans find this? 
Well, I'm still working on answering this question. However, the Vietnamese and Chinese markets both sell the Korean version of the yujacha even with pretty Korean labels.
Writing on my love for all things Korea, I'm going to be biased and say that the Korean market/store Zion Market is the best place to shop, even for tea. Granted, I've only been there once as I'm still making time to get out and explore, but it was very large and fun to explore.  Look for more on that store later.

What other creative things can you do with your yujacha/citron tea/marmalade mix? 

The sky is the limit on this one folks.  Personally, I've used jelly and or this yujacha in chicken and salmon marinades. I've also used it as a sweetener on my morning toast.
How have others used it? And what ideas have I thought of or am I going to steal and recreate on my own?
One could make rolls, cake, muffins, cheesecake, mixed beverages, and so much more. Let your imagination run wild.  Check back in the next month for some of my crazy ideas.

This tea is simply delicious and may find itself marinading and glazing multiple treats of yours. Enjoy brainstorming the many things you can do with it while sipping on a hot mug of yujacha in order to stay warm and healthy this winter!


HK