#jjimdak

Incheon: Jajangmyeon 

Korean Jajang sauce is black, a color created by fermented beans and added caramel. The recipe is different compared to the Chinese original. The sweet sauce is very appealing to Korean taste buds, making it a very popular dish throughout Korea. 

Chuncheon: Buckwheat Noodles. 

Buckwheat is easier to grow compared to rice and wheat in barren areas, making them more common in the Northern areas of Korea. The workers who built Chuncheon’s Soyang River Dam in the past enjoyed the cheap and easy-to-digest buckwheat noodles in Chuncheon, which eventually became popular. 

Jeonju: Bibimbap

Bibimbap is one of the most classic Korean dishes. Jeonju bibimbap is mentioned in the 19th century cookbook Siuijeonseo, which claims that Jeonju’s version of bibimbap is the most famour in Korea. Records tell us bibimbap appeared in Jeonju about 220 years ago. 

Andong: Jjimdak 

One theory of its origin is that in the Joseon Dynasty, the scholar-officials (Yangban) who lived wthin Andong’s city walls would make a kind of braised chicken dish on special days. Another theory is that it developed from a garlic chicken dish popular at Andong Market in the late 1970. 

Daegu: Gopchang 

The fame of Daegu Gopchang (beef, sometimes pork intestines) can be traced back to the 1970s and 80s. During the Korean financial crisis, many Koreans who lost their jobs opened up Gopchang stalls at Daegu’s Anjirang Market, gradually taking the shape it has today. 

Naju: Gomtang 

During the Japanese colonial period. Naju was an area with plenty of livestock including cattle. The cattle were used for food and leather products, with leftover meat and offal given to local workers so they could make a stew out of it. 

Busan: Dwaeji Gukbap 

The origin of Dwaeji dates back to the Korean War, when refugees who fled to Busan used ingredients discarded by the US military, such as pork bones, minced meat, etc, and made a soup of it.

Jeju: Black Pork 

Tonight's badly lit delight: some spicy soy sauce braised chicken and veggies!

I used about a pound/500g of boneless thigh, and browned the cut up pieces a little for extra flavor. Also used maybe half the sweet stuff, as usual around here. (Still may have been pushing it with my partner's taste. 😅)

Probably could have done without double carbing it tonight, but it turned out delicious. Great easy dish for a chilly rainy evening!

On the side, because we had cucumber that needed used up:

how I feel about food bonus:

Jjimdak