Korean Summer Fruit - Watermelon (수박)

In Singapore, 1 fruit which I feel we have almost taken for granted is the watermelon.  It is available at the food centres and fruit juice stalls that we may sometimes forget how fortunate we are that watermelon is here the whole year round.

In Korea, watermelon is a summer fruit which means you don't get it anytime.  It is said that the sweetest watermelon is from Buyeo 부여 (at south Chungcheong province) during summer.  And also, it is expensive!!  USD$13.50 for 1 watermelon selling at the traditional market in Korea!  But I have to confess that how much 1 whole watermelon costs in Singapore because we often buy them in slices at the fruit juice stalls.  But I reckon that 1 whole watermelon would not costs more than S$10?

Like the Chinese saying "物以稀为贵", we tend to treasure things that are rare to us.  Look at what fascinating dishes that had been created from this summer fruit - watermelon ^^  Kalguksu!  This is amazing!

 



 

Related Posts:

Korean Yellow Melon (click)

Summer Dessert Patbingsu (click)

Seafood from Jebu Island (click)

 



[Non-Food] Earn rewards while you travel on LRT / MRT in Singapore

Dear friends, this isn't any spam but just sharing that our national transport system is having a campaign to encourage people to take the train during decongestion hours ie. before 7.30am or after 8.30am.  What you need to do is to sign up at the website they have set up (INSINC) at this link (https://insinc.sg/r/345pz9TJ/).  You will need to register 1 Ezlink card, and I suggest you use the one which you commonly use.  Backend at their system, they will capture the timing which you enter the gantry.  Log into regularly to check how many points you have accumulated.  Rewards is given in 2 ways:

1.  System can automatically convert your points into cash rewards which you can redeem at the value-adding machines or credit into your Ezlink card directly; or
2.  Let the system do an spinning game (like a snake and ladder game) where you can either earn points or earn cash rewards.  This depends on your luck!  There is also a possibility that you use up ALL your points but did not win any cash rewards.

So, no harm exploring!  If you wonder how much can you get back?  For me, after being on the programme for about 6 months, I got back $25 from the points =)  My travelling distance from home to workplace is about 17km for 1-way.

Hope this info is useful to my fellow local commuters in Singapore!

Eastern (Dong Yuan) Rice Dumpling

It's the Dragon Boat Festival or Dumpling Festival tomorrow.  It typically falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.  Chinese celebrate this legendary festival by eating steamed rice dumplings, or locally known as bak zang. 

The dumplings come in several traditional recipes namely in Cantonese style, Hokkien style or Nonya style.  My favourite is the traditional is the savoury Hokkien dumpling, made using glutinous rice seasoned with dark soy sauce and 5 spices, dried mushrooms and pork belly.  Some come with the salted egg yolks too.  I have just bought mine from the famous Eastern Rice Dumplings (东园肉粽).  Not only is it reasonably priced and they are really really yummy.  To savour the traditional taste, this is one shop you should not miss.

Due to the festive season, the price has increased a little and be prepared to queue... so, be there early if you want to get hold of your favourite rice dumplings!

Eastern (Dong Yuan) Rice Dumpling
Cold Storage at Compass Point, Basement 1

[Recipe] Homecooked Budae Jjigae 부대찌개 Recipe (Korean Army Stew)

The Korean Army Stew 부대찌개 is a common dish in Korea. The difference between a soup and a stew is that the latter is thicker while soup tends to lighter and most of the time, clear. 

This dish originated from the Korean war times when food was scarce.  In order not to waste whatever precious food that was surplus from the US Forces (from ham, spam, sausages etc), the Korean has transformed into a local dish that is still very popular to date.  The region where this originated from was Uijeongbu (located at the south of Seoul), it might be where you can get the most authentic 부대찌개.

Cooking 부대찌개 at home isn't as complicated as I thought. In fact, the dish can be ready within 30 mins.

Here's what I did.  Cut the beancurd into 6 pieces. Thaw the sausages. Get ready a can of baked beans. Prepare a slice of cheese if you like the soup to have some cheesy taste. Spam can also be added. Korean restaurants would also add ddokpokki (떡볶이) and mandu (만두). Add that if you have the ingredients.

I bought premixed 부대찌개 sauce and 김치.  Add about 300ml of water into the pot.  Add all the ingredients.

When the sausage is almost cooked, add in 라면. Cook for another 5 mins and you have a pot of 부대찌개!

That's how easy it can be....해보세요 ^^

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Related Posts:
Singapore Style Sundubu Jjigae (순두부찌개 / Beancurd Stew) (click)
Cheese Ramyeon (치스라면) (click)

Korean Yellow Melon (참외)

Some weeks back, I bought this bright looking yellow melon, Chamae (참외), from a local supermarket.  This fruit is very common in Korea all year round from Spring to Winter.  The Korean melon season starts from spring to summer.  The fruits are harvested during that period and are kept subsequently in the chiller so that the fruit is available whole year round.



 

Similar to the types of melon fruits, there are seeds in the centre.  Can you eat it?  Yes, you can.  In fact, the centre section is the sweetest portion of the fruit.  The texture of the outer section has a soft crunch, just like the other melon fruits.  Do you need to peel it before eating?  Actually, there is no hard and fast way to go about it.  It depends on individual preference.  Generally, the skin can be eaten but if you prefer not to, then it is alright to peel it.  This fruit is known to be rich in Vitamin A and C, folate, calcium, potassium and dietary fibre.  During the hot summer weather, this fruit gives us more energy to fight the fatigue.

Typically, the fruit is cut vertically and can be cut into thinner slices that what you see in the above picture.  It is best eaten when chilled.  For live demonstration on how to prepare the cut fruit, watch this youtube video.



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Singapore to Seoul Airfare Promo (Korean Air) [Ended]

If you're planning to visit Korea between 17 Jun to 31 Oct 2013, don't miss this promotion!  It is really a good deal!  All in fare from SGD655!

Visit their website for further details http://www.koreanair.com/index_sg_eng.jsp

Related Posts:

Minjungak Guesthouse at Jeju, Seogwipo City (click)

Flight Options to Jeju (click)

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[Korean Food] The Pajeon (파전) Drink - Makgeolli (막걸리)

Each country has it's own beverage.  For Korea, there are 2 very popular alcoholic beverages - Soju (소주) and Makgeolli (막걸리).  Let's talk more about Makgeolli.  It is an ancient alcoholic drink that dates back a few thousand years ago.  It is made from a mixture of fermented wheat and rice, native to Korea.  It's alcohol content is about 6% to 8%.  The drink is available off-the-shelve (in can or bottle form) and at the restaurant (in a bowl). 

When consumed at the restaurant, the service staff may ask if you would like makgeolli or saeng makgeolli.  The difference is that saeng makgeolli does not go through the heat sterilization process and thus, the micro-organisms in the drink isn't eliminated and as such, carbonic acid retains in the drink.  The shelf-life is much shorter compared to sterilized (salgyun) makgeolli which typically last for about 6 months.

The taste of makgeolli is quite mild and goes down well quite easily with any food.  Nonetheless, the alcohol content is still higher than beer, and for those who seldom, it is best to savour the drink slowly and enjoy the slight tint of rice taste.  For the Koreans, it is common to see them drink makgeolli while eating pajeon (fried pancake).

How is it served in the restaurants?  Makgeolli is served in a big bowl and they are scooped into the smaller cups for drinking, using the wooden scoop.  The serving portion is about the size of 1 plastic bottle at approx. 750ml.

At more casual restaurants, the drink can be served in metal bowls.

It is said that makgeolli is a beneficial drink.  It contains good bacteria that is similar to yogurt.  According to the owner of Jeju Makgeolli, Mr Koh Sang Hoo, one bottle of makgeolli is equivalent to 100 small containers of yogurt. It is rich in vitamin B and is high in fiber.

If you happen to be in Jeonju, you may even get to see live demonstration on the makgeolli making process at the Jeonju Korean Traditional Wine Museum, which takes place on the 3rd Saturday of each month, at 2pm to 4pm.  Details is available here (in English) and here (in Korean). ^^

In Singapore, Makgeolli is available at most Korean supermarkets and occasionally at local supermarkets.


[This post can also be found on The Korea Blog]

Summer Desserts - Patbingsu and Ice Kacang

For country like Singapore where we do not have 4 distinctive seasons, we have perhaps missed out the fun of enjoying things that others living in seasonal countries do.  Besides the change in fashion or experiencing seasonal activities such skiing, cherry blossoms, we also missed out the fun of enjoying food that are in season as the weather changes.

As the temperature rises from sub-zero to now hitting a high of almost 30 degrees in Korea, summer dessert patbingsu (팥빙수), a shaved ice dessert topped up with generous serving of red beans, fruits, ice cream and rice cake, is a common dessert that runs from June to perhaps mid October.  It could come with different variety such as even green tea or coffee flavours.

While in Jeonju last year, I tried this delicious bingsu.  What made this bingsu memorable was the black sesame paste that was drenched onto the shaved ice.  The white pieces are plain rice cakes while the green centre piece was green tea rice cake.  The sweet taste for this dessert was mainly from the generous portion of the sweetened red beans that topped over the shaved ice.

Oh well, in Singapore.  While there are now many Korean restaurants serving steamboats, BBQ and many other dishes, I can hardly find any Korean dessert shops. The solely existing cafe that serves bingsu is Seoul Yummy.  The tall ice cream attracts all the attention away from patbingsu, didn't it?

In any case, Singapore do have our own version of shaved ice dessert, Ice Kacang.  With our historical connection with Malaysia, kacang is a Malay word for red beans.  If you wonder where the red beans are, they are covered by the ice.  In fact, other than red beans, the other hidden ingredients include sweet corns, attap seeds (palm seeds) and jelly.  There are different varieties too for the Singapore shaved ice.  How about one that's topped off with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup like what you see in this picture?  ^^

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3D Latte Art

Latte art has entered into an evolution stage from 2D to now 3D.  The pictures of hearts and ferns on your cappuccino or expresso, which started in the 1980s, will soon become a passé.  Japanese 3D latte artist Kazuki Yamaoto has brought this brought this foamy art to a new level.  Some of these photos have been circulating on the internet lately.  They are simply too amazing not to be shared.

Most of the pictures are still in 2D drawing but starting to deviate from the heart or fern designs.

 



 

For some art, instead of the typical milk and coffee colour, more colours have been used to make the pictures come alive.

 

 

The quantum leap into 3D latte art.  I am truly amazed at the giraffe art.  It looks exactly like a giraffe soft-toy that you'd get from a toy shop.  For some Running Man fans, oh well.. it probably reminds them of Lee Gwang Soo.

 



This was the picture that caught my attention.  It looks like a real 3D painting depicting a playful cat eyeing at the fishes in a tank!

 



To craft such interesting art is certainly no easy feat.  It seems to be a nice balance between art and science.  Not only the artist has to have an eye for the artistic details, it also requires precision skills in achieving the balance in proportion so that the object becomes alive.  *Salute*

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[Jeju-do, Korea] Guesthouse in Seogwipo City, Jeju - Minjunggak (민중각)



Jeju Island is an oval-shape volcanic island located at the southern tip of South Korea.  The island is 73km from the east to the west, and 31km from north to south.  It is approximately double the size of Singapore.  The island itself is a favourite vacation spot for many Koreans themselves.  Tourism is one of the key businesses in Jeju.  In 2010, domestic tourists accounted for almost 90% of the total tourist count of 7.5 million.  This figures is rather significant considering that the total population on the island was less than 600,000.

 

On the island, there are many mind-blowing ocean, mountain and natural scenic spots and that was why Jeju was selected to be 1 of the world's New 7 wonders of Nature.  There are 368 small mountains within Jeju and 90 islands off Jeju, which is why Jeju is the ideal place for hiking and island hopping.

 

In terms of accommodation, the key consideration would be whether to stay at the northern Jeju in Jeju-si (Jeju City), where the airport is about 10 mins drive away, or to stay at southern Jeju in Seogwipo, where you will be nearer to ferry terminals making it more accessible if you plan to island-hop. 

 

For myself, I stayed at 2 guesthouses during my recent trip to Jeju.  The name of the first guesthouse is Minjunggak and it is located at Seogwipo city. It is 5-min walk from the Seogwipo intercity bus terminal and eateries such as Paris Baguette, Dunkin Donut. It is also a stone-throw away from 2 food streets! There are also several convenient stalls such as GS25, Familymart, 7-eleven.

Those of us who had stayed in guesthouse in Korea would know that the rooms are general quite small, and expect to lug your luggages up the stairs - don't expect any lift in the guesthouse. If you are lucky, the friendly host may help you with the luggages but they aren't obliged to do that.

 

Minjunggak's room is very spacious and clean. The room came with 2 single beds complete with quilt and blanket.  There is enough luggage packing space for both occupants, which is almost rare compared to guesthouses in Seoul.  On the floor that we stayed, there were about 5 units in total. What I like is also the big LCD TV in the room... wow! There are 2 sections within the room, one of the main bedroom while the smaller section is the toilet cum shower room.  In the shower room, there is a bath-tub and a rain-shower facility. The only downside is that there isn't any wardrobe and as such clothes would have to be hung on the door or on the wall.

The guesthouse hosts were very kind. It happened that I was on vegetarian diet on one of the days. I bought some vege-dumplings from a nearby restaurant which turned out that there was meat in it. The hosts helped me called up the restaurant to check if they had mistaken my order and they even accompanied me back to the restaurant, hoping to get an exchange. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get an exchange.  The lesson learnt here was that vegetable dumplings in Korea typically would be made with some meat.  This was the box of dumplings which I did not get to eat =(

When we returned to the guesthouse, the kind lady host offered to cooked me some vegetable pancakes.  She prepared a mugwort pancake, kimchi pancake and even gave me mugwort rice cakes (wrapped in cling wrap). It was my lucky day ^^

I have not heard of or tasted mugwort before this.  Pronounced as ssuk (쑥) in Korean, it is a seasonal vegetable and it is harvested typically in the spring season.   It is a common ingredient used for Korean rice cake, tea, soup and pancake.  Known to be a blood cleanser, the vegetable contains medicinal properties.  In Chinese, it is known as ai cao (艾草).  It is served as a form of cold dish or stir-fried with meat.  It is also used in the Chinese Acupuncture process.

(Fresh mugwort sold at traditional market in Jeju)

The overall experience with the guesthouse has been great, in terms of its location, its service and its facility.  The price is almost very reasonable!

For the guesthouse address, map and rates, you can refer to this link (http://univird.tistory.com/109) or book via BnBHero.



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Related Posts:
Autumn Travel Promo - Seoul / Busan (click)
Korean Air Promo - Singapore to Seoul (click)
Flight Options to Jeju (click)