Food has always brought me joy. It deeply satisfies so many senses, and trying new cuisines transports me to new countries. Being in Korea, a cooking class is a definite must.
It’s been nearly five months since I’ve been doing this K-Internship with Asia Lab in Seoul, and a cooking class was finally arranged. Although none of the food options stood out to me at first, we decided on spicy braised pork ribs (매콤돼지갈비찜). To be honest, I see it everywhere in Korea but I’ve never tried it, so I was excited to make it.
Galbi-jjim (also written as Galbi Jjim or Galbijjim) is braised short ribs, a popular Korean dish of usually pork or beef. While it seems simple, the tender meat is delicious with the flavourful sauce.
With just another intern, we journeyed for one hour all the way to Yeongdeungpo. The signs in the building weren’t clear, but the two of us eventually found the welcoming kitchen. We were joined by the chef, her assistant who translated for us, someone from France, and a kind Korean lady.
After putting on our aprons and summarising the recipe, we got started at our stations in partners. Of course, I won’t share the whole process and tips of cooking it — you should try a class with Yum2lab for yourself.
Indeed, cooking with others is such a wholesome experience that I need more of. I took turns with the other intern to wash the pork, cut the vegetables such as carrots and onions, and to add the ingredients to the sauce. Then, we finally boiled the pork with the various ingredients, followed by the thick sauce.
Boiling the meat took about 20–30 minutes, which I dreaded, but time flew by with our joyful chatter. We exchanged stories about food from our different cultures and tried a traditional Korean snack that resembled rice crackers.
Not only did they teach us about cooking, but they also taught us about Korean culture and food. Did you know that there are more than 100 different types of kimchi? And there’s even kimchi using persimmon fruit! I know right — definitely need to try that.
Sneaking a peak at the pot every few minutes, my stomach growled in anticipation. Spicy wasn’t my strong suit, so our broth bubbled more brown than the striking red of the other pair, but the colour sent waves of flavour to my eyes.
At last, it was ready to eat. We plated it nicely, and the chef even shared rice and the most delicious kimchi we’ve ever had. The first bite was none other than the pork. The meat melted in my mouth with a juicy taste of salty and spicy. My eyes lit up. A moan of satisfaction. It was well worth the wait.
Most of the dish was devoured in a matter of minutes. Then, we tried the chef’s version, which felt like the warmth of home with a hefty chili kick. She also graced us with makgeolli (Korean rice wine). Cheers!
At the end of the wonderful night, they packed the leftovers for us to take home, as well as the Korean snack and a heat pack (perfect for the freezing winter here). A tasty memory in Korea with the kindest people. So, that’s something that I am grateful for during this internship with Asia Lab.
