Spam has a special status in Korea. Even more so than Hawaii. Introduced during the Korean War, it is still consumed in large amounts, and gifted as special gifts.
Thanksgiving in Korea is around the corner and gift sets are proudly displayed in all manner of stores. From the simple neighborhood grocer to the slick Shinsegae department store, the largest gift display shelves are composed of spam.
Monty Python comes to mind, “We eat ham and jam and spam a lot.”
Oh, there is lots of processed meat that is cheaper than Spam here. Yes, a local mentioned to us that that “ham” on translated menus here is typically generic spam. This luncheon meat is literally called ham (햄, haem). Not the cured ham you might conjure in your mind. Specks of it show up everywhere. In your fried rice, gimbap, pasta and even on the majority of savory breads in places labeled café or pâtisserie. Confusing and fascinating. Vegetarians would find it challenging.
Perhaps an artifact of upbringing, culture, or simply enjoyment, we can’t deny our affinity for pork. Cantonese char siu bao (steamed pork buns), Taiwanese lu rou fan (pork over rice), dong bo rou (braised pork belly), Singaporean bakkwa (best jerky ever), the pancetta in carbonara, or a veritable slice of bacon. Memories of backpacking days snacking on jamón ibérico on toasted bread along with some tinto de verano surface in my mind. Doubtful that we’d haul backpacks around again on another trip, but one never knows. I should stop the stream of pork dishes flashing in my mind.
You can tell I’m writing this post in the middle of lunch hour.
Jeju island is also famous for its Jeju black pork. So one of the meals at home was jeju pork, with seasonal figs, and beets I happened to have come across. The persian spices from N definitely made the yogurt base savory.
On the weekend, we ventured deeper into an older local estate right next to ours. Nondescript stairs descend from an old parking lot and turn sharply into a dim basement. We came here because a combination of online cut-and-paste translation and search guesswork led us to suspect the existence of fresh steamed buns right under our noses. It unfolded into a maze of old shops, butchers, produce sellers, market stalls, and of course food.
And then there it was. Platters of giant buns. And fresh dumplings too. The neighborhood provides again. We ordered a savory one of chives and pork, and a sweet one of red bean. Each. They were pulled fresh from huge steamers and we headed home to savor them to consume them warm.
Sometimes, comfort foods simply make one happy. Whether it’s sliced spam, warm steamed white flour, or a summer fruit, I hope you get to enjoy some soon. I’m off to find lunch.