Hi everybody!
Are some of you interested in learning Korean language and Korean food?
My long time reader in Australia, Chris Forrester, emailed me a few days ago and let me know he made a video for Dakbokkeumtang (Spicy Braised Chicken).
But the video is very special because he does it all in Korean!
He’s a hardcore Korean food fan, and when I went to Australia for my Gapshida tour, he organized a picnic meetup with some of my other Australian readers. He was a wonderful organizer and host!
At the picnic he grilled kangaroo meat bulgogi, the first time I had tasted or even heard of this Australian-Korean fusion dish. After grilling the meat, he wrapped it in lettuce and a little bit of ssamjang and gave me some. It was very tasty and I can tell my friends: “I’ve tasted kangaroo meat!”
Kangaroo bulgogi wrap! “Have some, Maangchi!”
Making bulgogi with kangaroo meat sounds like a simple idea, but in order to make it as delicious as he did, you need to be confident and experienced in making traditional Korean bulgogi. That’s how I knew he was a hardcore Korean food fan.
with Chris and his family and friends in Sidney, Oct. 2011
His brother also came to the meetup and told me: “Maangchi, because of Chris I’m also addicted to Korean food. He keeps feeding me delicious korean food, so I can’t help but cook it myself.”
He came to my hotel to pick me up to go grocery shopping and to prepare the food for the meetup picnic the next day. “Chris, have some steamed sweet potatoes!” : )
With some of my Australian readers
Running this website and making my videos on YouTube, I’m always amazed at how food can connect people. When I think of the fact that Chris saw my Korean recipes on the internet, filmed half a world away, and then he influenced his family and friends, and then finally I got a chance to go to Australia and meet them all, we already had a strong connection because of the food we had made and shared with friends and family. Already there is a strong bond of trust, before even saying a word!
Chris made this video as an assignment for the university class where he’s studying Korean. I was very impressed with his Korean ability. In the video, in Korean, he says: “This recipe was inspired by Maangchi’s dakbokkeumtang.”
I’m very honored!
That’s so cool! Great job Chris.
This is a fantastic story! Way to go Chris! That food looks so yummy, it looks like you all had a great time!
What is the Korean for Kangaroo? Perhaps a language lesson, too.