This video is part three in my Real Korean Cooking Stories series filmed in Korea after finishing my first cookbook in 2015. In this episode, I visit my hometown of Yeosu and revisit some familiar places from my childhood, where I lived until middle school.
I also took a trip to the nearby island of Dolsan, which is well known for the growing mustard greens in Dolsan mustard green kimchi. When I was young you could only get there by boat, now there’s a bridge and a cablecar.
When I was young, I used to go to the market in the early morning holding my mom’s hand. The market was full of fresh seafood, like clams, fish, fresh vegetables, and fruits. It felt like stepping back in time to see it again!
While editing this, I couldn’t stop thinking about my mom, who passed away in August 2024. As a child, she would wake me up early, saying, “I’m going to the market. Want to come?” Without fail, I’d rub my sleepy eyes and follow her.
The market always excited me as a kid. Another reason I loved following her was the warm red bean porridge and steaming corn she would buy for me. Watching her bargain with the sellers taught me so much, and those moments became unforgettable memories!
Before she passed, my mom said something to me that I think about every day: “You were not just my daughter, but also my strong friend.”
Video notes
Hwangso Restaurant (Raw crab)
2 Bongsannam 3-gil, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Hamnam Myeonok (Cold noodles naengmyeon)
435 Jungang-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
My boyfriend is adopted from Korea and Yeosu is his hometown originally before he went to KSS when he was 5 or 6! Where we live there are very few people of Asian decent that I could learn from and he doesn’t remember how to cook the foods he ate as a child. I’m excited I found your blog and I hope I can find recipes that are local to Yeosu and make them for him!! As well as find ways to get authentic Korean ingredients!
Yes, I hope my recipe and website are helpful.
“Yeosu is his hometown originally before he went to KSS when he was 5 or 6!” By the way, what’s KSS? It sounds like a place in the USA, but I’m not sure where it is.
Wishing you happiness with delicious Korean food!
Wow! Your home town is so beautiful! My husband said his mother’s childhood home is not far from there. She grew up on an island as a fishermans daughter. She moved to Incheon with her family to find a better life in Incheon. I am always fascinated by Korean life. Especially traditional fermentation/cooking process. Between you and my Korean MIL I have learned so much and will carry all that I have learned with me and pass it onto our children so it is not forgotten. Thank you! I wish you had workshops about traditional Korean fermentation methods. I have so many questions.♀️ Blessings to you this coming year 2025. Cheers.
Thank you for sharing the photo, Jshower1! You’ve posted many pictures of homemade Korean dishes on my website, and I just found out your husband is Korean! Your kind heart, not only respecting your husband’s culture but also truly enjoying making Korean food, really stands out. Yes, I’d love to meet someday and hear about your experiences with fermentation and making Korean food. Cheers! : )