It’s been raining an awful lot lately… the kind of weather when you just want to curl up in bed the whole day.

Yesterday, after finishing all the household chores and since I had nothing else to do, the pelting rain tempted me to hit the sheets. I just wanted to take a short nap, but I slept for five hours!

When I woke up, I was so hungry. It was past 10 PM, kinda late for dinner, and I didn’t want to cook food anymore. I was suddenly craving 부침개 (buchimge: Korean pancake) and 막걸리 (makgeolli: Korean rice wine).

On rainy days, Koreans like to eat buchimge and drink makgeolli.

My husband and I used to go to the 부침개집 (buchimge jib or buchimge house/restaurant) in summer, as it rains all the time… but now he works the night shift, so our dates can only happen on Sunday. (I miss going out with him whenever we wanted. T.T)

LET’S DRINK MAKGEOLLI! ^^

I don’t like alcohol, but I like the taste of makgeolli.   Makgeolli is one of Korea‘s traditional wine. “It is made from a mixture of wheat and rice, which gives it a milky, off-white color.” The taste is sweet, and although the alcohol content is about 6-8 percent, it is rich in fiber and protein, which makes it good for the health. In fact, it helps prevent cancer and heart disease.

In traditional ceremonies, makgeolli “is served in a large metal or wooden bowl from which individual cups and bowls are filled using a ladle”. Nowadays, you can buy makgeolli in plastic bottles and cans. If you go to a buchimge jib, they will most probably serve it to you in a tin kettle, and you will be given tin bowls where you will pour your drink or your companion’s.

Before pouring makgeolli into the cup or bowl, make sure that you shake or stir the drink first, or “the cloudy white portion will settle to the bottom and leave a pale yellow-clear liquid on top”.

Makgeolli is always served cold and of course, it’s best with newly cooked buchimge.

HAVE YOU TRIED KOREAN PIZZA?

Buchimge is also known as jeon. They are like pancakes or mini-pizza, that’s why they are called Korean pancakes or Korean pizza. There are different kinds of buchimge or jeon “made with various ingredients such as sliced meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables… mixed with flour batter or coated with egg batter and then pan-fried with oil”.

I have tried them all, but my favorite has got to be 깻잎전 (kkaetipjeon: sesame leaf pocket with minced beef). Last year, my husband and I made kkaetipjeon, donggeurangttaeng (동그랑땡 : meatballs), hubby’s favorite jeon, and beoseotjeon (버섯전: stuffed mushrooms). It was tedious work, but our jeon were delicious! ^^ Besides, cooking with my husband was fun.

Sometimes at home, my Omonim (mother-in-law) and I cook simple buchimge. There is always kimchi in every Korean household, so kimchi buchimge is perhaps the easiest jeon to make. Last week, I made 해물파전 (haemul pajeon, green onion pancake with seafood) which I enjoyed together with hubby and the family. ^^

I like to experiment on traditional recipes, so at times I make my own kind of buchimge: spinach buchimge and tofu-tuna jeon. ^^

Although buchimge or jeon is often eaten while drinking makgeolli, it is also a common appetizer or side dish. It is served with other Korean food on important traditional ceremonies and feasts, that is why you usually see it on the table during 추석 (Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving) and 설날 (Seollal: Lunar New Year).

Enjoy the rainy days with your favorite buchimge and cold makgeolli. ^^

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Filed under: Four Seasons, Health and lifestyle, Korean Culture, Korean Food and Drink, What I Love about Korea Tagged: Cook, Jeon (food), Korea, Korean, Korean cuisine, Korean pizza, Makgeolli, Pancake, Pizza, rainy day, Seoul, South Korea