Experiencing Korea By Mouth

Our two-day stop in Jeju-do, South Korea, or as they call it here, Korea, turned into a bit of a food and market trek. Lyn woke up with a really sore knee. She said that a Menehune had danced on it the night before, leaving it hard to walk. We got to the front of the port terminal after about a quarter mile of moving sidewalks inside the air-conditioned buildings. The heat hit us, and the next bus into town would not be for another half hour. I checked the Uber app and found we could get into town cheaply and maybe get straight to somewhere we could get a knee brace for Lyn.

I picked out a nearby pharmacy and had Google Translate translate a note about needing a knee brace for my friend. The driver started out to where I had requested and then indicated that there was a better place instead.   Trusting him to know his own town, we were dropped off in front of a little pharmacy right next to a little bakery right around the corner from a McDonald's.  We got a knee brace, lovely baked treats, and enjoyed them with a cup of coffee at McDonald's.  Nice start to the day.

Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market, or just Olle Market, was our next destination, or destinations. This market is a series of pedestrian ways covered overhead, with the occasional moped or other vehicle scooting through to deliver or pick up whatever is needed at one of the multitude of shops and vendors in this full acre of vending.

The whole area is famous for its citrus.  Hallabong tangerines were available in gift boxes in the grocery store we had visited, but they were out in baskets and bags in front of the produce vendors in the market.  I asked if I could buy just one, and the lady waved at me to say just take one.  I grew up with a tangerine tree in California and appreciated the mild sweetness and thin, thin membrane on the sections that made it a pleasure in the mouth.  We shared a twisted donut, Kkwabaegi, and a few donut holes made with rice flour.  The rice flour makes an interesting chewy texture for the treat.  It slows you down a little in making a pig of yourself.

Speaking of pig… the black pork is popular here, and we were supposed to give it a try. Fortunately, we saw flames shooting up from a grill in the market, and they were preparing the aforementioned black pork wrapped around enoki mushrooms and cooked on a wooden skewer. Unfortunately, the pork was so tough as to be almost inedible.

The heat and humidity were a bit much, and we had accomplished what we set out to do. On our way out we passed through the fish market and saw wonderful fresh fish everywhere and one vendor who seemed to be very tired. We took our leave of the market and returned to the ship.

On board, Ellie and I saw Paulie, our good friend and eating/cooking adventurist. Upon telling him about the market, he said he would be happy to accompany us the following day for a more in-depth dive into the culinary opportunities of Korea.

The entrance we selected had an homage to their local citrus, which Ellie was happy to pose with.  Nearby was a pair of bare-chested carvings that Paulie was happy to pose with.  Not to be outshined for natural curves, Ellie turned the duo into a trio.

It was early, but there was a Korean barbecue restaurant just opening up, and we took it as a sign that we were to give their famous pork one more chance to redeem itself. Inside, we saw Kelly, the activities director, sitting alone and invited her to join us for an early lunch.

The whole affair was orchestrated on a hot grill in the middle of the table by a young chef who threw our selected meats and veggies onto the scalding surface and delivered them to our plates in a non-stop orgy of mouth-watering indulgence. Kelly had ordered a Kelly beer. The chef showed us a local mix of soju and beer that foamed up when he tapped a spoon into it. Soju is a rice spirit from Korea, and it was the first time I’d ever had it. The Google translation of the label left a few things unclear.

Across the way, we had seen a stand with “Crystal Cake” for dessert.  It looked fascinating, and we shared one of the transparent orbs. We selected a peach-flavored one and had the recommended toppings.  The sign on the kiosk said…

Mizu Shingen Mochi is a very special Japanese dessert, also known as "crystal cake" or "water drop cake". It looks crystal clear, like a huge drop of water, and has a light and delicate taste. Despite the word "cake" in the name, it is not a real glutinous rice cake, but is made of agar (a plant-based gel) and water. When making Mizu Shingen Mochi, very pure water is used to ensure its transparency and refreshing taste. Usually, it is eaten with soybean powder and black honey. The soybean powder has a light nutty aroma, and the black honey is sweet but not greasy, which forms a wonderful contrast with the light taste of Mizu Shingen Mochi.

This dessert originated in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and has gained attention worldwide in recent years for its unique appearance and refreshing taste. Mizu Shingen Mochi is not only a dessert, but more like a food art, giving people a pleasing enjoyment.

With lunch and dessert out of the way, that could only mean one thing to a foodie in Korea: spicy chicken feet! Paulie was certain that we would hesitate at the offer, but we were game for the challenge. What is the point of putting yourself into the world if you are going to be afraid to experience it?

Ellie picked up a half dozen of the little rice flour donut holes we got the day before just in case the chicken feet refused to go down without a fight.  We got about twenty of the little guys swimming in a spicy oil and parked ourselves next to the little koi pond in the center of the market walkway.

With chopsticks, Paulie was the first to toss one back.  He smiled with satisfaction and compared them with others in his past.  I went next and had no reference point to compare them to.  The oil and spice were nice, and the texture was a well-stewed cartilage crunch.  Not a bad little snack.  Ellie sampled one and didn’t even need to rush to her donut chaser.  But she had enough and was happy to let me and Paulie share what was left.

By this point, I was running low on Korean currency and spied a novel treat that would just about clean me out as we were leaving Korea the following day. A cube of marshmallow-covered ice cream on a stick that the vendor toasted with a blowtorch right in front of you. I’m glad that I did it because the combination is wonderful on a hot day. The only thing better would be a cold drink. So we did.

Since the bus would not be there for about half an hour, we found a little bar off to one side of the market and sat down. They had Japanese whisky bottles inverted on dispensers behind the bar, and I saw a different presentation of said spirit. So I ordered it: Suntory and tonic over ice with a twist of lemon in a big cold beer mug. Chalk one up for a refreshing beverage on a hot, sticky Korean day.

I guess we didn’t really see a lot of Jeju-do.  But what we did experience was an in-depth taste of local food and culture. Another good experience with more to come.