When Has Your Meal Had A Story Like This?

budae

So a great deal a lot more than the “leeks, onions, garlic, and other greens” that swim amidst the odd presence of sliced hotdogs and Spam, a single of Korea’s favorite dishes, Budae Jjigae, is a stew with a backstory not most likely linked with most meals, as TheExpeditioner.com’s own Jon Wick finds out in this piece.

Arising out of the ashes that was Korea following the Korean War, Budae Jjigae is much more a stew of necessity, consisting of whatever Koreans could scrounge from the earth and from the packs of American G.I.’s (which explains the use of Spam).  As a single Korean explains to Jon, “The U.S. soldiers would give away their army foods to neighborhood people and they make this stew . . . U.S. Army very superior to us. It was a really, incredibly terrible time.”

So the place can you go to try out the best? Head north from Seoul to Uijeongbu Odeng Shik-dang and get in line to stop by what lots of Koreans take into consideration to be the very best joint serving this odd concoction. I have to admit, this helps make my impending dinner of ramen from a bag search variety of lame now.

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