The Culture of Food

By: Amy Goto

Food is a universal language and connects us to so many things; a time, a place, a person, a feeling. Growing up in a mixed culture family, it was and still is, how I connect with my Korean heritage.

My grandparents met in Korea in the late 60s, my grandmother was a Korean national working on base and my grandfather a Nike missile tech. My mother was born in Korea but they soon got orders and moved around throughout her and my Aunt’s early childhood, finally settling back in Northern California where my Grandfather grew up.

As a child, I spent a lot of time at my grandparent’s house in the rural suburbs of Northern California, it’s what laid the foundations for my love of the outdoors. I’d spend summers chasing grasshoppers down a gravel road, eating sun ripe blackberries straight off the vine, playing with the cows through the fence, taking scraps from my grandfather’s carpentry shop. All of this occurred under the watchful eye of my grandmother through her kitchen window. In that kitchen was the real magic. She would call me in to eat, sharing memories she had of her birthplace through her favorite foods.

One of my favorite snacks she would make was jeon (jun). From simple ingredients sliced, dusted, egg washed and fried, to slightly more complex julienned vegetables, seafoods and or kimchi mixed into a batter to make a savory pancake, there are so many variations and ways to make jeon. My real favorite was fish jeon and, as I grew older, I’d relish in the special treat that was her stuffed pepper wanja jeon, usually reserved for special occasions or parties. Like many foods in any culture, It’s a dish that’s meant to be shared and can be made in quantity on large platters, or it can even work well as an appetizer or main meal served with rice, vegetables and or some kimchi.

Hawaii is the melting pot of the Pacific rich in its own culture with representations of Asian, Pacific Islander and beyond, including a strong Korean presence. One unique Korean-Hawaiian dish you’ll find is “meat jun” that looks and tastes Korean but its origins are actually in Hawaii. It follows the general preparation rules of jeon but it uses thinly sliced marinated beef instead of the traditional ground beef. I have used this version in preparing venison, sheep and goat so it would work well with any red meat, just make sure your slices are ⅛” in thickness. A trick to achieving even thin slices while slicing meat is to slice your meat while it is frozen. This works great with a professional meat slicer or a nice sharp kitchen knife.

I hope as you try this dish you experience the joy I felt being raised in my heritage and the tradition it represents. After all, food is how we share experiences, create memories, and remember where we came from.

KOREAN-HAWAIIAN MEAT JUN

Marinade

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

4 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

STEPS

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and add your sliced meat to the marinade and let marinate in the fridge for 1 hr.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks until combined, Also prepare your flour in a 2nd bowl for dredging.
3. Heat a frying pan with a light coat of oil on LOW heat. Low heat is the secret to keeping your egg batter an ideal texture and preserves the yellow color.
4. Taking 1 slice at a time, dredge in flour, shake off excess flour and dip in egg wash.
5. Place in a frying pan and gently fry for a minute/ 2 minutes before flipping. Make sure to not over crowd the pan. Then cook for another few minutes on the other side. Once finished cooking, transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
6. Serve hot with rice and dipping sauce

VENISON WANJA JEON

Optional: 1 block firm tofu pressed of water. Adding tofu is a great way to double the recipe if you’re short on ground meat. It will give it an overall lighter texture and flavor so if you do choose to add, make sure to adjust your seasonings and double add an egg for your egg wash.

Optional: jalapeños for stuffing. This is a personal favorite. Slice jalapeños in half lengthwise and devein and clean seeds out. Then use your meat mixture to stuff inside the jalapeño halves, almost like a Korean jalapeño popper.

STEPS:

1. Mince carrots, garlic, onion and green onion
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine your ground meat, tofu( if opted in), minced vegetables, soy sauce and the egg. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated. It should be a little tacky.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk until combined, Also prepare your flour in a 2nd bowl for dredging.
4. Heat a frying pan with a light coat of oil on LOW heat. Low heat is the secret to keeping your egg batter an ideal texture and preserves the yellow color.
5. Shape your meat mixture into small ( bite sized ) sized balls and dredge in flour and then dip into the egg mixture. After the egg mixture, place into the pan and give it a slight press to form a small patty. Repeat to fill the pan without over crowding.
6. Allow your mini patties to fry on low heat for a few minutes before flipping. Once flipped they should be slightly browned. Allow to cook for a few more minutes before flipping again to allow for a slightly crispier texture. Once cooked, transfer to a rack or dish lined with paper towel and repeat the process. Replenish oil in your pan as necessary, wiping the pan clean before adding new oil.
7. Serve hot or room temperature and enjoy with dipping sauce

FISH JEON

Pan-fried fish

1lb White fish of choice ( traditionally made with pollock or cod but I have used a variety of different fish I.e. jack, halibut, mahimahi etc…)

2 garlic cloves minced

Salt and pepper

2 whole eggs

Flour for dredging

Oil for frying

STEPS:

1. Clean and filet your fish, removing skin and any pin bones.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice your fillet at an angle into bite sized pieces that are about ⅛”-¼” thick.
3. In a bowl, mix your sliced fish with the minced garlic, salt and pepper
4. In a separate bowl whisk together 2 eggs until combined. Also prepare a 2nd bowl/ plate for flour dredge.
5. Heat a frying pan with oil on LOW heat. Low heat is the secret to keeping your egg batter an ideal texture and preserves the yellow color.
6. Take your seasoned fish pieces out one at a time and dredge in flour followed by the egg wash. Place in a frying pan and gently fry for a minute/ 2 minutes before flipping. Make sure to not over crowd the pan. Then cook for another few minutes on the other side. Once finished cooking, transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be enjoyed with dipping sauce.

DIPPING SAUCE:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mirin or white sugar

Splash sesame oil

Optional gochugaru for garnish( Korean sun-dried chili pepper powder)

Green onion for garnish