korean food

How to make Korean honey lemon tea: an herbal remedy

February 25, 2015 by Marie 7 Comments

Recently, I’ve been thinking about my first winter in South Korea. It was cold and I was unprepared. The other thing is, when you work with young children, you tend to get sick. They are pretty gross. They don’t wash their hands and they touch everything. Sooner or later, you will catch something.

The thing about working at a private academy, or hagwon, is that you can’t ~~really~~ take sick days. There’s no one to teach your classes. You’ve just got to suck it up and fight through the pain.

Tim and I were both in a lot of pain that winter, at one point we were sure we’d both gotten pneumonia (it was fleeting, I’m sure it was just a flu). Our sickness was pretty obvious, and one day the principal, who spoke pretty much zero English, came to school with a gift: a large jar of homemade Yujacha.

An herbal remedy for a cold or winter illness, yujacha is a traditional Korean herbal tea. It’s made with sliced yuzu fruit (a citrus fruit) and either sugar or honey. I guess to make it with lemon means it’s not quite yujacha, but it’s pretty delicious anyway.

Either way, the antioxidants in the honey (if that’s what you use) and the lemon (or yuzu) help the body fight cell damage and boost your immune system. So, drink it if you’re sick or if you’re not, and feel good about it either way.

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Spotlight on food: Dakgalbi

January 12, 2015 by Marie 2 Comments

Korean food is so special. It’s something I had very limited exposure to while growing up in Atlantic Canada. OK, I never really had any until I moved to Wonju in 2012. But, it grew on me quickly, and dakgalbi, the expat favourite, quickly rose to the top of my list.

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A Day in the Mountains: Chiaksan in South Korea

December 10, 2014 by Marie 6 Comments

This is the story of two attempts on Chiaksan, the 1,288-metre tall mountain that resides about an hour’s ride by bus from my former home in Wonju, South Korea. Once upon a time, Chiaksan was known as Jeokakasan. Then, based on a myth about a man who saved a pheasant from a snake, the mountain became “Chiaksan” and the meaning became “Pheasant Peak Mountain.” You’ll find Chiaksan National Park in Gangwon-do, central and north within South Korea’s borders.

My first experience in Chiaksan was in September of 2012, just one month after I’d arrived in South Korea. Meeting up with several other English teachers, strangers to me, Tim and I caught the No. 41 bus for 1,100 won (about $1.14 CAD). The air was still muggy with the humidity of a Korean summer, but nothing compared to the 40-degree heat wave that had thankfully passed.

Arriving at the park, the Americans who accompanied us proceeded to perform exaggerated stretching routines–to the delight of the locals around.

The start of our walk

A leisurely hike along a relatively flat path took us to Guryongsa Temple, an area we spent around an hour exploring. After leaving, we approached Seryeom Waterfall. Here is where the real hike would begin.

The Guryongsa Temple area

There are two routes to Birobong peak, one expert and one advanced in name. The truth is that both have pros and cons that are all their own. The expert path is steep, lined with steps most of the way. One would think that these lengthy staircases would make the path easier, but climbing stairs gets hard after a couple of hours. The advanced path is, of course, also quite steep. However, it is a rugged and less-maintained path, that does have moments of dips and flat path between steep climbs.

On this day in September, we would take the expert path, climbing up and up with speed but stiff joints. I found myself lagging behind, aware for the first time that my level of fitness was not as great as I’d thought. Here is where we would find the hour spent in the temple area would come back to haunt us. The views from the mountain were spectacular, afternoon sun cascading in patterns through greenery that would soon turn yellow, orange, and red. The day was getting late, we were out of time. We headed back with a sense of disappointment, but feasted on the best mountain bibimbap (rice, vegetables, chili paste, and an egg), dotorimuk (acorn jelly salad), memiljeon (Korean buckwheat pancake), and fresh makgeolli (sort of a low-alcohol rice wine). The day was salvaged.

The second attempt on Chiaksan

In May of 2013, I was desperate to find my way to Chiaksan’s Birobong Peak. By this point, we’d done a lot more hiking in South Korea, and Tim and I decided to go it alone to set our own pace. We left Wonju early, arriving in the park in the morning. We skipped through the first hour towards the temple quickly, and decided to take a wager and make for the previously unexplored (to us) advanced route.

Tim, in the beginning

As we gained altitude, snow and ice made more frequent appearances. Fatigue set it. We’d brought food to eat, but felt determined to make a steady trek to the peak (not advisable, but tempting in the mountains). Finally, the top was in sight. A last set of staircases help us gain momentum and reach the peak. The stone pagodas appeared as we ascended, greeting us in our arrival.

The top is in sight

At the peak, groups of Korean hikers lit up propane stoves and shared in shots of soju (the famous rice liquor, tasting like a slightly weak vodka–to me at least). The weather would have been nicer that day in September, but we rejoiced in the views of Korean hills, mystical in the haze. After a few quick photos and time to revel in success, we headed back down the expert path. Two things came to my mind: chocolate and soda. I’m not usually that big of a sugar person, but at this point, my body was pretty depleted.

Our celebratory photo together

We arrived at the shops near the entrance to the park just minutes before the next bus back to Wonju would pull up. We quickly bought a few snacks and jumped on the crowded bus, luckily making our way to two empty seats at the very back. Tim ate an ice cream cone as a young Korean boy laughed at us and gestured his jealously for our snacks. Tired and content, we were on our way back home.

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Read Tim’s experience!

5 Weekend Trips in South Korea

November 22, 2014 by Marie 22 Comments

It’s now been over a year since I moved away from South Korea, and I still find myself missing it regularly. I’ve written about some reasons why I love it in a previous post, so I won’t go into all that here. Maybe someday I’ll live there again (sorry mom!), but for now I’ll satisfy my longing by writing about it once again.

South Korea is a mecca for recent grads that have less than $0 and want to experience something new. But, you don’t just go there to teach–you go to spend your weekends exploring the country and taking it all in, cheaply (or not-so-cheaply, as it’s also very possible). Here are some of my favourite trips on this mountainous peninsula:

(disclaimer: this list is a bit Gangwon-do heavy. Not only because that’s where I lived–in Wonju–, but because it is a beautiful province with just too much good stuff to miss out on. It’s also pretty convenient if you live in Gyeonggi-do–the most populous province in the country)

5 trips for weekend warriors in South Korea

5. Lake Chungju

Cruising Lake Chungju in the late afternoon sunset is a somewhat mystical experience. The water sparkles in smooth laps and the distant hills turn to shadow. Depending on the time of year, you’ve got two options for your cruise: a shorter, scenic cruise around the artificial lake, or a two-hour journey across the lake to Danyang. Unfortunately, I arrived late in the day and found my choices limited to the first option. I’ve heard Danyang is beautiful in its own right and you can catch the bus back from there, so I was sad about that. However, the shorter cruise was spectacular in itself, the landscape opens up around you and it was a perfect springtime experience for me.

Prices vary between 12,000 to 20,000 Won for ferry admission, depending on your choice. From Chungju Bus Terminal, take bus no. 777 to City Hall (Sicheong) and transfer to no. 301 heading for the lake dock. Read Tim’s full article on it here.

4. Insadong, Seoul

I’ve spent my fair share of weekends–and one Christmas–in Seoul. I’ve been around a few neighbourhoods: Hongdae, Myeongdong, Itaewon, Sincheon, Dongdaemun, Gangnam, and passed through a couple others. Insadong takes the top for me. I get that perhaps Insadong is a bit of a novelty, but it’s fun. It’s a historical district in Seoul, and is a mix of modern art galleries and traditional tea houses. You’ll find streets lined with traditional stationary shops, and street artists and Korean street foods aplenty.

The famed Ssamzigil is a shopping mall worth checking out. It’s an open spiral structure that winds up, filled with plenty of crafts and knickknacks. I purchased one of my favourite chains there for 6,000 Won. At the top you can also find Insadong “poop-bread,” which isn’t nearly as weird as it sounds. I promise. Try one for 1,000 Won.

3. Namiseom/Chuncheon

Namiseom Island is famous for its beauty, history, and natural landscape. It’s true claim to fame, however, is that many scenes from the popular Korean drama Winter Sonata were shot here. Now, I could never find a version of the drama with decent English subtitles (if you know of one, please let me know!) but I desperately wanted to find it after visiting this place. The gorgeous tree-lined roads and grassy field, it’s a romantic setting that feels fairy-tale-worthy. Couples ride tandem bikes, and rustic wooden bridges lead you around the island, through gardens and along the waterfront. I know I’m getting cheesy here. But, I can’t help it when I think about it. It’s too good.

Depending on where you are coming from, you can go directly to Namiseom from Seoul. However, you really should take the time to drop by Chuncheon’s Dakgalbi Street. Seriously. Best. Dakgalbi. Can’t go wrong (disclaimer: maybe you can, matter of opinion!).

2. Chiaksan, Gangwon-do

Chiak is not the most epic mountain in South Korea, but it was my first Korean mountain, and it will always be close to my heart. From Wonju, you can take a public bus for 1,200 Won into the park. It’s a beautiful steady trail to the mountainside temple. Spend an hour or so wandering here, it’s worth it.

The hike becomes much more grueling after an hour or so in. You have a couple of choices when it comes to route, but both have their very physical elements. To the top takes around 2.5 hours, back down much faster, around 1.5. The view at the peak is nice, but the real joy is in the scenery along the way, and reaching the end of the challenging path. Also, when you get back down, you can enjoy some of the best makgeolli (Korean rice wine) and mountain food. This is the good stuff. And you’ll be hungry after this hike. Promise.

1. Seoraksan, Gangwon-do

If I had trouble deciding which destinations were my top picks for this list, that trouble disappeared when choosing the top spot. I would go back to South Korea over and over just to visit Seoraksan, and I know I will (I went there already for two weekends in one summer!).

In the Northeast corner of the country, the bus ride through the mountains, valleys, across bridges, and through tunnels can be a little intimidating in itself. When you pass the granite peaks of Ulsanbawi, you know you’re close.

I didn’t reach the park by Sokcho city bus until after dark, so didn’t really experience the park until waking up in it the next morning. It is epic. The mountains, the temples, the bridges, the giant boulders, valleys, rivers–the way it is so vast and crowded and empty at once. Hiking in Seoraksan can be calming and peaceful, or rough and dramatic. You wake to the sounds of Buddhist chanting and drumming, and sleep with calm emptiness echoing in the mountains.

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These are just a few short trips I was lucky enough to take during my time in Korea. There are plenty of other places I’ve visited or hope to visit someday. Suggestions welcome, as always.

How do you like to spend your weekend getaways?

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10 reasons why South Korea is a utopia for travelers

October 1, 2014 by Marie 9 Comments

I didn’t love South Korea when I first arrived. When I did learn to, it was a beautiful thing. More than a great place to teach English, it is an exciting place to live. Home to endless conveniences and opportunities, it is a small country (geographically) with a huge influence and unique culture.

My life in Korea began in Wonju, a city of almost 400,000, about an hour-and-a-half bus ride east of Seoul.

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Korean BBQ 101

January 27, 2014 by Marie Leave a Comment

One of the pleasures of living in South Korea is the food. While some of it may be an acquired taste, there are several styles of food that can be—pretty much—universally enjoyed by anyone. While I am certainly not an expert in Korean cuisine, after living there for a year, and eating my fair share of BBQ in that time, I have some advice that can make your foray into Korean barbecue a bit easier.

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