Every country has a food people want when the weather changes. In England, it might be tea and biscuits. In Italy, maybe a hot bowl of soup. And in Korea, when it starts to rain, people think of jeon and makgeolli . Jeon is a Korean-style pancake, and makgeolli is a traditional rice wine. So, why do Koreans eat jeon on rainy days? Listen to the sound when it cooks— sizzle, sizzle . People say it sounds like the rain. That’s why jeon and makgeolli have become a classic rainy-day combination in Korea. How to make nuruk. The key ingredient in makgeolli is nuruk , a traditional Korean fermentation starter. To make nuruk , wheat is mixed with warm water to make a dough. It’s wrapped in cloth and pressed into shape, traditionally by stepping on it. Then it’s dried and fermented. **The wheat is roughly crushed so the good microorganisms can get inside more easily and help with fermentation. ** So, why do they step on the nuruk ? It’s to press out the air. Less air mean...
Have you ever been to a baby’s first birthday party in Korea? If not, you’re in for a treat. Korean first birthdays are not your typical “cake and candles” kind of thing. It's a big, meaningful celebration with deep historical roots. Let me tell you why it’s so special. Baek-il (백일) So, in the past — especially before modern medicine — infant mortality was really high. Babies often didn’t survive the first few months. That’s why when a baby made it to 100 days old, called "Baek-il" in Korean, it was already considered a miracle. Families would throw a small party to celebrate, inviting relatives, neighbors, and pretty much anyone who wanted to come. It was kind of like saying, “Hey! Our baby made it this far — let’s celebrate life!” But the even bigger celebration came at the baby’s first birthday , which we call "Dol" or "Doljanchi." By that point, if the baby had reached one year, the family felt hopeful that the child would live a lo...