Jane Week #15 - Tteokbokki
In Anyang, it was a habit of everyday life to stop by the tteokbokki lady selling five long rice cakes coated in the spicy orange sauce, speckled with greens. By the similarly orange-and-green play structure, the tteokbokki stall always stood, offering these hot skewers with contrastingly cold Icees. It was natural in Korea for kids even as young as me to be granted the freedom to roam around, so every day, I would stop by with a few blue bills in hand, ready for my after-school snack.
In Anyang, I walked myself to and from school, even as a kindergartener. Compared to sunny California, the area was smaller, and the community tighter—physically, as well as socially. When I moved to the U.S., the lands were so vast locations could only be accessed through vehicle. With this expansion of territory came the loss of my traveling autonomy, confined to the limitations of my neighborhood, and maybe the neighborhood a block over, too, if I were so lucky.
This specific sense of independence had long been forgotten by the time I had the opportunity last summer to attend a Korean cultural camp that would fly me, and fourteen others, over to the motherland. Although the camp itself lasted only a week, I took this opportunity to stay in my native country an extra seven days longer.
Without my parents there to hold my hand or blow on my tteokbokki when it was too hot, I flew to Korea. After the cultural immersion program ended, I was touring Bukchon Hanok Village on the visit I had planned myself. There, I found a restaurant with buckets as seats and plastic covering to shade from the rain—nostalgic, even if I had never actually been to this particular restaurant. There I sat, picking away at the tteokbokki with my toothpicks, hot against my mouth.
Even as my years in the U.S. grew longer, I always found tteokbokki, one way or another. Still, there is nothing truly like going out myself—and buying it myself.
Hi, Jane! I’ve never had tteokbokki before, but I searched it up the second I read your blog title and truly loved going through all of the suggested images. To be honest, I’m a little hungry now after seeing all of those pictures of scrumptious food!
ReplyDeleteAs I read your blog, I enjoyed the vivid storytelling that you’ve employed to share your connection with your motherland, and more specifically with tteokbokki. I could so clearly visualize the tteokbokki stall of your childhood situated near a colorful playground along with your experience recently revisiting Korea and having tteokbokki in an unknown yet nostalgic restaurant. From my childhood in India as well, I remember having so many types of authentic street food while traveling to markets with my family, and I feel so much nostalgia whenever I have those foods here and remember those childhood memories. I really enjoyed reading and relating with your blog this week, and I look forward to your next post!
Hello Jane, I hope you had a wonderful spring break! Tteokbokki is something that I’ve seen constantly over and over again in various mukbangs and instagram food reels, but I’ve never had the chance to actually try them, I need to get myself a bowl as soon as possible. Like all foods I initially only view them as delicacies (or, just food), but as I’ve grown older I’ve realized the memories that can be associated with certain foods. For you, tteokbokki reminds you of your native country and memories associated with Korea, and as I reflected on my favorite foods I realized that I too have many foods I associate with fond memories.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited China for the summer in fourth grade, every morning I would eat a Chinese crepe for breakfast. To this day I still haven’t been able to find a store that can mimic the same style, and I’m looking forward to visiting China again next year and finally being able to eat one again. The crepe, with its elusivity in America, reminds me of the unique and irreplaceable Chinese heritage I have.
Thanks so much for sharing, and I look forward to your next blog!
Hey Jane! Your title, short and sweet, made me click on this blog immediately. I've had tteokbokki I think twice in my life now? But I love them, and after having forced my sister and I having forced our parents to go to Korean restaurants all the time, it is easily one of my favorites in any soup or dish. Although, I have never had the chance yet to eat it as you described and I look forward to doing that, maybe when I go there myself. I digress, but reading about your experience reconnecting with your Korean roots was quite beautiful, frankly put. I imagine it must be a little funny, though very much as home, to go back but you captured that weird nostalgic feeling so well. I too went back to live in my home city for almost a year and a half (though this was a while back) and I noticed those same feelings resurface time and again. Thank you for this gentle reminder to push my parents to yet another Korean restaurant and I look forward to reading more of your work!
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