세상에서 제일 맛있는 것?

무었이 세상에서 제일 맛있을까?

If you ask 100 people this question, I bet you will get 100 different answers, depending on their ages, gender, family and cultural backgrounds, emptiness of the stomach, and diversity of available foods, etc.

What is/was the best dish for me, then? I cannot pick one, as the answer has been changing throughout my life (I am a few years behind the age of 지천명 or 오학년). When I was in elementary & middle school, some classmates from wealthy family brought 장조림 or 진주햄 소시지 as 도시락 반찬. Those were so delicious that I could not forget them even today. So whenever I go to Korean grocery, I have a habit of putting one 소시지 in the cart. It is still a yummy item to me.

Another one I can remember vividly was the peanut butter. Back then, peanut butters were only from the US Army's PX. Somehow my mother was able to bring one jar to home. Once I tasted one spoonful of this, I was willing to trade my soul for this brown paste. Even now, I often enjoy one or two spoonfuls of the peanut butter once in a while.

Another mouth-watering food was "roasted chicken" with radish pickle. I could not forget how scrumptious this was. On the way home, there was a store on the street which displayed a rack with rotating chickens in an oven. The smell and the view almost killed me several times. 쟝 바르쟝??

During puberty (사춘기), everything was yummy, and nothing was wasted. 도시락 was usually done after second period, and we went 도시락 hunting during the regular lunch hour.... At least I was fortunate to bring 도시락, as some poor kids were not able to do it.

As time goes by, 술안주 became the main subjects of the best food. My budget was usually quite limited, so I and friends of mine looked for inexpensive foods in 포장마차. 꼼장어, 닭발 (the photo above is so modernized version), 순대 or 오뎅 were the best and usual menus on the table.

Upon settlement in the US, I was encountered with so many different ethnic foods and fruits. At first,typical American junk foods (burger and pizza) were most attractive. Then my interests shifted to Mexican (Fajita), Italian (mainly pastas), Thai, and Indian dish.

These days, instead of being served, I am trying to make dishes myself. Making something with my own hands makes me feel great. Sometimes they came out quite nicely, sometimes did not. But my family appreciates and enjoys my cooking, no matter what. ~°|°~