🌶 February is for making Gochujang + Simple Dinner Menu Ideas I made this week!

With Update on 🌿My Korean Winter Vegetable Garden 💕  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Hi there!   Happy Friday!!   To be February is a very happy and important month… because it's my Gochujang making month!!🌶🌶🎉   Last year, I didn't make any because I had too much leftover from the year before and also it was the start of the pandemic. But last year being the crazy year where we were eating 3 meals a day at home, we managed to finish up all the Gochujang!! So.. I am ready to make it this year!   That brings me to this fun subject - did you know that Gochujang or any Jang (like Doenjang, Ganjang) for that matter should be made only on certain days in the lunar January month? Now, as you know Feb 12th is New Year in the lunar calendar. And it's been taught through generations that Korean Jang should be made only on the days of the Horse - 말날 Mal-nal.    Korean zodiac goes in this order - rat🐭, cow🐮, tiger🐯, rabbit🐰, dragon🐲, snake🐍, horse🐴, sheep🐑, monkey🐵, rooster🐓, dog🐶, pig🐷. wheww.. that was a lot of work..😝   Now, Lunar 1/1 is the day of 🐰 , 2nd is Dragon 🐲.. which then makes the 4th the 1st day of the horse 🐎 in lunar January = Feb 15th. In short, Feb 15th, 27th and March 11th are 3 Mal-nal (day of horse) in the lunar month of January and thus these are the 3 days that is said to be the fortunate day to make Gochujang and have success.   Well, do I believe in this stuff? No.. not really haha.. I mean I don't even live in Korea so I'm a day late and weather is different.. But I do think it just goes to show how important the success of Gochujang, Doenjang and Ganjang was to Korean families.

HOW to make GOCHUJANG

Here are 6 easy recipes that use Gochujang - Enjoy!

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Here are some simple menus I cooked this week that you may enjoy -  Bugeo Guk + Gulbi (Grilled Dried Yellow Croaker) + Dubu Jorim Baechu Deonjang Guk using leftover Galbitang broth + Buchu Jeon

Bugeo Guk is a known to be a great hangover soup but yummy any day!

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This is one of my favorite way to eat Tofu. It's also yummy warm or cold - right out of the fridge.

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Certainly these pancakes are yummy on their own but sometimes, I like to mix the two - try mixing chives, sliced onions, green onions and the salted zucchini (instructions in Hobak Buchimgae recipe). It results in a fun pancake that has different textures and flavors. If you like it spicy, add some sliced green chilis too!

chive pancake

I think my Hobak Buchimgae is special because my mom taught me to salt the zucchini first before making pancake with it. It's an extra step but makes it so delicious!

zucchini pancake

My Winter Korean Vegetable Garden is doing great. I'm so happy!! Last year I planted the seeds for following Korean veggies in the fall and it's my first time planting in the winter and here they are! So blessed to be living in California.. Korean Red Leaf Lettuce (Jeoksangchoo 적상추) - top left Seoul Cabbage (Put Baechu 풋배추) - top right → bottom Korean Radish (Mu 무우) - top right → top Mustard Greens (Gat 갓) - no pic.. Minari (Water dropwart) - bottom left - I grew them from cut stems, been sharing it on my IG.

P.O. Box 2382 Saratoga, CA 95070, United States

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