Finally, after being home for almost a month, THE box from Korea has arrived. Lagging well behind the boxes of media rate shipped books, and duffels of summer clothes, the box I had been waiting for appeared at my doorstep.

Battered, with a tear down one edge, I pulled it in from the snowy step. With care I cut through the rounds of packing tape, and opened the box like a Christmas present, slowly and curiously lifting the bubble wrapped orb from its container.

Peeling away layer after layer of bubble wrap the red container began to take shape. I unwrapped faster, visions of rawboggie, dak galbi and other spicy treats dancing in my head, until I finally came to it, 3.2 kilograms, 6 and a half pounds of pure gochu paste.

gochu

I picked up this baby right before leaving Korea, at E-Mart, for 9,000 won. Here, in the Seattle area Asian supermarkets it retails for at least US 18.

Yes, after spending mindless hours watching Paula Dean burn her biscuits, Sandra Lee fixing up frozen pies from her line of artery clogging, saturated fat filled, pie crusts, and Rachael Ray’s side talking evoo, my malaise has been broken and I can begin to cook again. While I’ve enjoyed my sojourn with my South African culinary finds (see my previous posts) I am excited to roll up my sleeves and get elbow deep into my beloved gochu jang.

Oh I got a jjigae pot too!

jjigae pot

I wonder if my classmates will mind me sweating kimchi out through my pores?

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