Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew) In 2010, I had the chance to live and work in Korea for 6 weeks. I suddenly found myself in the world of Hangul, Dolsot Bibimbap & Soju. It was exciting living in a place where we had to figure out how to communicate with the local cab drivers most of who didn’t even read the English script, let alone speak English. It was Hangul or nothing! We discovered the underground markets, ate Korean BBQ to our hearts content and explored temples, palaces and artsy neighborhoods. I had always been fond of Asia but Korea was something else! We were helping with the relocation of an army base and this Korean Army Base Stew fits in perfectly with my Korean throwback story. Here’s what my favorite Korean blogger @maangchi says about Budae-jjigae a.k.a “Army Base Stew.” It’s a spicy, savory, Korean-American fusion dish made from an umami-rich broth, Korean hot pepper paste, flakes, kimchi, and American Spam, beans, and sausage. This dish was invented after the Korean war (1950-1953) when the American army was stationed in the city of Uijeongbu, near Seoul. They had their own food on the base, things like canned beans, meat, Spam, ham, and sausages. This food was totally new to Koreans. Eventually these ingredients made their way into surrounding area of the base and some creative Koreans made stew from them. They boiled spam, ham, sausages, and baked beans with kimchi, garlic, and hot pepper paste and flakes, creating a Korean-style stew with American ingredients. This stew was delicious, hot & spicy! I used chicken sausage, baby portobellos, Napa Cabbage and kimchi that I made myself. • • • #mykoreankitchen #maangchi #chefstalk #chefsofinstagram #foodstyling #foodstylist #gourmetartistry #foodie #foodstagram #foodporn #peckishmumbai #feelingpeckish #expandyourpalate #foodtalkindia #thefeedfeed #buzzfeedfood #theartofplating #foodart #beautifulcuisines #culinaryarts #gastroart #photooftheday #foodphotography #foodstagram #foodphotooftheday #thefoodiehub #thestaffcanteen #f52grams #cookit (at Shivaji Park)