Cheat day

The way the broth of budae jjigae seeps into the rice grains is extremely seductive.

If it were up to me, I would want to mix it right away, but I can’t leave out the seaweed flakes.

When I sprinkle the seaweed flakes that the monk gave me, they absorb the moisture and settle down calmly.

“I will eat well.”

I picked up a piece of Spam with chopsticks.

“Sigh.”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I’ve lived the past week for this day.

Before being diagnosed with diabetes, I used to go out only once a week, but now I walk 5 kilometers every day.

I gave up my staple foods of pizza, chicken, and cola, and survived on brown rice, chicken breast, and oolong tea.

I endured the long, patient wait for this moment of eating this lovely piece of spam, blushing red and shy.

When the senior I admired extended their hand, I wiped the sweat off my palm on my pants, swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth to clean it, and put a piece of spam in my mouth.

“Mm.”

I wanted to taste this flavor again.

It’s Spam, a taste I know so well and have missed.

Unlike meat with vibrant texture.

This decadent and artificial texture, which has undergone the process of being finely crushed and compressed, is indeed evidence of humanity’s advancement.

Look at that expression, lol

What did you put in the budae jjigae? LOL

Isn’t that almost like taking drugs?

Last time we went out, we had bibimbap and he acted like that, remember?ㅋㅋㅋ

It looks so delicious, lol

Oh, I already had lunch.

I mixed the rice and budae jjigae well and took a big spoonful.

The rice grains, sausages, napa cabbage, and onions, soaked in broth, alternately stimulate the tongue and teeth, while the accompanying scent of crown daisy gently fills the nasal cavity.

“It’s delicious.”

Baek Woo-jin, who was sitting next to me, admired.

That’s a relief. How is Chanyong doing?

The monk asked.

“I know that budae jjigae was first created after the Korean War.”

“Right?”

“This budae jjigae symbolizes how much our country’s food culture has developed over the past 70 years.”

“What the heck!”

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Baek Woo-jin teased with a smile.

“Listen.” How much effort the farmers must have put in to cook this fluffy rice. How many people have invested their time to ensure the fresh distribution of cabbage, onions, green onions, and crown daisy? How could we have become so prosperous that we can eat ham and sausages in such abundance? Moreover, the chef who used all of that to create such an excellent dish.

“Haha.”

Joo Ji-seung smiled happily.

“This isn’t just a simple dish.” It’s a work of art. Doesn’t the sight of the vibrant broth topped with crown daisy, bean sprouts, green onions, minced meat, and ham look beautiful?

Suddenly, the image I saw while editing Baek Woo-jin’s video came to mind.

“Okay.” Vincent van Gogh’s Red Vineyard. This is Van Gogh’s Red Vineyard.

This guy is weak, isn’t he?

What are you talking about? LOL

I get what you’re saying, but lol

What does a mere budae jjigae have to do with Van Gogh? LOL

These days, overreacting like that isn’t really my thing.

Baek Woo-jin looked back and forth between the budae jjigae and me, tilting his head in confusion.

“The praise is so excessive that it’s embarrassing, but Chan-young’s words aren’t entirely wrong.”

Jujiseung stepped forward.

“Actually, even just with rice, there has been an enormous amount of variety improvement.” The rice we ate just before and the rice we’re eating now isn’t that different.

“I know.”

Baek Woo-jin stepped forward.

Rice breeding has developed with three main goals: high yield, quality, and stability. In the 1960s, efforts were focused on increasing yield through inbreeding of the Japonica variety, that is, to harvest more. It was a time of hunger.

The explainer finally found his voice.

In the 1970s, in addition to quantity, stability was prioritized, meaning that rice varieties were improved to ensure healthy growth, and it wasn’t until the 1980s that quality became a focus. I tried to make delicious rice.1)

“How on earth do you know that?” I didn’t know either.

The monk shook his head and asked.

“I read it on the Geochang County Office website.”

“Why did you go in there?”

“Looking for YouTube content.”

Are you a farmer?

If you want to become a YouTuber, you need to check the Geochang County Office website.

Even if you read it, how do you remember it? LOL

No matter what, budae jjigae is pretty much the same everywhere. That guy is acting like he’s never eaten before.

“I only ate cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, spinach, brown rice, and chicken breast for a week, you know?”

“Okay.” Chan-yong is really working hard on his diet right now. Those who have tried dieting will know, but everything tastes good right now.

Joo Ji-seung read the atmosphere of the chat room and stepped in to mediate, but he has no intention of stopping what he was about to say.

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“But they are really, really bad.” “I’m telling you, I feel like I’m going to reach enlightenment while eating.”

“There’s a reason for that too.”

Baek Woo-jin interrupted.

“Cucumbers contain a substance called cucurbitacin, which gives them a bitter taste.” Cucumbers have a defense mechanism to protect themselves from pests or animals. So, just as we have been improving rice for 70 years, we can say that cucumbers have been evolving to become tasteless for 3,000 years.2)

“……Huh?”

“No way, cucumbers have only existed for 3,000 years?”

“We’ve been cultivating it for 3,000 years.” It’s just an assumption. If you look in the Korean Agricultural Technology Dictionary, it’s there.

I just got goosebumps.

└What do you really not know? LOL

└Why do you know about that, lol? It’s not even your major, lol.

To become a YouTuber with a million subscribers, do I need to know at least that much?

“No.” I’m smart.

Baek Woo-jin looked at the camera with a grin and took a bite of the budae jjigae.

While helping with the editing, I thought I knew a lot here and there, but every time it happens, I get goosebumps.

“Actually, I was going to say this after finishing everything, but it seems better to continue with the flow.”

As Ju Ji-seung was about to start the conversation they had planned for today, Baek Woo-jin interrupted with a question.

“But is it okay if I eat Spam, Jiseung-hyung?”

“Right?”

“You’re a monk, aren’t you?”

“I’m not a monk, you know?”

“Big twist.”

Seeing you ask despite knowing, it seems you wanted to tease me. Covering their mouth with their hand, they pretend to be surprised.

“A twist!” No, where do you see a monk?

Baek Woo-jin glanced over Joo Ji-seung, who was dressed as Santa Claus, and then made a circular motion with his hands.

It seems to mean that they look like a monk from head to toe.

“Is it because of the prayer beads?” My mother-in-law gave me this, so I’m wearing it! You know it!”

“Better to use your head than prayer beads.”

Baek Woo-jin covered his mouth.

hahahahahahaha

For real, lol

Pretending to make a mistake on purpose is so annoying, lol.

Baek Woo-jin is really going crazy

Even Jujiseung, seemingly taken aback, responded with a laugh.

“Are you belittling the 240,000 people with hair loss right now?”

“No?” The comment about looking like a monk can’t be an insult. Bro, are you possibly belittling 8.6 million Buddhists?

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Crazy lol

Look at Baek Woo-jin’s way with words, lol.

Tai Chi

Explain yourself! Clarify!

[Famous YouTuber insults 8.6 million Buddhists]

Today, Namuwiki is going to be buzzing.

“There’s no way.”

The monk quietly removed his Santa hat and clasped his hands in prayer.

“I was just joking for a moment.”

“Right?”

Thanks to the two people chatting, I was able to fully enjoy the budae jjigae without worrying about the broadcast or being interrupted.

This food, salty, sweet, spicy, and greasy, is a devil’s dish that corrupts not only the body but also the soul.

“Did you eat it all already?”

“Thanks, know-it-all.” Thanks to you, I was able to concentrate.

Where did all the budae jjigae and rice go?

Did you eat all of that?

I could focus, Eating well while they’re doing that next to me.

“Let’s continue with what you were saying.” I’ll listen now.

Baek Woo-jin and Joo Ji-seung were dumbfounded and then burst into laughter.

“Okay.” Continuing from where we left off, Chan-young used the term “culinary culture development” earlier, and it’s true.

Ju Jiseung also took a shot.

“When talking about the origin of budae jjigae, people usually think it was just made with ham received from military bases, but in reality, it started from using food scraps.”

“Are you talking about porridge?”

Baek Woo-jin responded.

I also found out about this while preparing for this broadcast, and I was quite shocked.

“Right.” Right after the war, there was so little food that even the food waste coming from the military base was hard to come by. When the workers bring out food waste, they buy it with money, and sometimes they even find cigarette butts in it.

“There’s nothing else to eat.”

“It’s really a heartbreaking story.” Also, it wasn’t originally called budae jjigae. Since military supplies were distributed to civilians without permission, they call it budae jjigae and advertise it as ham from the military.

“That makes sense.” So what was it originally called?

I already knew the content, but I asked a question to make it easier for Jujiseung to continue speaking.

“As I mentioned earlier, the dish made from food waste was called ‘kkulkkuli juk,’ and it was also referred to as ‘UN soup,’ but later, when it took the form of budae jjigae, it was called ‘Johnson soup.'”

I understand that UN-tang is a name given because of the UN forces, but the exact origin is unclear.

“Is it true that Johnson Tang was named after the American president at the time, Johnson?”

Once again, when a question was asked, Baek Woo-jin answered.

“President Johnson’s term started in 1963, but by then it was already ten years after the war, so the timing doesn’t match.” The place known as the first budae jjigae restaurant in our country is the Uijeongbu O Restaurant we talked about earlier, and it has been in business since 1960. Also, after Spam and similar items were officially imported, it started being called budae jjigae instead of Johnson Tang. I think there must have been some other reason.

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Sometimes I really suspect that he might be an AI.

Isn’t Baek Woo-jin really a genius?

The first owner of Itaewon Johnson Tang appeared on a broadcast and revealed that he immigrated to Germany, where he made a soup with sausages and vegetables for his children, and named it Johnson Tang.

I saw it too. Good > Jota > Johnson said.

Good soup, Jota soup, Johnson soup? Isn’t it strange?

If that’s how they feel, what can you do about it? LOL

I heard that President Johnson came to Korea and got sick too, haha.

“Eeeeeee.”

Baek Woo-jin clenched his fist after checking the chat window.

It seems they are upset that there are things they don’t know.

Seeing my cheeks puffed up in anger, I thought of joraengi tteok and rummaged through the pot, finding a piece of white rice cake.