How to Eat Like a Korean

At a Korean table, cooking does not stop in the kitchen. Eating is interactive. Food is mixed, dipped, wrapped, and rolled right at the table. There is no wrong way to eat. Only more delicious ways. This way of eating centers agency with tasting, sharing, and feeling.

Art of the Wrap

In Korean, ssam 쌈 means wrap. A leaf, seaweed sheet, or tortilla holds a little rice, some banchan, and a dab of sauce, tucked into one loving mouthful. Making a wrap for someone else is a quiet way of saying, “I care about you.” This way of eating is found all over the world. Tacos. Arepas. Spring rolls. Injera. Crepes.  

Instant Flavor 

In Korean food culture, jang 장 means fermented sauce. Sauces add instant umami depth to soups, rice, vegetables, meats, and seafoods. We taste with our whole body. Sauces carry tastes, aromas, heat, texture, and stories all at once. When we  tune into the hungers beneath the bite, we gain confidence to remix flavors to meet our curiosity, cravings, comfort, and care.  

Awesome Sauce, Three  Ways

Ssam jang 쌈장 
A classic wrap sauce made with Korean mother sauces for umami depth and saltiness, toasted sesame oil for nutty aroma, a touch of sweetness, and aromatic plants like garlic, onion, ginger, and scallions. Designed for mixing, dipping, wrapping, and rolling.  

My easy Awesome Sauce
A quick and playful mix I whip up when I need instant flavor. One spoonful of  gochujang 고추장 (Korean chili paste) with a generous squeeze of Kewpie mayo, dialed up or down for heat. Used to turn raw veggies into something special.

What’s your Awesome Sauce?  
How do you want the world to taste? 
And how can we make more of that together?

Take Home

Container of Awesome Sauce 

More curiosity and confidence around vegetables

A deeper connection to self and others through flavor