Having lived in South Korea for a while now, there are not many experiences that are too new to me; however, life on the Baekdu Daegan Trail threw a new one at me at Gwaebang-ryeong pass and the home of Mr. Baek and his family. Mark and I sauntered to the pass a little after midday to meet up with Rob, who was planning to meet us there after resting his knee for one more day. We were immediately called into the Gwaebang-ryeong Sanjang,owned by Mr. Baek, which offered food and accommodation for locals and Baekdu Daegan hikers alike. Friends of theirs came by to visit for the day so the seven of us sat down for coffee and some conversation, when suddenly the topic turned to famous foods in our respective countries and Mr. Baek's craving for a good steak.
Somehow it was decided that Rob, Mark and I would be the cooks for the evening and introduce them to some typical dishes from our countries. Now this sounds like a fairly harmless request, except the fact that because we come from the US and New Zealand, they believe we must know how to cook a delicious steak. And the worst part, we went with it.
Mark and I, still not having washed up from our day of hiking, were ushered into their car and driven to a well-stocked supermarket in Gimcheon, where we were told to buy anything we needed. The menu was decided: sauteed veggies, garlic bread, steak, salad, and mashed potatoes. We returned to the house slightly nervous that we could not live up to the expectations, but we channeled our inner Jamie Oliver and cooked with a vengeance. The best part being that the whole time we were cooking, the men were taking pictures and videos of us cooking the meal so they could imitate it in the future.
Eventually we had a meal on the table and I think the owner's wife's comment sums it up best:
"생각보다 맛있네" (It's more delicious than I thought it would be).
That's a victory in our book.
Somehow it was decided that Rob, Mark and I would be the cooks for the evening and introduce them to some typical dishes from our countries. Now this sounds like a fairly harmless request, except the fact that because we come from the US and New Zealand, they believe we must know how to cook a delicious steak. And the worst part, we went with it.
Mark and I, still not having washed up from our day of hiking, were ushered into their car and driven to a well-stocked supermarket in Gimcheon, where we were told to buy anything we needed. The menu was decided: sauteed veggies, garlic bread, steak, salad, and mashed potatoes. We returned to the house slightly nervous that we could not live up to the expectations, but we channeled our inner Jamie Oliver and cooked with a vengeance. The best part being that the whole time we were cooking, the men were taking pictures and videos of us cooking the meal so they could imitate it in the future.
Eventually we had a meal on the table and I think the owner's wife's comment sums it up best:
"생각보다 맛있네" (It's more delicious than I thought it would be).
That's a victory in our book.
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