Maangchi's 2025 new year letter!
Visiting my hometown Yeosu, how to make rice cake soup, 3 great recipes for 2025, plus photos and comments from you guys!
Happy New Year! I hope 2025 brings you and your family lots of happiness, health, and tasty Korean food!
Tteokguk (rice cake soup) is a dish that all Koreans enjoy together on New Year's Day. Each bowl carries the wishes for a fresh start to the year: the white rice cakes symbolize purity and cleanliness, and their round coin shape represents hopes for wealth, prosperity, and good health in the coming year. We have it in the morning to start the year off right!
Visiting my hometown in Korea
Part three of my Real Korean Cooking Stories was filmed all over Yeosu, my hometown. I hadn’t been there in a long time and I was so surprised to see that some of my favorite places were still there, places my mom took me to all those years ago. It’s a small harbor city on the south coast of Korea and in this video I show you around some of my history. We also make a side trip to Dolsan, an island well-known for the kimchi made from its mustard greens.
“My husband’s hometown is near Yeosu!”
Jshower1, who has been posting countless photos of Korean food she’s made on my website, is someone I’ve always been curious about. She not only makes kimchi but also various soups, pancakes, and even gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) at home, and they all look great. I’ve shared many of them with you through my newsletter. It turns out that her husband is Korean and she learned how to make traditional Korean dishes from her mother-in-law and me.
Her husband was pretty excited to see my latest video about my hometown, because it turns out his own hometown is not far from mine! I think it’s so cool to see different cultures coming together and getting closer because of my posts, it’s really a great gift to me and inspires me a lot.
One of my Canadian readers got interested in Korean food and she said: “My Korean boyfriend and I used to go out to Korean restaurants all the time and make Korean food together. We’ve broken up, but I still make Korean food every day because I like it so much!”
Short recipe video: Crispy seaweed chips
Gim-bugak is seaweed paper coated with glutinous rice paste and then fried. It’s crispy, airy, savory, and full of the fresh flavor! Everybody loves it so I usually make a big batch of these in December for snacks when people come over. Here’s the full recipe and video. Enjoy your gim-bugak!
Three recipes for the New Year!
Here are three recommendations from me.
1. Dakgangjeong (Crispy fried chicken)
This dakgangjeong (fried chicken) is guaranteed-to-be-delicious in any situation. It’s popular with my own friends and family, and also with millions of people online who made it from my recipe. Any time you need to please a crowd, go to this recipe!
2. Bok choy doenjang muchim
Go to this blanched bok choy dish when you crave something green and leafy, or you’re just longing for something healthy. It’s seasoned with doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and packed with the rich flavors of garlic and sesame oil. Get the recipe here.
3. Pan fried tofu with spicy sauce
Want a quick and easy, healthy and flavorful dish? My dububuchim-yangnyeomjang (pan-fried tofu with seasoning sauce) is the perfect choice. Keep some tofu in your fridge and then simply pan-fry it with a bit of oil and drizzle the sauce over top for a can’t-be-easier side dish. Enjoy it with rice! Get the recipe here!
A passion for making pork bone soup!
Have you ever tried making my pork bone soup? One of my readers, POV_husband, shared his tutorial for making gamjatang! I can totally feel his passion for cooking—completely focused on the soup in the pot and nothing else! His only interest was creating a delicious gamjatang. I can totally relate to that dedication! The video is short, but it’s a clear step-by-step tutorial.
Messages from readers & viewers
You guys always inspire me, amaze me, make me smile and make me think. Here are some great messages from last month!
One of my readers shared a touching story about her mother, who had fallen and suffered a bone fracture. Wanting to help her recover quickly and provide her with a nutritious meal, she made my beef and vegetable porridge. Isn’t that heartwarming?
Maangchi you taught us this recipe many years ago.... and I think of you every time I make it. I'm taking notes from your story.
Panda.62 said they made Korean special dessert stuffed persimmons (gotgam-danji) for their 93 year old father! Whenever I hear stories about people cooking for their loved ones, it makes me happy.
I made this for my 93-year-old father at this year's New Year's party. He loves dried persimmons, but he was delighted that he had never tasted anything so delicious before. Thank you very much. I will make it again for next year's New Year's party.
Bianca, a 22-year-old Italian woman, has been watching my videos since she was very young. If I ever get a chance to meet her, I’ll give her a big hug, even though she’s probably much taller than me : )
I grew up watching your videos, they are awesome.
As a teenager I watched your videos to be relaxed! I’m now 22 grownup and you are one of my great memory in my childhood and teenage years..
Thank you for making my childhood so awesome & of course I’m continue to watching your contents endlessly ❤
Love you mam 🫶🏻stay safe and healthy, may god bless you!!
I’ll see you next month with the next letter, in the meantime I hope you find something in this one to cook and enjoy with your friends and family. Make the start of 2025 the best and happiest one!
Love Maangchi
Happy new year to all! 🎉