Every summer in Seoul, Korea, there comes a rainy season in which rain is pouring for about two weeks straight. When this time comes, I usually try to stay at home to prevent getting wet. I prefer rain rather than the sun, and watching it rain from my window while listening to music and eating a warm bowl of noodle is the perfect way to spend the day. Every Korean craves a nice bowl of kalguksu when it rains, as it is the most representative comfort food that people eat on a rainy day. It would be the equivalent to Americans of eating chicken noodle soup on a cold day. My most memorable moment with the dish was when I was around ten. My dad was quite busy with his career and he didn’t have a lot of time to spend with me. It was one rainy day when he came home early and ate the dish with both my parents. It was a memorable day because everything I love was there: rain, food, and my family. Honestly, my memory wasn’t that special, but it just felt especially different that day. From then on, kalguksu always had a special place in my heart, as it would remind me of the warmth of my parents’ love.

Kalguksu is a warm noodle dish consisting of hot broth, vegetables, and a protein of choice. It is currently a very common and casual dish that people eat daily. However, because it has a heavy base of flour and carbohydrates, people try to add healthier options to their dishes, such as chicken breasts or lots of vegetables. The recipe for kalguksu differs depending on the region. In the bay areas, people like to put seafood into their dishes. Those who don’t live near the water put in meats, such as chicken. These healthy options were probably added to make the recipe a dish that every member of the family would love.

Kal means knife and guksu means noodles. Together it reads knife noodles. This is because the noodles are cut with a knife. The dish was first made during the Koryo Dynasty and has evolved throughout the years. When it was first made, the noodles were created from buckwheat flour – an ingredient that was more frequently found in Korea than normal wheat flour. However, because flour itself was a luxury, only nobles or royals were able to eat this dish. Regular citizens would cook this dish only on special occasions, such as weddings, as noodles were a symbol of longevity. People ate noodles only on these occasions in the hope of long lives and future happiness. Since then, this dish was enjoyed with family and friends and was eaten during a happy event. The dish was always a symbol of happiness, much like how I view the dish. Koreans were largely exposed to making this dish around the Korean War (1950-1953). This was because flour was mass imported from the United States as relief food for the army and the Korean people. Kalguksu became a relief and comfort dish then, as creating noodles with flour was one of the easiest recipes to make during such a catastrophic time. Even then, kalguksu was known as a dish created in large portions in order to share with family, friends, and neighbors.

This project was a very exciting experience for me as cooking these noodles and learning the recipe from my mom brought my childhood memories back. Although the recipe looked fairly simple, chopping all the ingredients and making the noodles from scratch took more time than I thought they would. I had the option of using pre-made noodles or making noodles from scratch. Although buying pre-made noodles would be more convenient, I thought I would challenge myself into making the noodles. In fact, the name of the noodle is knife-noodles, so I thought, “Why not?” Cooking the dish, I’ve realized that it takes effort and love. It made me think about how happy my mother would have felt when my dad and I emptied our bowls and talked about how good it tasted. From this experience, Kalguksu will always remain a family dish for me, full of love, effort, and warmth.