By Honorary Reporter Bojana Doneva from Bulgaria

Photo = Bojana Doneva

As a food and travel enthusiast, I jump at every opportunity to travel and dine in new places. Whether in Seoul or the provinces, Korean food offers a comfort I cannot get anywhere else. Korean dishes prepared by warm-hearted ajumma (older Korean women) bring back fond memories of my hometown and my own mother's cooking.

While attending this year's Busan International Film Festival, I visited Haeundae Beach to eat the city's culinary specialties: dwaeji gukbap (pork and rice soup), milmyeon (cold wheat noodles) and haemul pajeon (seafood scallion pancake).

Dwaeji gukbap is a long-simmered soup made of pork shank, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and bone broth. It is usually served with a bowl of steaming hot rice and side dishes such as chives, baby shrimp, noodles and kimchi that can be added to enhance flavor. 

Originally eaten by the poor during the Korean War in the 1950s, the soup is now a go-to comfort food for locals. Its appetizing broth is perfect for dinner after a walk by the sea on a cool autumn evening.

Dwaeji gukbap is one of Busan's most famous dishes.

The next day, I took a casual stroll in the neighborhood and saw a small restaurant with an inviting family atmosphere. Its specialty milmyeon is another Busan specialty. The long and thin noodles are served in icy cold pork broth and garnished with thinly sliced pork, gochujang (spicy red pepper paste), grated cucumber and a boiled egg on top. The generous portion of noodles mixed with the other ingredients makes for a hearty meal on a warm day. 

Restaurants in Busan that make good milmyeon (long and thin noodles) often have long lines during meal times.

Before heading back to Seoul, I stopped by Haeundae Traditional Market, where I had haemul pajeon with the rice wine makgeolli. The dish is made from wheat batter combined with seafood such as shrimp, squid and mussels, chopped scallion, diced onions and a few slices of pepper. This is great for lunch in a seaside neighborhood on a rainy day. 

Haemul pajeon is a type of pancake featuring seafood.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.