I always looked forward to what awaited me at the end of a long, hard day. It motivated me to try my best at school and my extracurriculars: playing my best at soccer games, running around at tennis lessons, or perfecting my moves at K-pop dance practice. Many times, this involved eating a nice dinner. I knew that when I arrived home, my mother would have a homemade meal ready for me that would relieve all the stress from the day. One dish that I always hoped would be on the dinner table was kimchi jjigae, a stew composed of kimchi, scallions, tofu, onions, and pork, which come together in order to make a broth that is flavorful, refreshing, and the perfect reward for a hard day’s work.

Kimchi jjigae has a depth in flavor that is difficult to replicate if the cook is inexperienced. Although I definitely enjoy eating other foods, kimchi jjigae just has a different sentimentality attached to it. It is a dish I would eat almost every week, whether it was made by my mother or grandmother. I love this meal so much that if someone were to ask me what my favorite food was at any given moment, the first thing that would come to mind would be kimchi jjigae. It is my comfort or soul food, and I can safely say that it would be the food that I would choose to eat for the rest of my life.

But growing up, I didn’t feel connected to my Korean culture. In fact, there was a time when I despised K-pop, as I found it difficult to relate to the idols, their etiquette, and their language. This was around the same time I felt alienated from my own culture as a result of the differences in my lifestyle compared to the average Korean student. While typical Koreans in the media were lighter-skinned, my tan and appearance made it hard to relate to other Koreans. Additionally, while kids my age in Korea had role models such as BLACKPINK, BTS, or Twice, my role models were Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj.

However, as I grew older, I realized how culture was embedded into people, no matter how different I look, act, talk, or dress. This made me start to appreciate the Korean heritage I was raised in, including the food, like kimchi jjigae, which I always loved. Today, I am very proud of my culture, and I believe that Korea, like many other countries, has such a rich and vivid cultural heritage. I believe that the main reason why I keep Korean heritage and food close to me is that it serves as a universal link between me and all Koreans, regardless of where we come from.