Monday, April 17, 2006

Flat tire leads to... Ddok!

Gordon tells me "ddok" is a better transliteration than "dak." Take your pick.

The important news is.... I know someone that knows how to make it!!

One of my adult classes asked me last week what my favorite Korean foods were. I picked ddok and dolsot bibimbab, which is rice mixed with various vegetables and lettuce, sesame oil and hot pepper paste in a special ceramic or stone bowl that's heated. This way, it stays hot for a long time - no matter how long it takes you to eat! And at the bottom, the rice gets crunchy, which is tasty.

But back to the ddok! Yesterday, at the end of class, they presented me with a large tray of an assortment of ddok. Mmmmm. How thoughtful of them! But it gets better.... Well, first it got worse. I went out and hopped on my bicycle to speed home and make dinner, and made it about twenty meters before my back tire went flat. :( (It went flat last week too, and was patched - guess it didn't hold.) Okay, I'll take a taxi - except, I didn't have quite enough money. I went back into the school to look for someone I knew to ask if I could borrow 1,000 won ($1). I found one of my students, and she insisted on driving me home instead - very kind of her.

On the way home, she said "So, you like ddok?" Of course I said yes! She went on "I can teach you how to make ddok." I was astonished! I hadn't met anyone that knew how to make ddok. She admitted that these days, generally only older women know how - but she knows how to make a few kinds. In fact, she had made the ddok for the other class to give me. Mmmm... Thus, I have now found a ddok teacher and a tofu teacher - I just need to learn more Korean so I can take advantage!

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