How is the aralia tree used in Korean cooking?
In the supermarkets, I’m drawn to the the displays of mysterious dried woods and roots used to add flavour to
Read More
spring in Korea
Get Over ‘Spring Fever’ with Korean Side Dishes (Banchan)
my parents-in-law just sent us a box of spring shoots picked from their garden in the countryside with a message to ‘eat lots of vegetables’!
Read More
What do you eat on the Great Full Moon Festival?
Dae-boreum The Great Moon Festival is celebrated today. It’s the first full moon of the Lunar year which falls on
Read More
Lunar Calendar in Spring: today is usu – the first rainfall of the year
Today (Feb 19) is usu, (pronounced oo-soo) known as ‘the first rainfall of the year’. usu is the time when the
Read More
The first day of spring (ipchun daegil) calligraphy
(updated 2020) At this time of year anyone who is into calligraphy may well be practising to write 立春大吉 ipchun-daegil to wish for good luck in the coming year
Read More
What does the Han River look like after the Blossom Festival?
At 7am a family of four ramen pots sit gazing out towards the river. It’s been a long night but
Read More
What happens on April Fools’ Day in Korea?
It’s probably not a great day to be a school teacher on April Fools’ Day (만우절 man-oo-cheol) as pranks might
Read More
What is a Korean custom on the first day of spring? ipchun
ipchun is the first day of spring. And ipchun daegil 입춘대길 (立春大吉) is a wish for good luck in the
Read More
What do people do on April Fools’ Day in Korea?
Here’s a poster for a promotion taken from the CGV cinema chain’s website. It explains that if you want to get a
Read More
What happens at the temple on Buddha’s Birthday?
In May the streets of Seoul are lined with lanterns looking forward to the celebration of cho-pa-il (초파일, 初八日, Shakyamuni’s
Read More
Look at Cherry Blossom around Jeongdok Library and Bukchon
Cherry blossom season only really lasts about a week, so I popped over to catch the cherry blossom at Jeongdok
Read More
It’s moving season in Seoul. So which is better – an apartment or a villa?
Spring is moving season in Seoul, so we can see these ladders everywhere reaching up to balconies to unload or
Read More
Boseong Green Tea Festival
The Boseong Green Tea Festival is held once a year in May after the first new tea leaves have just
Read More
Yeouido Spring Flower Festival
The Yeouido Spring Flower festival is held from April 12 to April 18 this year when the cherry blossom is
Read More
April’s Korean Idiom: 꽃샘추위 The cold envies the flowers
As April is here, I thought I could put my down jacket away. But no, I still need it. I
Read More
Preparing for Buddha’s Birthday
Buddha’s birthday is not until May 17 this year but preparations are already underway. Here at Anguk Zen Centre the
Read More
March 1st Independence Movement Day
Today is Independence Movement Day. It commemorates the declaration of independence from Japanese colonial rule that took place on March
Read More