This article was written for Daily Hive by Taeyoung Chang of Coho Collective. He is a video producer, retired chef, food-waste advocate, and fried chicken eating champion.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and, for Koreans, the centuries-old celebration of Seollal (설날).
This is one of the most celebrated national holidays in the country, where millions of Koreans return to their hometowns to celebrate traditions dating back to the seventh century.
Having been born in South Korea but raised in Vancouver, my family celebrates the Lunar New Year by observing traditional Korean customs and their own traditions.
Although my family focused more on integrating into North American culture than cultural preservation back in the day, food has always been the vehicle we used to remember our heritage, our past, and the way we celebrate the present and welcome the future.
Here are some ways we will celebrate this annual holiday, including how we feast!
Charye (차례)
Charye, meaning “tea ceremony,” is a time to pray to your ancestors for your family’s prosperity. It’s one of the few times I would ever wear a hanbok (한복), traditional Korean clothes, and lay out a selection of traditional dishes in front of your ancestors.
Sebae (세배)
Sebae is a ceremony we perform after Charye (차례) and a great time to be the youngest.
In exchange for a series of deep bows and a hearty saehae bok mani badeuseyo, (새해 복 많이 받으세요), which translates to “please receive good fortunes for this new year,” your elders would pass on wisdom and some money.
One of the very few other times I wore a hanbok was during a cultural exchange day in kindergarten, please ignore the Fez.
Taeyoung Chang wearing hanbok as a child (Courtesy Taeyoung Chang)
Ddeukguk (떡국)
Ddeukguk is the quintessential dish to ring in the new year.
A broth of tender meat, thickened with simmered rice cakes, is garnished with an egg, seaweed, and green onions. The type of Ddeuk (떡) also represents long life, before being sliced into its classic bias-cut shape.
Eating this marks the passing of your Lunar New Year birthday, and as the youngest, I used to eat three to four bowls to try and get older.
*Add some mandu (만두) to make ddeuk-mandu-guk (떡만두국), for a wish of wealth, as the mandu resembles a traditional coin bag that you would use during Sebae.
Jeon (전)
Jeon (전) is another dish and technique for either whole or sliced ingredients, coated or combined with a batter and cooked in oil.
As ambiguous as this sounds and as mysterious as the origins of why we eat it are, it shouldn’t dissuade you from trying this dish. It’s delicious and a staple in my home regardless of the moon.
Galbijjim (갈비찜)
Galbi (갈비) are beef short ribs that are braised, Jjim (찜), in a savoury sauce filled with ginko nuts, pine nuts, chestnuts and sweetened with jujubes.
If our home had a staple dish, this would be it. I still have no idea how to make this, and in a way having this prepared for you is a part of what makes this special.
If you are in BC, check out Chosun Korean BBQ in Burnaby to try all three classics, and my personal favourite for Korean BBQ.
For Galbijjim and Jeon you can find them at Haan BBQ in Burnaby or Hanwoori BBQ in Coquitlam, BC.
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새해 복 많이 받으세요!