Food blogger JinJoo from Kimchimari understands that for an outsider, Korean cooking can seem a little daunting. Her platform serves as a valuable source of information for both beginners and seasoned cooks, offering information about Korean cooking basics with guides that include how to buy and use Korean seasoning and pantry ingredients; how to plan menus; and even how to grow your own Korean vegetable garden. More importantly, Kimchimari offers a range of authentic Korean recipes that are made approachable.
In her bio, JinJoo admits she’s always had a passion for food. “Growing up,” she writes on her website. “I spent a lot of time in the kitchen –not because I had to help out but because I just loved eating (yes, I was a bit overweight growing up).” In fact, her whole family enjoyed a good meal and JinJoo notes that family celebrations often incorporated a family gathering in the kitchen, where they cooked special recipes.
“Being the youngest of five children, I spent a lot of time watching and learning how the wonderful dishes were made by my dad and my sisters (sometimes also my mom and brother),” she writes. “I loved watching them cook because I knew if I learned it well enough, I could make it for myself anytime-just the way I wanted.”
Born and raised in South Korea, and now based in the Bay Area, CA, JinJoo uses her food blog as a platform to teach her followers (and family) the secrets to Korean food. Still, being in the US, she recognizes the limitation to Korean cooking.
“In the US we have limited access to the wide variety of fresh seafood and other vegetable ingredients that are available in Korea,” shared JinJoo in an interview with Foreign Fork. “So the Korean dishes that people are able to cook in the US are somewhat limited. The dishes are also less spicy in general in the US and are more meat-centered as meat in the US is cheaper than in Korea.”
JinJoo adds that food in South Korea is very diverse in terms of ingredients used. “Because Korea is surrounded by the sea on 3 sides, there’s an unbelievable amount of seafood that’s used in Korean cooking,” she notes.
