Much Ado About Mushrooms, Part 1

As Chuseok is actually a harvest rather than a thanksgiving festival, I thought I’d mark the occasion with a posting on Songi or Songyi beoseot a.k.a. the pine mushroom a.k.a. (Tricholoma matsutake or matsutake mushroom, Tricholoma nauseosum, 松茸).  See warning at the end of this posting.

Beogre you go all gung-ho and head out for the hills to go mushroom hunting, bear these figures in mind. Although there are apparently over 2000 varieties of mushrooms in the Korean peninsular, most are inedible or poisonous. Fewer than 20 kinds are cultivated commercially. More disquieting is the fact that, there has been a 60% decline in mushroom harvests over the last decade. In 2009, only 100 tonnes of songi mushrooms were collected.

Their increasing rarity has ensured that their nicknames such as “golden mushrooms” and “diamonds of the forest” are well-deserved. Once plucked, the mushroom doesn’t grow again; it can’t be cultivated and it’s particularly sensitive to environmental changes. Among South Korea’s most expensive natural products, songi mushrooms have almost become so endangered that you need to be certified to harvest them and even then, each harvester may only be allowed to remove one mushroom.

The best quality pine mushrooms can fetch princely prices of 800,000 won per kilogram ( about $670). Hence Kim Jong-il’s gift of 4 tons of songi beoseot to Roh Moo-hyun during one summit visit in the past was not something to be sniffed at metaphorically. In Japan, these mushrooms known there as matsutake were the exclusive privilege of the royalty until the 17th century. These days, they are still coveted corporate gifts during Chuseok celebrations.

But certainly, the whole point of enjoying songi mushrooms is to relish its wonderful scent. Its aroma has been described as a “distinctive cinnamony pine smell” and people have praised its “delicate woodsy taste”. It also contains less moisture compared to other species so it can be stored much longer.

But that’s just the least of its virtues. Pine mushrooms have more vitamin B2 than other species; they make excellent low-calorie foods and they are rich in fibre and minerals. According to the Korean Donguibogam (Treasure Book Of Eastern Medicine), wild pine mushrooms “are known to be the greatest among all mushrooms because it has the pine tree’s vigours and delicious fragrances with no content of poisons”.

More recently, researchers have found that the pine mushrooms can lower cholestrol, and help to improve blood circulation. They can also be used to treat hypertension, colitis and even cancer. “In 1996, researchers at the National Cancer Center Research Institute of Japan found that polysaccharide extracts of matsutake drastically slow down tumor growth in guinea pigs.” It’s also been touted as an aphrodisiac but I’m more interested in the claim that it can help to tighten wrinkles and get rid of facial spots caused by exposure to the sun.

WARNING:
NEVER go mushroom hunting without a expert to guide you on what's OK to eat. It's not so easy to differentiate edible fungi from the poisonous ones!
More on songi mushrooms in the next posting.

sources:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/7/27/lifeliving/6406310&sec=lifeliving

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=697207
http://eng.yangyang.go.kr/page/foreign/eng/index.jsp
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/06/144_65111.html
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/05/146_53193.html
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=293158
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsutake
http://10magazine.asia/7124/a-taste-of-korea-songi-beoseot/
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/05/144_51633.html
http://www.sporelab.com/pine.html
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?gotoPage=1&cid=861566
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2092853
www.korea.net/news/news/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20071005009...
http://teachmekorea.blogspot.com/2007/09/mushrooms-and-trekking.html
http://www.ecplaza.net/ecmarket/imageview.asp?imageUrl=http://image.ecplaza.com/offer/c/chunho211/5216705.jpg
http://www.tradekorea.com/product-detail/P00156398/Two_Way_Cake.html

Happy Chuseok 2010!

Wishing all a Happy Chuseok!

To the halmeonis and halbeojis, may your children and grandchildren keep in touch not just for this annual celebration...

To the ajummas working hard in the kitchen, I hope the preparations for the family feasting won't be too stressful...

To the husbands of the ajummas - Please spare a thought or two for your wives, mothers and sisters...

To the children - may you find pleasure in the communal traditional games before they die out completely...

To the Koreans travelling abroad, have a great holiday spending your won overseas...

To those opting to take advatange of the long break  under the plastic surgeon's scalpel - a speedy recovery...

To those commuting from the city to the hometowns or villages - hope you won't get stuck in the traffic...

to  Koreans working and studying outside Korea - may the social media keep the family ties strong despite the physical distance....

to those in Seoul during the Chuseok period, enjoy the emptiness, quiet and uncrowded streets while you can!

Earlier postings on Chuseok, click below:

Chuseok - The Worst of Times
Chuseok - The Best of Times
What Really Goes On During Chuseok?
Songpyeon On My Pillow
A Korean Mother's Memory of Chuseok
Ganggangsullae- Not Simply Going Around In Circles


source:
http://moorimchem.co.kr/eng/notice/notice.htm?boardpage=/eng/notice/notice.htm&boardMode=view&b_id=enotice&g_id=&boardpage=/eng/notice/notice.htm&boardUseStyle=insert&lastcktime=MTI3ODY1MDM3MA==&boardUrl=&returnUrl=moorimchem.co.kr&searchtitle=&searchcon=&page=3&gid=1999994000&gno=%B0%F8%C1%F6

Beware Of Chuseok Crowds!

Chuseok or the Korean Thanksgiving  ( or the Harvest Moon Festival ) falls on the 22nd of September this year and it looks like the race for train tickets back to the hometown has started once again. This is a reminder then for tourists planning to travel around the third week to make their reservations a.s.a.p. and for those staying in Seoul to brace themselves for many closed shops and restaurants during this period.

This photo was taken at Seoul Station on Wednesday. These people in the queue lines are certainly taking no chances as they are booking seats one month ahead of one of the most important festivals in the country.

To see other pics of Chuseok crowds and jams of yesteryear, click here.
For what to do in Seoul during Chuseok, click here.
For what goes on during Chuseok, click here.
For Chuseok - The Worst of Times, click here.
For Chuseok - The Best of Times, click here.
sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/08/19/2010081900368.html

Ganggangsullae - Not Simply Going Around In Circles.

I thought that Ganggangsullae was just a dance in which girls held hands and went around in circles. After all, most pictures one googles up depict maidens in hanbok dancing in a round but after watching the video, I realise there's a lot more and I understand now why this folk dance has just recently been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

The only times I saw Korean dance was in the Chongdong Theatre ( more on that in future postings!) but I think I'd much prefer to see this one performed in a real village setting under a real full moon. Never mind if tradition is broken and the dancers are a mixed bunch of ajummas, halmeonis and even little boys instead of all pretty virgins as they're meant to be. Ganggangsullae is about the community and keeping in touch with one's agricultural roots and now it's on my wish list of things to see in Korea.

The video may take some time to upload but it's a great introduction to the dance.

Here's the official write-up by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea:

Ganggangsullae is a seasonal harvest and fertility ritual popular in the south-western part of the Republic of Korea, performed primarily on Koreas Thanksgiving in the eighth lunar month. Under a bright full moon, dozens of young, unmarried village women gather in a circle, join hands and sing and dance all night under the direction of a lead singer.

During interludes, the women playfully mime vignettes reflecting life in a farm or fishing village, including treading on roof tiles, unrolling a mat, catching a mouse or tying herrings. The dance takes its name from the refrain repeated after each verse, although the exact meaning of the word is unknown. Once a rare break from restrictive rules governing the behaviour of rural young women who were not allowed to sing aloud or go out at night, except during the ''Chuseok'' Thanksgiving celebration, the ritual is mostly preserved today by middle-aged women in cities and taught as part of the music curriculum of elementary schools.

Now practised as a performing art throughout Korea, it can be seen as a representative Korean folk art. It is an important hereditary custom drawn from the rice culture that pervaded daily life in the countryside. The easy tunes and movements can be learned quickly for this communal practice that contributes to harmony, equality and friendship among the women dancers.
source: http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Cu_detail.htm?No=67017&id=Cu

A Korean Mother's Memory of Chuseok

I asked a friend about the difference between Chuseok today and in the past. This is what Choi Y.S. told me:

My mother remembers when she was a young girl in the decade between 1970 and 1980, many Koreans were very poor. Her family was also not well-off so she would really look forward to Chuseok because she could then wear new clothes instead of just second-hand clothes and shoes,  eat a lot of special dishes and play with her relatives.

They came to my mother's house because her grandparents lived with her and in Korean culture, we always meet in the grandparents' home. In the old days, the public transportation system was very limited so it wasn't easy or convenient for her to meet her relatives.

She also sighs when she recalls how it wasn't possible to enjoy rice because it was such a precious and expensive commodity that only wealthy families could afford. She usually ate food made from barley and wheat but during Chuseok, she could enjoy eating rice. Nowadays, rice is something Koreans can have daily so they don't think it is something precious.

When I remarked: "Your life in the past seems very hard. Would you ever want to turn back the clock?", her answer surprised me.

*** Dear Choi, Thanks very much to you and your mum for sharing this! Am waiting for your translation of her answer!

source of pic:
http://discoverkorea.co.kr/bbs/view.php?id=news&page=2&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=hit&desc=asc&no=21

Songpyeon on My Pillow

Don’t be surprised to find songpyeon instead of complimentary chocolates on the pillow if you’re staying in a Korean hotel this weekend. After all, it’s Chuseok and what better way for Korean hotels to involve their foreign guests in the harvest celebrations?

I was touched by this thoughtful gesture, courtesy of Core Riveria Hotel, when I was in Jeonju a few years ago. The pretty rice cakes were sitting on a thin bed of pine leaves in a basket. Can’t recall what the filling was – was it chestnut or were red, green or mung beans used? Anyway, the charming picture the songpyeon presented gave me even more pleasure than the taste itself.

Unlike the Chinese who observe the Mid-Autumn Festival with cakes that resemble the full moon, Koreans like their songpyeon shaped like half moons. A full moon can only mean it’s waning while the half moon promises fullness and greater brightness to come. Honestly though, the songpyeon look more like tiny conch shells than half moons to me. Apparently, shapes and sizes vary from region to region – those in the south make smaller cakes while the Gangwon-do variety resemble clams.

Lee Ho -jeong writes:

Donggukseshigi, a Joseon Dynasty publication from 1849 that documented the seasonal customs of the period, states that songpyeon "uses the rice grain taken from rice straw that has been kept since the fifteenth day of the first month of the year. Some as large as the size of a hand or as small as an egg, the songpyeon are made in the shape of a half circle of jade" .The Donggukseshigi also says that songpyeon was dispensed to servants according to their age.The gifts of songpyeon were designed to increase the servant’s morale as the harvest began.

There are stories that have passed from generation to generation about the making of songpyeon.
For the unmarried, they can find a beautiful wife or a handsome husband when the songpyeon they make has a beautiful shape. An unattractive or mishapen songpyeon will result in a life spent with an ugly husband or wife. Another legend says that a pregnant woman who hoped to learn the gender of her unborn child should steam the songpyeon while placing a pine leaf or pine needle in a horizontal position within the songpyeon. If the sharp end of the needle or the pine leaf appears when the woman takes a bite from the songpyeon the child within her is a boy. If the smooth flat area appears the unborn child is a girl. "

Those who are really into making desserts and traditional cakes, check out the Rice Cake and Kitchen Utensils Museum (open Mon –Sat, 10 am – 5 pm; tel: 02 – 741 5411/4). There’s a café nearby selling a wide range of such delicacies as well. Or if you happen to be in Insadong, ask around for the rice cake stores in Nagwon-dong, Jongno-gu.

For more information and a recipe, click here.

The photo above shows Hyundae employees making songpyeon for the elderly  in a home as part of their community service. It would be interesting to know if many Korean families still follow the tradition of making songpyeon together or if they prefer to buy them ready-made at the convenience store.

For more on tteok ( rice cakes ) in general, read this.

Sources:
http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/news/reports_view.php?idx=1071&cPage=45 http://www.korea.net/News/news/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20061004038&part=111&SearchDaykorea.encyclopedia.co
http://www.sulyapinoy.org/feature-stories-f12/what-is-the-meaning-of-chuseok-http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/include/print.asp?newsIdx=10234
http://www.korea.net/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20080609001&part=106&SearchDay=
http://www.joonsfamily.com/lofiversion/index.php/t8572-200.html

What really goes on during Chuseok?

Here’s my list of questions:
1. How many young Korean adolescents are playing traditional games like ‘yut’ (a board game played by tossing sticks) instead of being glued to their Gameboys or Playstations?

2. How many Korean women and  men actually wear hanbok?

3. Do the ajummas get any help from the menfolk in preparing the food?

4. What percentage of Koreans prefer to spend their long weekends outside Korea?

5. Can urban Koreans connect emotionally with traditions of Chuseok especially as they relate to agricultural activities?

6. What are the unwritten social rules for the buying and exchanging of gifts?

7. Do Koreans of the Moslem or Christian faiths practise the Chuseok customs like charye and seongmyo?

8. How will future generations of Koreans observe Chuseok?

Sources of pics:

http://utour.goryeong.go.kr/eng/htmlpage.php?menu_code=10093http://asiandramaresource2.blogspot.com/2007/01/what-happened-in-bali.html
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/news/top(16).jpghttp://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/115_52319.html
http://www.capaa.wa.gov/community/korean_americans.shtml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/3812054/Pictures-of-the-day-17-December-2008.html?image=7

Chuseok – The best of times Part 2

Here are some reasons why Chuseok is the best of times for visitors to the ROK:

1. Ample photo opportunities as many children and ladies are dressed up in beautiful jewel tones of the hanbok.

2. If you hate city crowds, this is your chance to cruise along on public buses and you don’t have to jostle for space in the trains. The capital almost becomes a ghost-town as most Seoulites have gone back to their ancestral homes.

3. The museums and other tourist attractions usually have special concerts and activities that feature traditional games and  food during the long weekend. Still clueless about where to go and what to do? Click here.

4. It’s a great time to see Korean families in a relaxed frame of mind enjoying things together outdoors.

5. The TV stations usually broadcast special programs so you’re more likely to see your favourite Hallyu star in some game show or concert. Click here for more if you're planning to be a couch potato in Seoul.

Next posting: What I'd really like to ask about Chuseok
Pics taken at Namsangol Hanok

Chuseok - The Worst of Times, Part 1

I thought I was used to seeing traffic jams but I wasn’t prepared for the almost never-ending lines of cars that streamed out of Seoul on the eve of Chuseok. If you ever need proof that Seoul is made up of people whose roots are elsewhere in the country, look no further than this national three-day holiday, held each mid-autumn according to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. It is a time when most Koreans return to their hometowns for family reunions and rituals to honour their ancestors.

The bus and train stations are exceptionally crowded and those with their own set of wheels are not that fortunate because they’re likely to be stuck in massive traffic jams as more than 4.2 million cars clog up the main highways leading out of the capital.

My own first experience of Chuseok was on the tour bus heading towards Seoul and I remember feeling amazed at the number of cars all making their way in the opposite direction. The bumper to bumper traffic was moving so slowly that I could even see some drivers reading newspapers, chatting on their mobile phones and even one person cutting his toenails.

Chuseok can be the worst of times to find yourselves in Seoul. You can’t go shopping, your choices of where to dine are extremely limited and even places of entertainment, like the department stores and restaurants, are closed for at least three days. On my 2003 trip to South Korea, I had forgotten that the timing coincided with this important holiday. It was very disappointing because I couldn’t show my travel companion the wonderful mazes and array of merchandise on sale at Namdaemun Market. However, it was one of the few times I was glad we were on a package tour. At least our meals were arranged by our tour guide; otherwise we would’ve have been walking around and around looking for a place to eat.

It can also be a pretty stressful time for some Koreans as well. I remember reading a local news article in English about how housewives in Korea were particularly tired out from all the food preparations they had to make for the elaborate rituals. Couples may bicker over whose side of the family to visit first to pay their respects. One emerging trend among younger Korean couples is to book a tour out of the country during this period to avoid all the hassles. Single Korean girls may have to run the gauntlet of embarrassing questions from relatives about their single status while the occasional quarrel may erupt when the festivities include too many glasses of soju. It’s a sad time for homeless Koreans as they have no family to celebrate with them.

For more information about what's closed and what's not, click here.

Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/09/117_10804.html


Next posting: Chuseok - The best of times