In this series, Michelle Zauner, an author and the singer of Japanese Breakfast, explores the results of migration on cuisine, and the personal experiences and community that are tied into the merging of food cultures. As cooks try to replicate familiar dishes in foreign homes, they rely on what’s around them. But by tying in techniques, ingredients, and sensory memories from their places of origin, they create new, hybrid cuisines.
In this episode, Zauner sits down with Sarah Lee, co-founder of Kimbap Lab, and Emily Kim, a YouTuber and author better known as Maangchi, to discuss the evolution of Korean-American cuisine. The three share a meal at Pocha32 in New York City’s Koreatown and dive into the origins of Budae Jjigae, or “army base stew,” and their own experiences with Korean-American food.
watched tons and tons of maangchi's videos and never knew her real name is Emily Kim. 😅