Taste of Hometown — The Flavors of a Village

Taste of Hometown — The Flavors of the Village

This valley village lies an hour’s drive from downtown Jecheon. The residents of Bulgeusil Village banded together to found a travel company and launched Maeul Mat Yeohaeng, a journey through the flavors of their village.

Words & Photos Hur Taewoo
In collaboration with Maeulneomeo
Jecheon City Tourism and Gastronomy Division tour.jecheon.go.kr

Day 1, 10:30

A Drive Along Cheongpungho Lake

“Over that way is where I fish. Just the other day I went out with my son.” The Jecheon tourist taxi driver keeps talking in a distinctive lilt that blends the accents of Gangwon-do and Chungcheong-do. “Truth is, sixty percent of Chungjuho Lake lies in Jecheon, so we call it Cheongpungho.” Dressed in a neat two-button jacket uniform, he drives at an unhurried pace the whole way. The cool waters of Cheongpungho stream past the window. Spurs of the Baekdu-daegan mountain range rise in lumps and folds to hug the lake on both sides, and with every curve the lake and the mountains unfold in fresh, brilliant views. Woraksan comes in and out of sight in the distance as the taxi crosses Cheongpung Bridge and winds along the bends into Susan-myeon.

12:30

Jadeurakgil Trail Course 6 and Baekbongsan Jumak

Dabul-ri, the highest village in Susan-myeon, Jecheon, is where the journey begins. A sign at the entrance reads, “A total of 10 residents live in 5 households.” Over a rise, herb gardens are scattered sparsely across the hollows of Dumusan. With the harvest done, the landscape is quiet. Halfway up the village mountain, at Baekbongsan Jumak (Baekbongsan Tavern) on the path to Jadeurakgil Trail Course 6, the first meal of the trip awaits: handmade tofu, buchimgae (savory pancakes), duruchigi (spicy stir-fried pork) and makgeolli (unfiltered rice wine). The sharp fragrance of mountain pepper (sancho) adds a touch of savoriness to the mild tofu, and the generous plates are soon empty. A ten-minute walk from here brings you to the Cheongpungho lookout, which offers the finest view in the area. Anyone who has been up to the lookout will want to hold on to that scenery a little longer, and will find it hard to walk past the tavern.

17:30

Farm-to-Table Dining at the Village Head’s House

According to Lee Taehui, the former village head of Sugok-ri in Susan-myeon, known as Bulgeusil Village, the village has a history of 500 years. At one time more than 130 households lived here; today about 70 remain. Villagers grow plenty of grains such as sorghum and chili peppers, along with a fair number of apples.

The highlight of the trip, dinner at Oegatjip Bapsang (Maternal Grandmother’s Table) in Sugok-ri, is served at the home of the current village head, Ju Byeongsu. His wife, Im Jongsun, head of the village women’s association, is from Bulgeusil herself. What defines the Oegatjip Bapsang table is that every dish, starting with the appetizer, is made by villagers from ingredients grown in Jecheon. Sorghum, one of Bulgeusil’s signature grains, stars in the opening course. Hosts and guests gather to pan-fry susu-bukkumi (sorghum pancakes with sweet filling) themselves and wash them down with sorghum makgeolli. The bukkumi, made with glutinous rice mixed in, are chewy and nutty, while the non-glutinous sorghum makgeolli, traditionally served on festive days, is sweet and tangy. Only after eating three or four bukkumi do we hear the dramatic backstory of the main meal: rice with tiger cowpeas and sorghum, dried radish-greens soup with saeng-i (freshwater shrimp), godeulppaegi (Korean lettuce) salad, myeongsusil pork suyuk (boiled sliced pork), deodeok (bellflower root) kimchi, stir-fried wild mushrooms and gourd, and sancho soy sauce. Each dish comes with its own story of where the ingredients come from and how they are prepared at home. A healthy meal set out on a small tray like this can’t help but be bountiful, and the energy of the land and the warmth of the village fill your mouth. Who knows when I will next taste flavors so natural that they wake up my tongue? Before long a bonfire is roaring in the yard, and dessert awaits: roasted sweet potatoes and wild grape wine.

Day 2, 8:30

Sorghum Waffles and Apple Trees

Breakfast is prepared at Susu Nongbune (Sorghum Farmers’ House), run by the sorghum-farming couple Lee Sanghyeop and Do Sugyeong. The main dishes are a bowl of susu puldde-gi (sorghum porridge) made with Cheongpung Hwanggeum Chal Susu, an improved variety of jangmok sorghum, and sorghum waffles made with whole wheat and glutinous rice. Guests can top the waffles to taste with mulberry jam, apple jam, bean cream and jocheong (grain syrup), all made by the couple. The porridge is gentle and easy on the stomach, and the waffles are chewy and get tastier with every bite.

After breakfast, we head to the apple orchard of Kim Yeongsu and Park Yeongran, set on the slope of the hill in front of Sugok-ri. The couple grow their apples without going against the order of nature. It may be the way of nature for everything to change and grow on its own with the seasons, but farming in step with it is not easy. As a result, they say, they went ten years without a proper harvest. Spraying pesticide only five or six times a year, they gather few apples for the size of the orchard, but the taste is astonishingly sweet and refreshing.

12:00

Pasta in the Village Below Woraksan

The fourth and final meal of our Village Flavors Journey is served at Nuri Maeul Bread Cafe in Dojeon-ri, Deoksan-myeon. Deoksan-myeon is mostly frequented by middle-aged travelers on their way to Woraksan, but this cafe hums with youthful energy, and its seats fill up at weekend lunchtime. It is reportedly run by a group of young people from Jecheon Gandhi School who plan to make cooking and baking their careers. The menu centers on bread, cookies, and pasta made with local ingredients. Whatever you order, the generous portions and honest flavors won’t disappoint. Its outspoken commitment to the environment and community is one more reason the place draws so much attention.