Little thing #31 Tangsuyuk, Kimchi and Gimbap

August 30, 2026

#116 Tangsuyuk

After several attempts at making Tangsuyuk (Korean sweet and sour pork), I'd say this one was a sort of success, good enough to accept for now 😂 There are still a few things I need to keep in mind for next time, but at least it finally turned out pretty well.

This is one of my favorite Korean dishes from when I lived in Korea. It's really delicious, and the way it's made is quite unique. When I was in Korea, we would usually order one plate and share it with everyone, rather than getting individual portions. Partly because it was quite expensive, and partly because one portion was usually pretty big.

Whenever I was craving it, I would either try making it myself (and fail 😂) or buy the frozen version and heat it up. There was only one time when I decided to splurge and order a large portion just for myself during a trip to Busan, determined to enjoy it as much as possible. Well, I couldn't finish it, so I ended up taking the leftovers home and eating them over the next few days haha.

P.S. Since I'm showing off anyway, I've actually tried making quite a few Korean dishes myself, and they've turned out pretty decent! So I guess all those years of wandering around Emart and traditional markets weren't a waste after all (Kimchi, fish cakes, cold noodles, tteokbokki, Korean BBQ, etc)

(My version) (Busan version)

#117. Kimchi never fails

Now I'm confident enough to make kimchi without a specific recipe or exact measurements. LOL.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish that is usually eaten with most of the foods, such as Korean BBQ, rice, or noodles. As far as I know, a long time ago, the taste of kimchi was even considered one of the ways to judge how good a Korean housewife was compared to others.

Recently, I discovered that there are instant kimchi seasoning packets that allow you to make kimchi really quickly. You only need to prepare the cabbage and add the seasoning. From my perspective, it's kind of a shame to use that kind of instant seasoning to make kimchi, especially for Koreans. LOL.

Although I'm not Korean, I've not bought that kind of stuff because I really enjoy making the sauce from fresh ingredients. I like adjusting the flavor myself and knowing exactly what goes into it.

Maybe I'll buy one someday just to try it, though. But if I can make kimchi that easily, I guess it wouldn't feel like much of an achievement anymore. LOL.