Nau speak: Korea: Ssamji snacks

One thing you really have to applaud South Koreans for is their ingenuity. The country was absolutely decimated, economically, politically and socially by the Korean war. Their people were starving and made do with (what may have been questionably obtained) rations from American soldiers who stayed after the slaughter, and what foods they could grow or have stashed away, often fermented goods like kimchi, other pickles, and seasoning pastes. It was important to ensure their foods could hold out through the long, brutal winter. From these humble beginnings, though, the country was able to rebound and build themselves up into one of the most dynamic and energetic societies on our planet with a booming economy in both imports and export goods. This does not happen without serious work and dedicated effort, and young Koreans can quite literally thank their grandparents and great-grandparents, recent ancestors who legitimately built up the culture and society they're able to enjoy now.

If you didn't know the history, you might not guess by looking at the city of Seoul. Young people happily wandering around, seemingly carefree as they nibble on street food snacks or shop for the latest trends. The frenetic pop culture industry churns out hit after hit, manufacturing new bands at a pace that seems surreal. It's only when you know about the past, and learn to look for signs of its presence, that you'll find traces lingering. Perhaps its the shockingly stunted stature of an elderly lady as she creeps her slow, bent-back and aching way through the train station, or maybe its the bullet holes in a tree along Seoul city wall, traced back to the war. Part of the rebounding period, however, was the need to fuel the workers in an affordable and easy way- this leads to a proliferation of processed foods and snacks that you'll find throughout both Seoul and Japan, both countries that had an extremely difficult rebound from warfare. These processed snacks provided a means of preserving meats and offering protein that wouldn't rot in the heat and humidity waiting for you to get to it as you went about your day. Fish cakes, like the big guy above and his fancy shrimp hat, provide a robust and surprisingly varied approach to a snack. Now a days, you can also find these bread pockets, stuffed with japchae or buldak (fire chicken) and griddle-fried to crispy greasy goodness. Not the kind of thing you should eat on a day to day basis, but for a treat it definitely worked!