Omurice Jam Jam

You ever have one of those days where you go to the post office to pick up a mysterious parcel that you missed getting delivered and it turns out to be a box from Seoul, South Korea, from a person you’ve never met, filled with Korean food and literature? 

No? Yeah, me neither. Until today.

As I walked down the street in Brooklyn, clutching my box, I couldn’t help but feel strangely connected to someone half-way across the world. Someone I’ll probably never meet and yet we can connect through a similar delight in food.

It all began back in 2012 when I received an email from Cho Kyungkyu. He was writing to inquire if he could use a couple photos I took of Louis’ Lunch in New Haven in his upcoming book. Sure, I responded. Why not? He offered to send me a copy of the book as a thank you. And then I promptly forgot about it.

Nearly two years later I get an another email from Cho: Hey, remember me? 

So after a few weeks I receive a box in the mail. I was surprised at how big it was. How large could this book possibly be? Turns out that Cho decided to send me some snacks as well!

 

The food consisted of two different noodle cups (always good to have around!) and a red box with a photo of fried chicken. I don’t really know what it is, but it involves mini-drumstick shaped crispy things that taste kind of like shake-and-bake. I love miniature food. I love fried chicken. I love shake-and-bake. I love pretty much anything crispy. These are amazing. 

I wish I could read the book—it looks really interesting! The accompanying letter informed that the book is entitled Omurice Jam Jam and that it’s volume four in a series about food, his life, and his family. The book is filled with illustrations of food, family, and outings at various locations. Lo and behold, my photos made it in! 

There’s something very strange and satisfying about having pics from this blog appear in a random Korean publication. I think it’s pretty great. Maybe I’ll make it to Korea sometime, but in the meantime at least I can enjoy these fried chicken snacks and live vicariously through Cho's cartoons!