김무침 / Gim muchim (Seasoned roasted seaweed)

The family story is that when my great grandmother on my mother’s side was pregnant with my grandfather, she had a taemong (conception dream) of a tiger cub being stuck in a hangari (traditional Korean onggi pot). People in the family lamented that he could have fulfilled his dreams and ambitions, had it not been for the times.

Despite the times, my impression is that he seemed to have lived well. He loved a good drink with good company, knew how to give a memorable political rant, pissed off a lot of people, but still meant something big and warm to a lot of people. In retrospect I realize he was the big connector of the family.

He also made a solid gim muchim. My mom made it every so often, but it’s my grandfather’s that I remember and crave. I don’t have his recipe and he’s passed away, but I make it using various recipes and tips thinking of his. Here’s one version.

김무침 / Gim muchim (Seasoned roasted seaweed)

Ingredients
-4 sheets roasted seaweed, roughly shredded into bite size pieces either by hand crumpling them in a sandwich bag or a quick blitz in a food processor
-2 spoons jin soy sauce
-0.5 spoon yangjo soy sauce
-0.5 spoon sugar (or alternatively, maesil syrup)
-1 spoon sesame oil
-0.25 spoon grated garlic
-toasted sesame seeds
-chives (chopped roughly)

Set the shredded roasted seaweed into a big bowl.

Make the sauce by mixing everything else except the toasted seaweeds and chives.

Spoon the sauce bit by bit into the roasted seaweed, gently seasoning it by hand. When it’s nearly seasoned to your liking, add the sesame seeds generously as well as the chives. Mix again.

Enjoy with hot rice.