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Baek-il (백일) is a traditional Korean celebration held on a baby's 100th day after birth. In the past, infant mortality was much higher than it is today, so reaching the first 100 days was considered a major milestone for both the baby and the family. While modern Korean families often celebrate with photos, decorated tables, and small gatherings, Baek-il still carries a deeper meaning: gratitude for a baby's healthy growth and hopes for a happy future. What Is Baek-il? In Korea, a baby's 100th day is known as Baek-il (백일). Today, many families celebrate the occasion with a special table setting, family photos, or a small gathering, but Baek-il was not originally just a festive event. Many foreigners are familiar with Korea's first-birthday celebration, known as Doljanchi , but are surprised to learn that Korean families also celebrate a much earlier milestone. While many cultures place great importance on a child's first birthday, Korea...

Korean hair salons are much more than places to get a haircut. From shampoo services and personalized consultations to long-term relationships with trusted stylists, Korean hair salon culture reflects everyday life in Korea. In the past, neighborhood salons even served as small community spaces where people shared local news, parenting stories, and everyday conversations while waiting for their turn. A typical neighborhood hair salon in Korea. Many Koreans continue to visit the same salon for years, building long-term relationships with hairstylists they trust. What Makes Korean Hair Salon Culture Unique? Some of the most memorable cultural experiences in Korea are not famous tourist attractions or historic landmarks. Sometimes they are ordinary places that people visit every day. One of those places is the Korean hair salon. With salons found on almost every neighborhood street, getting a haircut or perm is a regular part of life for many Koreans. For ma...

Gochujang is one of Korea's most famous fermented seasonings. Made from chili pepper powder, fermented soybean powder, glutinous rice, malted barley, and salt, it brings together spicy, sweet, and savory flavors in a way that is difficult to find in other chili sauces. While chili powder gives Korean food its signature red color, gochujang takes that flavor one step further by adding fermentation and time. Gochujang combines chili peppers, grains, soybeans, and time to create one of Korea's most iconic fermented foods. What Came After Chili Powder? While writing my previous post about Korean chili powder, I found myself thinking about a childhood memory. When I was very young, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all lived together in a rural family home. At the far end of the yard stood a row of large earthenware jars filled with soy sauce, soybean paste, and gochujang that my grandmother had made herself. To be honest, I wasn't interested in a...

Gochugaru, or Korean chili powder, is one of the most important seasonings in Korean cooking. Koreans dry chili peppers, grind them into powder, and use them in kimchi, stews, seasoned vegetables, stir-fried dishes, and sauces. But why did Koreans turn chili peppers into powder instead of using them only fresh? In this post, we'll look at how gochugaru became part of Korean food culture, why it is connected with kimjang, and how Korean families still use and store it today. Coarse, medium, and fine Korean gochugaru used in everyday cooking. A Question That Started on My Rooftop Garden In a previous post, I wrote about the Korean chili peppers growing on our rooftop garden. This year, we planted chili peppers again, and as I picked them little by little, I noticed something interesting. Fresh green chilies are wonderful when dipped in ssamjang , but in everyday Korean cooking, we often use far more chili powder than fresh chilies. That made me wonder: why did K...

Korea has many kinds of edible seaweed, including gim (laver), dasima (kelp), and parae (green laver). Yet the seaweed most closely connected with childbirth, birthdays, and family meals is miyeok . Miyeok , often called sea mustard in English, contains dietary fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, and iodine. So why did Koreans choose miyeok in particular, and why do they still eat seaweed soup on birthdays today? In this post, we’ll look at what makes miyeok special, its nutritional value, and how Koreans use it in everyday cooking. Why Was Miyeok Chosen Among So Many Seaweeds? • It has long been connected with postpartum recovery. • It contains iron and various minerals. • It becomes soft, warm, and gentle when cooked as soup. • It later became connected with Korean birthday culture. As we talked about in the previous post, Korea has many different kinds of seaweed. Gim , or laver, is often eaten with rice. Dasima , or kelp, is commonly used to make broth. P...

In Korea, eating seaweed soup ( miyeok-guk ) after childbirth has been a long-standing tradition for generations. Even today, many new mothers spend their recovery period eating seaweed soup every day in postpartum care centers. What began as a recovery meal for mothers has gradually become a dish that symbolizes birthdays, family, and gratitude. Interestingly, many Koreans avoid eating seaweed soup before important exams or job interviews. Why Do Korean Mothers Eat Seaweed Soup After Childbirth? During the two weeks I spent in a postpartum care center, the dish I saw most often was seaweed soup. There were even days when it appeared at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the time, it felt completely normal because I had grown up seeing mothers eat seaweed soup after giving birth. However, when I talk with foreign friends, I often hear the same question: "Why do Korean mothers eat seaweed soup after childbirth?" Come to think of it, many K...