I was talking with one of my students yesterday during class about how much we both like kimchee, and how although there are some perfectly good brands available in the supermarket, by far the best is homemade kimchee. Years ago Kuniko brought home some homemade kimchee that she bought from a Korean lady selling it at her school. It was several degrees higher in quality and flavor than the store-bought stuff, but getting it again was a little difficult, since she never knew when the lady would show up again.
So my student said that he heard from a friend that heard from a guy in a bar that you could buy the best homemade kimchee near Shin-Nagata station in Hyogo. The only other information was that the shop was called Jun-chan. After an internet search at the end of my workday I managed to find it, and it was almost on my way home – just a 10 minute walk to another (less convenient) train station. So on a whim I set out after work and went to find it. Walking through Nagata is always interesting. It is called a 下町 (shitamachi), kind of a traditional working class town. Lots of little shops, lots of blue-collar workers, and plenty of good food available. It is also a town that has passed its peak (like a lot of towns in Japan), and so everywhere you can see signs of prosperity that have faded away and imagine what it was like in its heyday.
My iphone handled the GPS and led me directly there, and I found not only Jun-chan, but a whole street selling homemade Korean foods. My student had told me that a lot of Koreans live near Shin-Nagata station, and it looked like I had stumbled on a mini-Korea town. The shop owners were a couple of cackling old ladies who recommended a particular blend of kimchee, demanded a payment of 500 yen, and then complemented me on my looks. One of the old ladies asked if I’d be willing to go across the street and have a drink with her, but I begged off and hit the road.
When I got home I tried out the kimchee and – as expected – it was really good. We’ve got enough to last a couple of days, so tonight Kuniko will have a try. If she likes it as much as I did I’m guessing that I’ll be spending more time in Korea town. Just not drinking with the old ladies.
