NAMUL BEAR

FOUR KOREAN FOODS / ONE UNLICENSED BEAR

RECIPES THAT BEGIN NORMALLY AND THEN LEAVE THE BUILDING.

Each dish receives one serious explanation and one recipe written by a bear whose culinary certificate was found under a rock.

FOLLOW THE FOOD. QUESTION THE BEAR.
Bibimbap surrounded by surreal tins of Korean greens01 / THE CAN WAS ALREADY THERE

RECIPE 01

BIBIMBAP

THE SERIOUS PART

Bibimbap is rice topped with assorted vegetables, namul, protein and sauce, then mixed before eating. Its balance comes from contrasting colors, textures and seasonings in one bowl.

THE BEAR’S RECIPE

Put warm rice in a bowl and arrange gondre, gosari, chwinamul and bean sprouts as if they are attending a tiny board meeting. Add gochujang and sesame oil. Ask the fried egg whether it has read the minutes. Mix clockwise exactly seven times; the eighth turn belongs to the mountain. Eat before the cucumber files an objection.

Tteokbokki with tins of Korean greens floating around the pan02 / THE CAN WAS ALREADY THERE

RECIPE 02

TTEOKBOKKI

THE SERIOUS PART

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean dish of chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet, spicy gochujang-based sauce, often with fish cake, scallions and boiled egg.

THE BEAR’S RECIPE

Simmer rice cakes in red sauce until they become confidently chewy. Place three namul tins around the pan in the shape of a weather system. Add greens only after the sauce promises to behave. Stir with a wooden spoon wearing no hat. If the tteokbokki predicts rain, open the red umbrella indoors and continue eating.

Spicy buldak noodles surrounded by impossible tins of Korean greens03 / THE CAN WAS ALREADY THERE

RECIPE 03

BULDAK BOKKEUM MYEON

THE SERIOUS PART

Buldak-bokkeum-myeon is an intensely spicy Korean stir-fried instant noodle dish. The noodles are cooked, drained and coated with a concentrated hot chicken-flavored sauce.

THE BEAR’S RECIPE

Cook the noodles, keep two spoons of water and hide the rest from the fire department. Mix in the sauce while maintaining eye contact with the nearest mountain. Add gondre for dignity, gosari for paperwork and bean sprouts for plausible deniability. Fan the bowl with an unopened tin. If the noodles glow, that means dinner has accepted your application.

Sliced gimbap and surreal tins filled with Korean greens04 / THE CAN WAS ALREADY THERE

RECIPE 04

GIMBAP

THE SERIOUS PART

Gimbap is seasoned rice and assorted fillings rolled in dried gim and sliced into rounds. Common fillings include vegetables, egg, pickled radish and seasoned greens.

THE BEAR’S RECIPE

Lay gim flat and reassure it that rolling is a temporary condition. Spread rice, then line up spinach, danmuji, myeongyi leaves, carrots and any namul that brought identification. Roll firmly while the bear pushes one spare piece around in a tiny tin car. Slice into circles. Serve the end pieces to the refrigerator as rent.