MEASURING CUP
JUST A PRETTY FACE.
I may not use measuring spoons or kitchen scales, but I like having my science beaker-like measuring cup. I just got this because it looked so good that I always keep it on the counter. Comes in handy every day, not necessarily for measuring though. It’s just another little thing that makes life in the kitchen kind of fun. Got this at IKEA.
In the past, there was no such thing as using measuring cups or spoons in a Korean kitchen. Pfft! Ask a Korean grandma for her recipe and it’ll be a bit (not that much!) of this, a little bit of that. Kitchen skills came from experience where you built up your kitchen sixth-sense, your “feel” of things, your kitchen “sense”.
Persimmon aka Gah-m in Korean.
Gah-m aka Getting the Hang of it by the feel of things.
In Korean, this is called “GAHM” in Korean; An immeasurable, intangible ability you naturally accumulate through experience. It’s funny because it sounds exactly the same as the word for persimmon. Cue word-play jokes aka corny dad jokes.
However, today’s modern Korean household will have all the usual measuring tools. Pyrex is beloved world-wide and Korea is not an exception- my mom has this set from Pyrex, so you know it’s legit.
You can use them for getting the ratio of marinades right and also to pour out of without making a mess. The larger sizes are ideal when measuring out liquid portions of broth or to quickly mix together ingredients or making paste.
Measuring cups and spoons can be handy when you first start following Korean recipes as they will have many unfamiliar ingredients you may not be used to. This is a handy set that keeps compactly in your drawer that can care of all your measuring needs.
Stainless steel and glass are preferred because they last so long and can easily be cleaned in the dishwasher while plastic can retain odours or melt by accident.