Yumyum Pa Jeon!

During the summer time, my whole family finds relief on the tiled floor of our kitchen. Grandma loves to visit because her apartment becomes a sauna during that time of the year. And we grandkids love it when Grandma visits. She comes bearing all these wholesale packages of ingredients and two portable fryers. It’s time to make haemul pa jeon.

Before anything begins, Mom makes us all sit on cushions taken from the dining chairs. Ever since she had children, her rear end has been in a constant state of frigidity. She blames it on the epidural. So for us, sitting on cold tiles is out of the question. Once we’re all warmly perched on the cushions, the oil starts to flow and Grandma ladles large helpings of her crazy mix into the fryers. To this day, I have never seen her make this mix of green onions, squid, pa jeon mix, bell peppers, onions. There are no measurements; all are added by eyeballing or preference.

The oil gives off a crackle and pop every now and then, slightly burning my arms but Grandma’s wrinkly, leathered hands don’t react. It’s calming to watch her. She’s this short and delightfully pudgy woman, enthroned on a flower-print cushion with frills, surrounded by frying pans and large platters of finished pa jeon. 예프게해야돼, 예프게. 응, 이러케. You have to let the circle form naturally as you pour the mix. There’s so many ingredients involved that smooth curve is impossible. Grandma likes to make them into different sizes; some are the size of the entire 15x15 frying pan. If ever a small clump of the mix is frying by itself in the corner, she likes to feed t to i my brother and I hot from the pan. MM mmm mmmm. Usually, a fourth of the pa jeon are already consumed before they hit the table.

It’s my job to make the gahng-jang: soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, green onions. No measurements. No matter how many times I’ve been told, I still mix up the Korean names of soy sauce and vinegar. The pancakes are still hot but once you dip tham into the gahng-jang, the sauce takes the burn out and adds a full, seasoned flavor. It’s hard to think about what it is that you’re eating; just have to let all the flavors play out in your mouth, a different surprise every time. My brother and I love the browned, crispy edges of the pancakes. My parents don’t mind so it all works out.