JAMES MULCAHY: In case
you guys don't know me,
I'm James Mulcahy.
I work for Zagat, which
is owned by Google.
I'm the executive video
producer for all the Zagat
videos that we do around
the country on YouTube.
So I was super excited,
because I work with YouTube all
the time, to be interviewing
Chef Maangchi today,
who, as you probably know, if
you didn't have her [INAUDIBLE]
already, is a YouTube sensation,
with over 670,000 subscribers,
videos about Korean cooking,
and a new cookbook that
just came out.
Which is what she's here
to talk about today.
So I'm going to give the floor
to her for a little bit so she
can tell you the background and
how she got started and about
her book a little bit.
Then I'll chat with her
and ask a few questions.
And then, of course,
we're excited to have
everyone in the audience
ask questions today.
I think I see a few
trays, actually,
probably from the Truck Pit
that have her food in it.
So do you want to get started?
MAANGCHI: Yeah,
thank you, James.
Thank you, guys, thank you
for coming to see me here.
And so today's my
very special day.
My special day, why?
A few years ago, 2011,
I came here exactly.
And at Google, this office,
I made Korean shaved ice
with a sweet red bean.
It's called patbingsu.
And this is for 200 employees.
I made this with other
my YouTube creators.
That was a big hit.
So and then now, four years
later, 2011, this year, 2015, I
came here with my cookbook.
See?
Look at that.
Hey.
You know.
This is YouTube.
I mean, YouTube and Google.
They saved my life.
And in 2007 the first time I
posted my video on YouTube.
I'm teaching Korean
cooking through my video.
And then at the
time I never knew
that this kind of a
success would be coming.
But now it is exactly
like 2011 I came,
2015 with my own cookbook.
This book is made with Tapnotes
Publishing Company, Houghton
Mifflin.
And the best of the best editor,
my cowriter, all book people.
I cannot imagine.
I couldn't imagine.
So this book has sold all
around the world at bookshops.
So this is real success.
Without Google and YouTube
company, I couldn't make it.
Plus, my reader, my audience
who trust my recipe.
So they love, love,
love my recipe.
All around the world
they learn Korean cooking
from my website and my video.
That's why I'm here.
And also on other
things, I'm very honored
to sit here today is that
you guys taste my food.
I didn't make it.
Your Google chef,
I made Google chef
cook my recipes from cookbook.
Can you imagine?
Oh, my god, this is very
success, successful.
So when I started my video
for the first time in 2007,
I was working as a family
counselor in Toronto, Canada.
My mom said, Mom,
I'm busy these days
and I'm doing some
YouTube video.
My mom said, what
about your job?
My mom is kind of really
reluctant to encourage me.
But now my story about me
was in "New York Times,"
a huge article recently.
My book was published
May 19 this year.
And then "New York Times,"
the article about me,
huge in the story.
And then my mom is
living in LA, Koreatown.
She doesn't understand English.
Her friends always
speaking Korean.
Her friends, hey, your daughter
is in the Korean "Hanguk Ilbo,"
the "Hanguk Ilbo" is
the Korean newspaper
in LA and in all America.
They translate, basically,
oh, Maangchi is Korean born.
This is the "New York Times,"
and "New York Times" reporter
said, blah, blah, blah.
And then now my mom
is so proud of me.
She said, oh, I'm
Maangchi's mom.
So she's so proud
of me these days.
So things have
changed like this.
And today I tasted the recipes
from my cookbook food made.
Korean black bean noodles.
You know, did you taste
black bean noodles?
Black sauce, kind of noodles
on top, kind of black noodles.
Oh, my god.
I gave a lot, a lot of co
compliment this to your chef
because so tasty.
And they said, oh, this is
easy, easy to follow because you
made the really nice cookbook.
And also your japchae, stuffed
fried noodles with vegetables,
so good.
Also multigrain rice.
That's my cookbook recipe.
Oh, my god.
And of all the dishes I
tasted, this is awesome.
And you know, how much
I'm honored to be here.
Think about this.
Four years ago, not many
people trusted my recipe.
But I'm here as a cookbook
author in the mainstream.
In the mainstream, people
acknowledge my ability,
and then I'm just sitting here.
OK.
I just talked about my
story, what I did in Korea.
I was born, raised,
and lived in Korea.
And also I cooked for my
family for years and years.
I'm just the typical Korean
housewife who loves cooking.
And when I was young,
ever since I was young,
I was very, very interested
in delicious food.
You guys interested
in delicious food?
[LAUGHTER]
I met some guys I met in
New York a few years ago.
He said, I don't like food.
So kind of rare.
I don't like food, but,
you know, I just thought,
OK, you should be hungry.
Maybe you will love.
Anyway, when I was
in Korea, I never
went to any culinary school.
I never learned, actually,
recipe from any cookbook.
All the recipes are
just naturally cooking,
home cooking.
And from my mom, my
grandmothers, two grandmothers,
two sides, both sides,
my aunts and relatives.
Even marketplace.
And then when I
taste something good,
and then I got to
learn how to make it.
That's the difference.
A lot of my friends,
they love delicious food,
but they don't want to
learn how to make it.
But in my case, I want to learn.
My eyes are just on fire,
oh, how can I make it?
And if I taste it, really tasty,
I come home, try to recreate.
And then luckily I
can taste some food,
and then I know that, hm, how
it's made, hm, what's inside.
I can figure out easily.
So ever since I was young, like,
my whole families, my mom's
side, aunts, and then
when I taste it, like,
who is the best
version of each dish?
I can just acquire to determine.
And then for example,
there's a Korean some kind
of soup every day.
Everybody loves
this kind of soup.
Soybean sprout soup.
Because it sounds good?
Very healthy.
Soybean sprout soup.
I visited my aunt's house, my
aunt, my mom's younger sister's
house.
Two hours distance from
where I used to live.
And then my aunt gave me this
Korean soybean sprout soup.
Different.
I taste it.
And she added dried anchovies.
And to make that like
really umami food taste,
savory, make it savory.
And also she added some
hot pepper flakes there
and some onion, chopped onion.
Plus, and she
cooked that, ground
toasted sesame seeds on top.
And then I was going to eat
my meal, my aunt said, wait.
And with this rice, you
need this radish kimchi.
So radish kimchi coming.
Radish kimchi was a little
fermented, so it tastes tangy.
Crunchy.
So I added.
My aunt asked me
how to eat this.
Oh, my god, unbelievable.
This is so, so tasty.
Much better than
my mom's version.
So ever since then, my
[INAUDIBLE] cook soybean
sprout soup is that
that's my recipe.
But I may change my
mind maybe tomorrow
if I taste someone else's
soybean sprout soup.
Better than this recipe.
I got to learn.
And then I got to
share this recipe
with my readers, my audience.
And these recipes are
all posted on my website.
So all the readers,
they love, love
my-- some kind of an authentic
way, my recipes, they love it.
They just test my recipe
and they trusted my recipe.
I told you I never studied
at any culinary school.
Actually, I have a master's
degree in education.
I studied the
philosophy of education.
And I used to teach at
university where I studied.
And also when I was
in Korea, I used
to be an English teacher later,
and translator, interpreter.
And later, I had
the chance from 1992
to 1995 and for three
years, with my family,
we came to Missouri, Columbia.
You know Columbia,
Missouri, small city.
JAMES MULCAHY: Anyone from
Columbia, Missouri, out there?
MAANGCHI: Columbia, Missouri?
Anybody who is-- Kansas?
It's the middle.
Like the middle of America.
So when I was there, I
met a lot of Korean expat.
So Korean expat,
Korean housewives.
And then they mostly-- they
are students at the Columbia
university.
And then we met
almost every weekend
at the park and potluck dish.
So this potluck dish, I
have to bring one dish.
Like today you had japchae?
I bring japchae.
So usually we do at the
park Korean barbecue.
And somebody bring the kimchi,
somebody bring the side dish
or vegetable dish.
And then we make this all
nice, nice, nice potluck party.
And some dishes that
I never tasted here
because I was
growing up, I grew up
in the really southern
part, cities, southern food.
It was a small country,
but still there
are like some of the
area, different provinces.
So I came from really south, the
city named Yeosu, harbor city.
So that when I was in Missouri
and some food, like chicken,
fried sticky chicken
called dakgangjeong.
I had never tasted before.
But somebody came from different
region from where I lived,
she just taught me.
I had to learn because it's so,
so tasty, crunchy like candy.
These kind of things all
my life long, like recipes
are coming this region
from that region.
Even I'm just moving
around, though.
Until junior high school I lived
in southern part in my city.
But from high school, my
parents sent me to Seoul.
To be successful you've
got to go to Seoul.
So from Seoul and then
university, graduate school.
And then so I had a chance
to taste all different region
and food.
And then I collect some
recipes one by one for myself.
I had never thought
about YouTube.
That someday I would
be a YouTube cook.
I never expected at the time.
Probably if I had known
that, I would have learned
more, more passionately.
And then 2002, I immigrate
to Canada, Canada, Toronto.
I did all kind of job.
First I studied with cashier.
So cashier, my next
door, I went there.
To manager, who is manager?
And the manager came.
So I want to work here.
Can I work here?
So what can you do? he asked me.
So I said I can do
computer, typing.
And he says, what we
need is the person who
can carry heavy stuff.
Loading and unloading.
So I said, OK anyway.
So my resume is
kind of not useful.
Because graduate
school, who cares?
Immigrant.
Even my English is not perfect.
So anyway, I came home.
And the boss, he
called me in one week.
He said, oh, you want
to become a cashier?
Sure.
And then I did cashier.
I learned a lot.
I mean, whatever
I did in my life,
I learned that there
are a lot of us.
And one example, I learned when
I was working as a cashier,
is that, like, water.
Water is a small battery.
Tons of tax charge.
But large battery
don't charge tax.
So I don't know why.
I think we make
sense a little bit.
Some people kind of about it,
a pretentious person, you know.
I'm willing to pay
for small battery.
OK, you deserve to pay more.
But large battery,
probably family member
is waiting for this water.
I don't know, this
is only my theory.
So kind of a small thing.
How to make a sandwich, North
American-style sandwich.
I'm just all the time learning.
And I try to sell my chicken.
Wow.
I'm so ambitious, right?
The guy's name.
I'll never forget the
manager because he helped me.
You know?
One day I asked
him, hey, Frank, I
can make some Korean
fried chicken.
Everybody knocked down
when they taste my chicken.
So can I bring some of
my chicken you can taste?
And they, sure.
So I brought it.
I made all kinds of,
but I just work hard.
And then, but he couldn't
eat any one piece.
Because there's a peanut.
He has a peanut allergy.
But all of my other cashiers,
my coworkers, they love it.
They love it.
And then they ask
to me, can I order?
Can I order some Korean
seaweed rice roll, gimbap.
So actually I used to
sell a few people later.
And when I worked there, also
I was working as a movie extra.
And movie extra in the
movie named "How To Deal."
Have you ever seen the movie?
I came home.
And then memorizing English
is very difficult for me.
Sometimes backward I memorize.
People ask me, who was he?
Oh, I just got a job today.
I went there and then so I
did a movie, "How to Deal."
They asked me, who was in?
Who's in there?
So I don't remember.
You know the guy
named Peter Gallagher.
You know that Peter Gallagher?
What happened to you guys?
So his name's later.
I always, like, forget his name.
People ask me, his
name's Peter Gallagher.
Also the girl's name
I forgot totally.
She's more famous
than Peter Gallagher.
And then eventually
how I never forget
is that about Peter Gallagher
sounds like a galley.
So OK, Peter plus a galley,
and then never forget.
And then in Canada
I was working.
Also I used to teach English
to Korean immigrants.
And also later I got a good
job at nonprofit organization
as a family counselor.
I worked there for three years.
And then before I
came to America.
And then I become
Canadian citizen.
And then, now, in
2000-- when is it,
'08, I came to America to
lead a more adventurous life.
And this is my making
video and also making video
and running my website.
This is my full-time job.
So this is a very
fascinating story.
People ask me,
where are you from?
And then I know what he means.
They see my face, right?
So even though I am
legally Canadian,
I always say, I'm Korean.
But legally, Canadian.
But waiting for my
green card in America.
So this is like
my life's journey.
So I'm always interested
in learning something new.
And also especially food.
Food is normally the way I
live, normally to what I did.
Food is always in my heart.
Some delicious food I find, I've
got to learn how to make it.
So this is where I am now.
So I made this cookbook.
So you guys found my cookbook.
Let me tell you how I got
involved with this making
cookbook.
My website, my website.
2000-- Oh, I didn't talk about
how I made the YouTube video.
I have my son.
My son was a computer, at the
time, computer science student.
He asked me, Mom, have
ever heard about YouTube?
So yes I have.
He says, why don't you?
Why don't you share
your recipes on YouTube?
Probably you'll be so popular
because your food is delicious
and also never-- your
content will never run out.
That's true.
The content never runs out.
I see a lot of YouTube
creators, like at the beginning,
oh, they did it, and
then later, oh, there's
nothing to show anymore.
Right?
So cooking is just my
lifetime, really, passion.
So that's why I was very
interested in his idea.
But I was not sure how.
I mean, just only I have a cheap
camera, a really cheap camera
with just a little digital
camera with a video function.
But how can I do?
How can I edit?
How can I film?
You know, no idea.
But like around a
few weeks later,
I decided, sounds
like really fun.
So let's do.
And in April 2007, I posted my
first video, spicy stuffed rice
squid.
I wanted to surprise
my reader, my audience.
I just brought it from Chinatown
or Korean grocery store.
Huge frozen squid.
And then in front of the
camera, I just cut it in half
and then take the guts out.
And then in the meanwhile, I was
washing and stir fry and spicy.
And then my gas detector
is going ring, ring, ring.
And then behind me, background,
I did this, I see this,
and I'm, oh, my god.
Embarrassing.
Behind me and the kimchi.
I was going to make a kimchi.
And salting the cabbages there.
And even I didn't think
about background, background.
And the music.
Even just without
any permission.
Even I didn't know
that's, like, illegal.
[INAUDIBLE] say music
and then put this music
because at the time
that's my favorite music.
And then I made it,
OK, sounds good.
Looks good.
And then I went to bed.
Next day I work, but I was
really doubting, you know.
Who's going to watch this?
How can they find me?
Actually, next day, many people
subscribe, subscribe to me.
And then they said, oh,
my god, this looks good.
Someone already made this.
Can you imagine?
Someone already
followed my recipe.
And then they also said all
kinds of good encouragement,
nice comments.
Plus, next a request.
Can you make a Korean
bean paste stew?
Korean kimchi?
Korean bulgogi?
So whoa!
This is so fun!
People are just-- these
guys are really my friends.
And before doing this,
I had another hobby.
Kind of internet, like, that's
why I got my name, Maangchi.
Maangchi is a hammer in Korean.
My real Korean name is
Kim [? Guang-su, ?] Kim
[? Guang-su. ?] Nobody
pronounce it very correctly.
So Maangchi, I got this name
because the city over here,
also online game, I was
like wielding some hammer,
and then huge-- this.
All throw away my stress by
playing my game, online game.
And then around that, even
I made some good friends.
Still we keep in contact.
So people from Montreal, and
people from LA, and Singapore.
Sometimes we used to play a
game like some task force.
You know, task force means that
you can't go to bathroom even
for three hours until you
finish this cave mission,
you can't get out of there.
And then I used to do this.
But this cooking video is
kind of more fun for me.
Because these people are
real people who cook,
follow my recipe.
And then, OK, first
I kind of half
of my hour, the leftover hour is
for my game, half is for this.
So I couldn't sleep much.
Sometimes like a
Saturday, all day
play game plus making video.
So anyway, sooner
or later, I was
chosen as a YouTube partner.
At that time or today,
you become a partner
and then you can get paid.
But these days
everybody, I think,
they are YouTube partner.
So and then they gave me
partner of some kind of a medal.
So medal was probably, you
guys heard about this, medal;
is right next to my channel.
So really motivating me to
work harder, more and more.
Ever since that time I
keep posting my video.
And then a few months
later, I made my website
because I really need
a home on the internet.
Because some of my
YouTube audience said, oh,
how can I find this
Korean ingredients?
What is it?
And also like, what--
so a lot of things
to talk about in like tips.
When you make especially this
thing, it's 20 minutes, like,
seasoning things.
So why?
Something like
this I needed this.
So I really needed
to make my website.
So I made this, maangchi.com.
And then ingredients photo.
And then kitchenware photo.
Where to find Korean
cooking grocery stores.
Where can you find.
And then my readers
today, they submit.
OK, this is my
favorite Korean store.
And they just submit
the information.
And then all this my website
is gradually increased,
keep getting bigger and bigger.
And then eventually some
people send me photo.
Maangchi, I made you a chicken.
My chicken, and
it was a big hit.
I went to the party.
Everybody asked me
where I learned.
I talk about you.
And then, oh, my god,
You saved my life.
So many touching stories I got.
Someone married
the Korean husband.
The American lady who
married the Korean husband.
And then recently they
don't get along well.
Kind of a partly p
food or cultural thing.
So the lady found my recipe.
She made the Korean bean
paste soup for husband.
Husband said, oh, my god,
this is my mom's food.
Where did you get this?
And then not only food by
itself but also the wife
is working harder
to get along well,
to get a better relationship.
That's the kind that will make
the husband really feel better.
So they get along.
So anyway, this
kind of story, there
are tons and tons of stories.
Every morning I wake
up, I read email.
And through all my social
media and all the time
I encourage them.
I'm empowered.
So this thing is that,
you know, my website
is getting bigger and bigger.
I just made another section.
And it's Korean food photo.
You guys make it because
they send me an email.
This is the noodle soup that
I made with your recipe.
And they show me.
To send to me it
takes time and effort.
They have to use Photoshop
so they have to do something.
They send me.
And I just go, wow.
This one I've got to
share with more people.
So I made it a Korean
food photo section.
So this photo.
You make my recipe.
And then if you have a story,
or it doesn't matter, no story.
Just post it directly from
your computer, post it.
And now so for thousands
and thousands of photos
are on my website.
This is my treasure.
This is my treasure.
And then later my readers,
they become friends.
These guys are like
Korean perilla leaves.
You guys know about
Korean perilla leaves?
It's called kkaennip.
So anyway, so perilla leaves.
I make a perilla leaf
kimchi, perilla leaf pickle.
And then somebody says that,
oh, I found it in my yard.
I thought that
this is like weed.
All the time, every
year, I got rid of these.
I just said got rid of these.
They're so, so be alive.
And next year
again coming alive.
So they would really
get tired of this kind
of precious vegetable
for Koreans.
I pay, I paid $2, $3 for
a really small package
in a Korean store.
But some people are
just, perilla leaves,
they throw away.
And we talk about
perilla leaves.
And then some people
say, oh, I don't know.
I'm living in the
middle of nowhere.
I cannot find a Korean store.
How can I find perilla leaves?
Oh, my god, I'd like to taste.
And then my reader,
another reader,
OK, I will send you
the package of seed.
So he send it to her.
So these guys became friends.
So I thought that maybe it's
time for me to make a meeting
place through my website.
So I made the forum.
So through the forum
they talk with each other
and then they share
their know-how.
So some people are making
kimchi at the beginning,
seven years ago.
When she started kimchi, she
asked me, she's bugging me,
hey, you made 10
pounds of kimchi.
How about 1 pound of kimchi?
Can you give me a
recipe, only small,
1 pound of kimchi recipe?
This is unbelievable for me.
As a Korean, we make kimchi
like with 20, 20 heads of Napa
cabbage I make.
Even I never know
what's the pound?
What's the big deal?
Usually Korean
cabbages are huge.
Chinatown cabbages are so small.
I don't know where
they find this one.
Korean Napa cabbages are huge.
So some people ask me,
please, cut down the recipe.
And give me only one
cabbage, Napa cabbage.
I don't know from what to say.
OK.
Cabbage sizes are different.
Anyway, one of my readers,
she or he, many people.
They started with
only one cabbage,
but now they make
20 pounds of kimchi.
Because kimchi is not
exactly only a side dish.
With kimchi you can make
soup, stew, pancake.
And steamed, you can add it
chopped too, the dumpling.
Every way you can make,
all kinds of dishes you
can make here.
So like Korean housewives.
When I lived in Missouri,
Columbia, I had a friend,
she's from China.
And Miss [? Yui. ?] And Miss
[? Yui ?] came to my house
and opened my refrigerator.
Her eyes are like this, ooh!
This is kimchi?
Kimchi?
Yes, kimchi.
She couldn't believe
these Koreans
are eating lot of kimchi.
This is the usual thing for me.
Kimchis are like
a huge container,
these amount of a container.
But these days, my readers,
my audience, they love kimchi.
They are making that amount.
Some people are selling kimchi.
Maangchi, I sell Korean
kimchi to Koreans now.
So my Brazilian
reader let me know
she's selling kimchi at the
Korean church to Koreans.
So really fascinating
stories every day.
I just always hear that.
And then some people
ask me, hey, Maangchi.
Even though you just give
us recipe, I need the book.
I'd like to give it to somebody
who's not access to a computer.
And then I'd like to give
them the real written recipe.
So can you make a book?
But I never thought
about this kind of book.
I said, OK, sure.
And then I made
the PDF file, PDF.
And then in color.
With lots of color.
And then sold on Amazon.
So first I studied I
could give away for free.
So still you guys can
get downloaded for free.
Book 1, Book 2, 2,
3, Book 1, 2, 3.
Even I never thought about
making real book at the time.
Just the people ask
me, oh, OK, sure.
I will do that.
And then the book was
downloaded, millions
of people downloaded for free.
So actually, when I pitched my
book I just tell [INAUDIBLE].
So I asked my agent,
see, this is evidence.
My book, millions of
people downloaded,
even though that's free.
But the book, real
book, people who
want to get the real
book in their hands
is that we made this PDF file
and then nice kind of sizes
are really small.
But book price is so expensive.
It should be because
I use the colorful.
Books should be colorful.
This is my theory
about cookbook.
My theory about
cookbook is that you
should have a lot of
colorful, nice photos
and step-by-step photos.
And so that I'm a visual person.
YouTube video, why I'm
making video, right?
But problem is
they're expensive.
$30 for this thing.
I don't make much
money from this.
I imagine because otherwise I
need to make black and white.
So I don't like that idea,
black and white cookbook,
no matter what happens.
So anyway, someday I was
thinking that maybe someday I
should make a real cookbook.
Because a real cookbook,
this book is much cheaper.
And also prices are cheap plus
lot and lot of good people,
something like recipes
are almost the same.
But make you guys
understand them better.
For example, my cowriter,
her name is Lauren.
I make a recipe
and I send to her.
And then she make a kind of--
basically I give her my jewel.
And then she make
jewelry, right?
And then she's,
OK, Maangchi, you
said that you cover,
cover or uncover?
You cooked for 50 minutes.
Covered or uncovered?
I was so frustrated.
What does she mean?
Of course, cover!
Inside I just thought, cover.
And then, yes, cover.
I just swallow my frustration.
And then sometimes
it's, Maangchi,
it means that sesame oil
is toasted or untoasted?
Toasted.
In Korean cuisine,
always toasted.
Toasted sesame oil
is always, always.
Sesame seeds,
toasted or untoasted?
Always toasted.
And then also I was shocked when
another editor, Rory, his name
is, later he joined our team.
My book is made
with tons of people.
Rory, he's a really
tough editor.
He asked me, oh, Maangchi,
you made this beef jerky,
beef jerky you
guys should follow.
If you get today your book,
if you're eating beef jerky,
make it.
Everybody loves my beef jerky.
He asked me, how
many pieces of that?
I mean, I don't remember.
And also he said, this
is how many serving?
It depends on how much
you like that, right?
I mean, just like 3 pounds
of beef brisket I made this.
And then some
people, five people
eat just to finish
it in one time.
Or just one person like a whole
cow save this for one year
and then you can eat it.
So making me so frustrated.
But you know, I was
always like swallowing.
[BREATH] Yeah, right.
My cookbook buyer
later, cookbook buyer.
Those guys all have
the same question,
may have the same question.
So that's right.
I shouldn't feel frustrated.
I should appreciate this.
And then actually,
eventually, I had
to make my beef jerky again.
Exactly follow my recipe.
Cut it.
And then, OK, this is Rory.
And then this is my 30
or something like pieces.
And then exactly.
And then I just
made three divided.
And then one portion for Rory,
one portion for my cookbook
cowriter, 1/3 is for myself.
And then I divided
it that evenly.
And then I sent to
them the envelope.
Rory, next day, he got it.
Holy delicious, oh, my god.
It's delicious.
He made me.
And my other
cookbook writer also.
So when I make this
cookbook, I have a lot of,
a lot of funny stories.
And I don't remember all.
And then sometimes
I should write down.
Otherwise, I get older.
I always forget.
So this is like a long journey.
But around four, five
years ago, eventually I
met the best of the best agent.
So this agent made it
possible to make my cookbook.
She found this all the
best publishing company
and also cowriter.
And also the food photo
designer and all everybody.
So kind of a set.
So I'm so lucky.
I'm so lucky.
First, why I'm lucky?
I got involved with YouTube.
And Google guys.
Google [INAUDIBLE]
to pay me money.
So this is my full-time job.
And then also my readers,
my reader audience.
They trust me.
They love me.
Right?
And I'm lucky.
And now I'm just
invited to this.
They made, your chef
made today my recipe.
How fascinating this
is, this story is.
I can keep going on.
But I think that's enough.
That you guys ask
question, ask me question.
JAMES MULCAHY: I
have a question.
I mean, do you think
it became so popular
so quickly because there's
a lack of knowledge or lack
of authority about Korean
cooking in America?
And you're filling that void?
MAANGCHI: I think that
first, food is delicious.
Yeah.
Food is delicious.
I didn't know about-- I
used to go backpack travel.
I have a lot of
hobbies, you know.
I traveled to many countries,
different countries.
But always I believed
that like food.
You've got Koreans,
especially Korean travelers.
You travel to
another country, you
got to taste that
other culture too.
And if they said, oh,
without Korean kimchi,
I cannot survive.
And then I kind of
criticized them.
Oh, my god, come on.
Just two days, three days.
You know, I was
thinking like that.
But you know, later my readers,
those guys say the same thing.
They said that Netherlands,
the guy named Rainier.
He makes all kinds
of Korean dishes.
His cooking is better than
Korean housewives' cooking.
He's sending me photo.
And he said he
traveled in Greece.
And then for one week he said,
oh, my god, I miss my kimchi.
So I think there's kind
of [INAUDIBLE] you know.
So kimchis and also Korean
food is all vegetables.
Like all kinds of vegetables,
mountain vegetables and tofu.
The way of cooking, not greasy.
Some way like people really--
it must be appealing to people.
So tasty.
And second, I think.
So Korean food, as you know.
Korean barbecue, people
think about that.
You make a Korean
barbecue at home,
you can share with
tons of people.
Reason three, I blog about this.
One of my readers, he married.
On the wedding day reception,
he made Korean pork belly,
Korean pork belly.
He followed my recipe for the
pork belly and the grill plate
and also the burner.
Gas burner just only $20
in Korean grocery store.
And he prepared each
table, people are sitting,
10 people are sitting.
And then he put this
in a grill plate.
Everything.
Just let them cook themselves.
And then pork belly.
And the lettuce.
Ssamjang, you had the
ssamjang today, dipping sauce.
And then everybody
just wrapped this,
and they were so, so happy.
And then my readers let me know.
So I was very impressed.
So I just blogged
about his story.
Korean food is that you can
share with many, many people.
It's supposed to be shared.
And so I think maybe
that's the reason.
Where did you learn this recipe?
Oh, this is maangchi.com.
That's why I think people
come to my website.
And also it's the
Korean fried chicken.
Everybody loves
Korean fried chicken.
Because?
Because why?
AUDIENCE: It's delicious.
MAANGCHI: Hm?
AUDIENCE: It's delicious.
MAANGCHI: How?
JAMES MULCAHY: Double fry.
MAANGCHI: Yeah.
This is exactly my editor
gave me a hard time.
When I do this,
I'm like, oh, this
is so delicious [INAUDIBLE].
She asked of me, how delicious?
You should explain.
Americans don't know
how delicious it is.
Oh.
Squeeze, squeeze, OK.
It's like a chewy,
ooh, irresistible, oh.
Irresistible not enough.
Say something.
Korean fried chicken, as I know,
we always make the coating.
The coating is made with starch,
like a potato starch I use.
And then make it really
crunchy and a little sticky.
So because of some juicy sauce
I mix in the last minute,
and then make it kind of
a little sticky and taste
like rice cake a little bit.
But very, very crunchy.
Crunch crunchy.
So and also it depends on
how much you like spicy food.
You can add spiciness.
Spicy, the chili pepper flakes.
So I think that that's why.
Crunchiness and delicious, yeah?
Yeah.
That's why people love it.
JAMES MULCAHY: I
recently read an article
saying that Americanized
Korean cooking is too spicy.
And actual Korean cooking is
not as spicy as we like it.
Is that true?
MAANGCHI: No!
Where did you-- I see
there are whole tons
of weird-- some theories of
from where are they coming?
You see the Koreans--
when I go to Korea,
I sometimes visit Korea.
Koreans love spicy food.
And we Koreans believe spicy
food makes your body really--
there is some
researchers and research.
Spicy food that make you
always awake and then it's
the entire Alzheimer.
So you are always
make you smart.
So spicy food is very
good for your health.
All the researchers
are working hard.
But real Koreans are
like early-morning TV.
From early-morning TV
I have to see this.
Koreans love food.
All spicy sauce, mixed
with spicy sauce, eating.
Even in America,
nobody-- even I don't
feel like eating spicy
food from early morning.
I skip breakfast.
I always drink large big
huge cups of black coffee.
That's my breakfast.
My readers are surprised.
I thought that you loved
kimchi all the time.
No way.
And then that's not true.
So Korea is more spicy food.
JAMES MULCAHY: I think it's
fun that you mentioned the "New
York Times" article.
And they kind of called you the
Julia Child of Korean cooking.
How do you feel about that?
MAANGCHI: That
terminology, Julia Child,
that came from 2007.
When I studied, just not long
after, I'm really soaring.
My video was soaring.
And then I was living in Canada.
Canada, "New York Times"
version, Canadian newspaper.
All nationwide, the
biggest newspaper,
is the "Globe and Mail."
So "Globe and Mail"
interviewed me.
And then she asked me.
She wrote the Korea Julia Child.
Right?
So I didn't know who
the Julia Child is.
Embarrassing, eh?
I searched.
Oh, Julia Child, French
cuisine to America.
But anyway, ever
since that time,
many people call me
Korean Julia Child.
But one day, a Korean
newspaper guy read [INAUDIBLE].
I was interviewed after my
article in "Globe and Mail"
was on, as usual, Korean
reporters came, bombarded me,
can I interview you?
Can I interview you?
They don't find me.
But always when I'm
in "New York Times,"
they just kept calling me.
When I'm in YouTube and
did some cooking demo,
they just come to me.
So when I'm on the
mainstream newspaper,
they want to interview me.
So one day a Korean
interviewer asked me,
how do you feel
about Julia Child?
And also somebody asked
me about Martha Stewart.
Oh, YouTube subscriber numbers
are bigger than Martha Stewart.
So they asked me
about Martha Stewart.
So I said, Martha Stewart
doesn't have YouTube.
That's why.
You don't have to compare
me with Martha Stewart.
Martha Stewart is such a
wonderful chef in the world,
right?
So just-- I did it.
JAMES MULCAHY: Are you going to
have your own TV show one day?
MAANGCHI: I'll just
think about it.
Already some TV show
people contacted me.
But I was very busy
doing my cookbook.
So I can't do this multiwork,
multitask like this.
Because when I do this,
I have to focus on this.
But I don't want to skip
my video every 10 day.
This is-- my readers are
waiting, waiting, waiting.
So I don't want to disappoint
my readers, YouTube audience.
So when I have more time,
let me think about TV show.
JAMES MULCAHY: Maybe.
Maybe.
I think it's a good time
to see if the audience has
any questions.
Does anyone?
Here we go.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Maangchi.
For me, I think it's very clear
it's your personality that
really makes you a
very interesting chef
to watch on YouTube and
even listen to your talk.
Can I get two questions?
One is, what is your
favorite non-Korean food?
And second, who made your logo?
Because I think that's one of
the also really cute things
that you have on your site.
MAANGCHI: Yeah.
The logo?
My daughter made.
My daughter is--
she's a dentist.
She made this.
But I gave her idea.
I gave her.
Because I cannot draw well.
But I know when she was young,
she could draw very well.
So I said, OK, I want to
do this and kind of sign
there like that.
Some big fish and a big knife.
And then I like to do that.
And then she made this.
And also, what was
your first question?
Oh, no Korean food.
Oh, spaghetti.
Spaghetti and meatball.
I love it.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Maangchi.
So I know that sometimes
you travel to new locations
and use the local produce,
et cetera, to cook.
I saw when you went to Maine,
or somewhere in New England.
Do you have any
experience that you
can relate where you
found something unusual
and tried to use that
in Korean cooking?
MAANGCHI: Yeah.
He must have read my
website, you know?
So like a very deep question.
Before I started
my YouTube video,
and when I traveled
in other country,
for example, when
I went to France.
I love-- crazy
about French cheese,
stinky cheese, from
Normandy, and baguette.
And I kept eating.
And then I gained
weight when I came home.
But I didn't mind, you know,
because delicious food.
But at the time, even though
I love, love their cuisine.
But like around
three days after,
I thought about something spicy.
Oh, my god.
I cannot swallow very well.
I cannot swallow
French food well.
Because I liked that.
So I needed something spicy.
So that I took some
Korean hot pepper paste.
It looks like some
toothpaste, small paste.
And just in case I
might use this guy.
And then I took it.
And then, OK, time
for me to use this.
I went out to grocery store.
You can buy cucumber everywhere.
I took it and washed this and
then just, [CRUNCH] one bite.
And then this, like, toothpaste,
like, pepper paste, one drop.
And then, mm, it's
good, it's good.
Now I calmed my stomach
and I can swallow well.
I'm ready to eat
French cuisine again.
And then ever since I
started my cooking video.
And different case.
I'm more serious at cooking.
And also, whenever I
travel more than one
week, I need to make a video.
So with the local vegetable,
local some of the ingredients.
So I have several ingredients,
like Korean soy sauce,
Korean hot pepper
paste, the bean paste.
And the fish sauce.
Garlic, green onion, these
things you can get everywhere.
So these things that
you cannot find easily.
Plus, Korean rice.
Korean rice is-- you may
know about Korean rice.
Is same rice as sushi rice.
Little stickier, stickier than
some Mexican or long-grain
rice.
Some people ask
me, oh, Maangchi.
Is it working with normal rice?
Normal rice for me is
short-grain rice, sushi rice.
All my life I'm eating this.
But I know what they mean.
So I always take my rice also.
And then I arrive there.
I make a kimchi.
And then I go to their local
grocery store and some market.
And then I find that if I
don't find Napa cabbage,
I just find any green,
any green, even spinach.
I bring it and then
make just a kimchi.
Or just the usual cabbage.
Usual cabbage in kimchi,
also I posted the recipe.
When I traveled, I was
in Mexico at the time.
And then with cabbage, half
of cabbage I made the kimchi.
Oh, was it delicious.
I made a stew with this.
So all the time I carry
Korean ingredients.
JAMES MULCAHY: Is there
anything that you really
just hate to eat, that
you just don't like?
MAANGCHI: Yeah, of course.
I like [INAUDIBLE] one first.
The first food I don't
like, like a bug.
I don't eat it.
Some people just ask
me, can you cook dog?
No.
Yeah.
Pretty much I love
all kinds of food.
Yeah.
Oh!
One recipe.
My readers ask me, chicken feet.
Maangchi, please make
the chicken feet recipe.
But for some reason,
chicken feet,
I don't think I can handle.
You know, I can
handle live fish.
I can handle live crab.
And then also live lobster.
All the recipes, videos
are on my channel.
But for some reason
I don't think
I can handle some chicken feet
and especially chicken toenail.
And then I was thinking
about all these little things
were just jumping around.
How can I do this?
Oh, I cannot.
But I don't know.
My readers, I love my readers.
Maybe someday I
may change my mind.
And also blood sausage.
Blood sausage.
People love the Korean
soondae, called soondae.
But blood sausage, OK.
I love to eat soondae.
But one day I tried
to find blood,
I need to buy blood, right?
So I went to Chinatown.
I bought some blood.
But oh, it turned out disaster.
And also smell is not good.
And then I hate that,
so I couldn't make it.
But maybe I may
change my mind again.
Who knows?
JAMES MULCAHY: He had
a question over here.
AUDIENCE: Yeah, you
talked about how
you really, whenever
you eat something,
you want to figure out
how to make it yourself.
What's the hardest
thing that you've eaten
that you try to replicate?
MAANGCHI: Um.
Something like when I go
to a fusion restaurant.
Fusion restaurant is
really upscale restaurant.
And then oh, this guy
made with kimchi brine.
I can smell kimchi brine.
And some sauce that is
like pinky, pinkish.
And then maybe sour cream.
But something that
I don't know about.
I never went to culinary school.
Only I know about Korean food.
Sometimes I cannot figure out.
And also I don't want to
know about that, right?
But Korean food, though,
when it comes to Korean food,
is almost all I know.
When I taste this,
I know that how.
Even people ask me, Maangchi,
I went to the restaurant,
Korean restaurant.
They gave me something like
sweet and really salty.
And then kind of a
color that's brown.
It tasted like a potato but
it's not exactly a potato.
Oh, that's the fish cake.
So I know that.
So kind of things
that I know exactly
about Korean dishes and
also Korean restaurants.
North American Korean
restaurant, what they serve,
usually.
And then I know their
side dishes on their list.
So easily I can figure out.
But like a Korean fusion
restaurant, upscale restaurant.
You know, those guys
learn culinary art.
Some maybe like a
secret that they
use, some spice that
I don't know, yeah.
AUDIENCE: So I'm curious.
Do you have many
followers in Korea?
MAANGCHI: Yeah.
These days a lot of
Koreans are coming.
Actually, most of
the people coming
are North America,
American, USA.
USA is around 70% of
my readers are coming.
How much, big, huge, huge fans.
But Koreans are really
almost none until last year.
But like over one year, these
days more and more people
coming.
And they leave Korean
comment in Korean.
What should I do?
I have to answer in Korean.
And also I was thinking
that maybe these guys
don't understand English.
So I just studied
the Korean caption.
So I did the English caption.
I pay for English caption
because I cannot trust
the Google translation.
Not the Google-- the YouTube
translation, auto translation.
So, but I hire translation.
And also the Korean
translation is done by me.
So I do this.
JAMES MULCAHY: I think we have
time for one more question.
AUDIENCE: Thank
you for being here.
I actually go to your website.
I'm Korean myself, but
I go to your website
all the time to see
what else is out there.
I have two questions.
One is, I was thinking about why
it took a while for Korean food
to become so big in the States.
And I feel like there's
this term called [? kom, ?]
which you know.
In Korean it means you just
do it by the feel of things.
You don't really measure things.
You think that
that's the reason why
it might have taken so long for
it to become big in the States?
And then my second question
is, would you ever consider
doing mokbang, which is
a big Korean-- you just
eat on the show.
And it's huge in
Korea right now.
So I think, yeah.
MAANGCHI: Yeah.
This reminded me of another
reporter from Korea.
KBS, the Korean
broadcasting-- the reporter
asked me exactly the same
question about mokbang.
Mokbang, I saw that one time.
Kind of that's not my style.
Yeah.
I mean, I want to teach
Korean cooking, just
authentic recipes.
But always at the
end of my video,
I show them how
passionately I eat.
Sometimes people say, you
look like a crocodile.
But I don't care.
More people love that
when I enjoy my food.
So because that's it.
So who care if something
is between my teeth?
So everybody, I mean, those
guys are following me.
We are the same group
community, who love food.
So and that I can answer.
And Korean food, why, why
Korean food was not popular?
I think Korean food is popular.
We don't have to
worry about this.
Because Japanese
food, it is popular.
They're all new.
Chinese food, Korean,
Japanese food.
I mean, think
about Chinese food.
China is a huge country.
India, huge country.
Mexico, huge country.
They are not that huge big here.
Nowadays I think that Japanese
food is very big these days.
Food is delicious
and healthy, right?
But Korean food is like a trend.
But I'm surrounded by the
people who love Korean food.
I think that everybody loves
Korean food, which is not true,
which is not true.
When I meet, sometimes I'm
interviewed by radio host,
when I talk them,
I feel that, oh,
they don't know
about Korean food.
A lot of people don't
know about Korean kimchi.
Not yet.
So it's starting, starting.
But I'm very positive.
And because my readers
trust my recipe,
they share the food
that they make.
They share this with
their family and friends.
And these days they
make lunch box.
Call this in Japanese, bento.
They call this bento.
In Korean, dosirak.
I used to make my
dosirak for my children.
Sometimes I used to make a
lunch box plus a dinner box.
And four, four lunch
box, dinner box.
And I used to wake
at 5:00 AM to make
the fresh meal for my family.
So these days my
readers, Maangchi, I
took dosirak, Korean
lunch box, to my work.
All of my coworkers
were envious of me.
So those guys are spreading
Korean food, I think, yeah.
JAMES MULCAHY: And so are
you with your cookbook.
That's our hour.
There's cookbooks in
the back for sale.
I think we all want to say
thank you so much for being here
with us today.
MAANGCHI: Thank you so much.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
