Diana's

In preparation for a great Korean feast we'll be enjoying soon, Derek and I recently went on a quest for some very specific ingredients.  Like frozen rice flower, dried skinned mung beans, and mugwort.  We went to four different Asian markets in Boise and eventually found everything we were looking for... except for the mugwort!

As we were checking out at the fourth market, I remembered that when I had searched for Asian markets months ago, I had come across one that was specifically Korean.  At the time I was skeptical.  Boise isn't known for Korean-ness and I was afraid it would be a total bust, so I decided to try a market that wasn't nation specific.  If they didn't have what I wanted, then I'd try the Korean one.  But that time they did, so I didn't look further. 

But this time, I really needed the mugwort that was listed in my very Korean rice cake recipe so I called my dad to look up the info.  You see, I'm too cheap/poor to have web access or even texting on my cell. And luckily enough Diana's Korean Market was still there and just down the road!

It looked like a little hole-in-the-wall place, but as soon as we stepped in the store, I did a little happy dance.  They had Aloe!  In the big bottles!  And the good ramyun, and gim, and red pepper paste, and spicy tuna, and choco pies!  I'm sure we looked like big, white idiots jumping up and down in the store, pumping our fists in the air and cheering.

But I still didn't see any mugwort.  By this time I was worried that with my luck I missed it at the four other stores we went to because I didn't exactly know what it was.  I approached the counter and asked the lady if she had any mugwort.

"What is that?" She asked me.  I could really describe it to her because I didn't know myself, but I had written it down in Korean--쑥--so I pointed to that (Yes, I can read and pronounce Korean, but from my experience, Koreans don't usually understand when I say Korean words in the middle of an English conversation.).

She immediately recognized it in Korean and led me straight to a small packet of the fuzzy, green powder.  Sounds gross now that I'm typing it out.  Think more like dry moss rather than mold...

Photo courtesy of Maangchi.com.  She's got awesome recipes! Check her out!

Hooray!  I finally crossed off the last item on my list and we decided that we would never go to another Asian market again!